Dear friends,
General election - at last!
So we finally have the official announcement to confirm what we all knew: a general election on Thursday 6 May! In London, we are also for the first time in many years having council elections on the same day. This election is going to be absolutely crucial - it is the first time arguably since 1992 that it really is a close race, which means that every leaflet, every phone call and of course every vote counts! The potential for the Liberal Democrats is huge: the more votes we get, the more influence we will have to bring about the desperately needed change and reform.
This election is also unique because for the first time ever we will have live TV leadership debates: next Thursday 15 April (ITV), 22 April (Sky) and 29 April (BBC). It will be fascinating to see how the leaders perform, and how the public responds. The election is so close that these debates really could tip the balance in anyone's favour. No need to mention that Vince Cable won the "Ask the Chancellors" debate 10 days ago hands down - a voice of wisdom in a sea of spin.
Do vote Liberal Democrat - for our commitment to fair taxes, education and the environment, for our unique stance on civil liberties and our progressive, internationalist outlook. You have until 20 April to register to vote and to apply for a postal vote (your local council website will tell you how) - and go to www.libdems.org.uk to find out more about how you can get involved. From campaigning with your local party, to donating some money, joining the party or helping to spread the word to friends and family, everyone has a role to play in our campaign for a fairer Britain!
If you want a laugh, read Andrew Adonis in the Independent today telling us Labour is a progressive party and LibDems should vote for it. Delivering leaflets this morning for Bridget Fox, I met an elderly man who is not well and not well off, and is really suffering from Labour's closure of the sub-post office in our street (despite Bridget's campaigning, this sadly wasn't one of the ones she managed to save). Walking up to the main PO on Upper Street means going uphill and he can't manage it, so he has to pay for a taxi out of his pension every time he needs to go there. Labour the party of social justice? Pull the other one.
EP civil liberties committee adopts Ludford report on interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings
As I may have told you already, I am the 'rapporteur' (draftsman; lead member) for the European Parliament civil liberties committee on proposed legislation on the right to interpretation and translation for defendants who need it in criminal proceedings across the EU. This is the - long overdue - first step in constructing a package of measures to increase the rights of suspects as a counterpart to the European Arrest Warrant which makes return for trial in another EU country swifter and easier.
The committee vote on my report took place yesterday, and it was supported by all the main party groups. I have now a mandate to go and negotiate with EU governments in the Council to give defendants who don't speak the language of the proceedings the right to understand the case against them! Cases such as that of Gary Mann and Andrew Symeou (I am pictured above at a protest demanding his release) have shown just how important this is.
I am glad that unlike in the past when it was opposed to EU law strengthening defence rights, the current UK Labour government has decided to invoke its optional 'opt in' to this measure. The Tories in their own little 'ECR' group however remain opposed, and they voted with the other marginal and extremist parties against my report. They have confirmed that they are not only against the European Arrest Warrant but also against increased safeguards for suspects, so this is an ideological war against all EU action on criminal justice which is designed to catch criminals while raising justice standards.
David Gray death leads to calls for more rigorous vetting of foreign doctors
MPs on the Commons Health select committee said yesterday that the system for checking European doctors' language and medical skills before they are allowed to practise in the UK has to be improved following the death of patient David Gray. Mr Gray was given a lethal overdose of diamorphine when being treated by German doctor Daniel Ubani. I have been in touch with Mr Gray's sons and together with LibDem health spokesperson Norman Lamb MP have raised with Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding our concern about another aspect of this case, how German authorities dodged a European Arrest Warrant for Ubani. We may need a change - or at least a clarification - of EU rules ensuring that visiting EU doctors can be tested on their medical and language skills. But from what I have read so far, it seems that most of the fault is not with the EU 'free movement' Directive itself, but rests in the failure of PCTs and other UK health bodies to implement it sensibly by testing those who need it.
Recognising and condemning atrocities: Srebenica and Katyn
Reconciliation cannot take place without the acknowledgement of the truth, so I welcome two recent events. The first was the Serbian Parliament resolution condemning the massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) in Srebenica in 1995. Although, as the relatives of the victims point out, the document does not give any indication of acceptance of responsibility or of regret, and does not refer to the event as a genocide, it at least means an end to denial of the massacre. I hope that the parliaments in Bosnia Herzegovina, including the Serbian representatives in Republicka Srpska, will find the political courage to do the same.
Then Vladmir Putin visited the forest of Katyn, Russia where in 1940 (last Saturday was the 70th anniversary) 20,000 Polish officers and prisoners of war were brutally murdered by Stalin's forces. This included many intellectuals, policemen and civil servants who had been conscripted into the Polish army. Putin did not apologise as such, but in an unprecedented move referred to the "shared memory and shame" of Russia and Poland. In the past Putin has tended to if anything glorify Russia's Stalinist past, in an apparent attempt to use 'Stalin nostalgia' to his political advantage.
In both cases the indirect influence of the EU was instrumental. Serbian recognition and condemnation of Srebenica had to happen for the EU to even start thinking seriously of the much sought after Serbian membership of the EU. For Russia, now that Poland is a member of the EU it is in Russian interests to mend its historically fractious relationship with the country if it wants to continue to have a cooperative rapport with the EU. The European Union not only fosters peace within the bloc, but also induces reconciliation and peace in the surrounding region.
Digital Economy bill rushed through
The Digital Economy bill was forced through Parliament on Wednesday night in the pre-election "wash up" (the rush to get legislation through before the election), after just two hours of debate in the House of Commons. Liberal Democrats opposed on civil liberties grounds the elements in this Bill allowing the Secretary of State to block 'pirate' websites allegedly containing copyright-infringing material or the disconnection of individuals for illegal file-sharing - the famous "3 strikes and you're out" provision. It seems we secured at least that this will be subject to an Ofcom review but this small concession was not enough, and I will be calling on the European Commission to examine if it complies with EU law on internet freedom.
The European Visa Code
The EU Visa Code, which I worked on when it was adopted by the European Parliament back in June of last year, came into force for all Schengen countries this week. It makes Schengen EU visa issuing fairer and more efficient, with greater rights for applicants. Since the UK is not in the Schengen zone it won't apply to UK visa-issuing, but it will hopefully make life easier for my constituents who live in London but do not have an EU passport and have to get a Schengen visa when visiting the rest of the EU. This can be a frustrating experience and I am hoping that the hassle factor will be reduced from now on.
Open Europe and the Eurosceptic British press
If you haven't already, do read a recent Economist 'Charlemagne' column "Open Europe: the Eurosceptic group that controls British coverage of the EU". It is absolutely on the spot, and illustrates at length how the British press can sometimes publish anti-EU stories with no critical thought or examination of the facts. Yes, the EU is complicated, as yes it can "make your brain hurt" sometimes when you try and get to grips with the nitty gritty, but there is no excuse for just one-sidedly printing gross exaggeration and hyperbole. In particular, this Open Europe study the blog refers tries to monetise the benefits of UK versus EU regulation but fails to account for the value of aspects like civil liberties, privacy or justice. I am glad to see the Economist shedding some light on both the bogus 'independent think tank' claim of Open Europe and the shoddy nature of British Eurosceptic journalism.
Boris Johnson's draft air quality strategy for London
On the Saturday of the weekend before Easter, at 10 minutes past midnight, Boris Johnson published his draft air quality strategy. Maybe he wanted to get it out before the election started properly, maybe he wanted to get it in the Sunday papers- or maybe he was trying to do it as quietly as possible because he has something to hide. Certainly it's a shockingly inadequate document. What does Boris suggest to deal with the health emergency of dirty air causing thousands of premature deaths? Washing the streets (?), planting trees, and banning vehicles from running their engines when stationary! No proposals to target pollution hotspots, no programme to clean up the most polluting buses, taxis and diesel vehicles, nothing serious of effective to really clean up the air Londoners have to breathe in and out every day. So Boris is doing his bit to ensure the UK will be found in breach of EU clean air laws. Read more about this on my website.
Rightwing extremism in Europe
Yesterday was International Roma Day, and the 2nd International Roma Summit in Cordoba, Spain. Roma people across the EU still experience some of the worst forms of discrimination and exclusion from society, and the EU needs to develop a pan-European Roma strategy to combat their marginalisation and exclusion and, increasingly, racial attacks. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled last week that a Bulgarian court had been discriminatory in imposing a prison rather than suspended sentence for a Roma woman convicted of fraud, and that this was an explicit attempt to make an example of her for other Romanis. This is the kind of deeply unfair treatment has to stop. Read more about this here on my website.
The rising success of rightwing racist and anti-semitic parties across Europe is truly frightening and the mainstream parties have to work harder to address legitimate grievances about jobs, housing, public services, huge gaps in wealth and income and poorly-managed migration while not pandering in any way to prejudice and racist scapegoating.
Tory record on women's rights
Following on from David Cameron's flustered response when confronted by Tory MEPs' voting record on gay rights, they have now also been shamed on women's rights. As reported in the Independent, Conservative MEPs have consistently voted against measures to protect womens' rights, such as sexual equality, family-friendly working hours, maternity leave and reproductive health. The electorate-friendly dance falters, the moderate mask slips...
Best regards,
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