Paul Waugh, Politics Home, writes on the proposal by David Cameron to appoint more peers to the House of Lords. As the article reports Cameron has, since 2010, appointed 128 new peers at a cost of £131,000 each – a total of £16.7million. The additional sum of £16.7milion may be peanuts when looking at the total [...]

As the BBC has noted, today is the anniversary of a daring World War II night time raid on three dams in the early hours of 17 May 1943, immortalised by the RAF’s 617 Squadron as the “Dambusters”. These are the men who took part in the perilous mission. Bearing in mind that those who took part [...]

Richard North, EUReferendum, links to the words of the head of the CBI – whose vacuous verbosity knows no bounds – hence my querying whether Richard North had made a “typo” where this man’s name is concerned; but I digress. It is hoped that I am not the only one who has noticed the increase [...]

Blog SummaryHollande goes on the offensive – two years to achieve political union in Europehttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/hollande-goes-on-offensive-two-years-to.html

Daily Press SummaryHollande: Eurozone economic government and ???political union??? within two years; Die Welt: Hollande needs Merkel ???as a punching bag???http://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=11386&page=PressSummary

From PoliticsHome we read that James Wharton has won a ballot for a Private Members Bill and plans to use the opportunity to present the Draft EU Referendum Bill. Just to what the hell is James Wharton up? This is the man who, the Speccie in their “Evenig Blend” round-up of the days events, reports, [...]

Blog SummaryWhere do EU member states stand on bank bail-in plans?http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/where-do-eu-member-states-stand-on-bank.html

Blog SummaryJames Wharton MP wins the lottery to take on the EU referendum Billhttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-private-members-eu-referendum-bill.html

Daily Press SummaryCameron to impose three-line whip in support of draft referendum Bill; 116 Conservative MPs vote for amendment regretting absence of EU referendum in Queen???s Speechhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=11375

Blog SummaryNick Clegg: EU referendum a question of "when not if"http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/nick-clegg-eu-referendum-question-of-if.html

Autonomous Mind suggests that it has long been argued that Labour, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems, have been waging a class war in this country. But hang on AM, is that not true of all political parties under this warped system of democracy under which we live? Even Ukip has not been exactly [...]

So Politics Home reports David Cameron  stating, in response to Nadine Dorries’ statement that she would be prepared to stand on a Tory/Ukip ticket. Just what the hell then did David Cameron and his party do when they entered into a pact with the Devil Liberal Democrats?  Just asking………..

Blog SummaryCameron: Before the 2015 election, we will do everything we can to make an EU referendum the lawhttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/cameron-before-2015-election-we-will-do.html

Daily Press SummaryConservatives??? draft EU referendum Bill commits UK to holding in/out vote by end of 2017http://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=11366

Blog Summary"Do you think that the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union???? – the Tories publish their EU Referendum Billhttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/do-you-think-that-united-kingdom-should.html

Apropos the preceding post one has to ask where is democracy, not just in the United Kingdom, but in the world in general? When considering that democracy is: Demos- the people, Kratos – power – ie people power; other than in Switzerland, just where else does democracy per se, exist? Where democracy is concerned one immediately [...]

So the Cameroon party has published a Referendum Bill – and what, pray, makes this latest production of political crap any different to what has gone before? As our current “Dictator in situ”, let us remember that Cameron said, in an interview with El Pais as reported by The Boiling Frog, that he would not honour [...]

WfW has, since Friday last, been extremely non-productive on the bogging front – for which one can only apologise…….. Having entered a world where one starts on the Famous Grouse or Grants at circa 6pm and by the time dinner has been consumed a hour or so later, progression has been made to single malts [...]

Daily Press SummaryLord Leach: EU reform is the best option, even for us scepticshttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=11359

Daily Press SummaryLord Leach: EU reform is the best option, even for us scepticshttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=11359

Blog SummaryLord Leach: EU reform is the best option, even for us scepticshttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/lord-leach-eu-reform-is-best-option.html

Blog SummaryLord Leach: EU reform is the best option, even for us scepticshttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/lord-leach-eu-reform-is-best-option.html

Daily Press SummaryGove and Hammond say they would quit EU as it stands but back PM???s strategy; Labour EU referendum campaign to launch next monthhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=11352

Blog SummarySplits in Germany (and beyond) over banking union?http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/splits-in-germany-and-beyond-over.html

Blog SummarySplits in Germany (and beyond) over banking union?http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/splits-in-germany-and-beyond-over.html

An article in The Foreigner, Norwegian news in English, bemoans the “delights” of train travel in both Norway and the United Kingdom. Norway, unlike the United Kingdom, could be said to suffer from adverse weather conditions among other “problems” – but if one country can overcome similar weather conditions and other “problems”, why can’t Norway [...]

Under present rules the 7 members of the Swiss Federal government are chosen from and by the politicians, however on the 9th June the people of Switzerland will have the opportunity to decide whether they should be able to elect those 7 members of their federal government. This possibility to elect the Executive brings into [...]

Courtesy of swsissinfo.ch we learn that the highest court in Switzerland has ruled that integration of foreigners is more important to Swiss society than their religious beliefs. If only the highest court in our land held sway? Hows about we regain the ability to tell any foreigner: you want to live here, then you abide [...]

We have been informed by some campaigning groups that children should “have a voice” in what happens within their family. Apropos my last post (linked to save those that missed it, searching), should not the children who comprise part of the world political class not “have a voice” in what happens within their own family [...]

Oh we have a world, or global, government – and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is part of it. Digressing slightly, so is the WTO, IMF, WHO, to name but three more. One has only to look at the latest edition of UNECE Weekly to see this, from which: “The United Nations [...]

Blog SummaryGoing global: Germany is slowly shifting its trade away from the EUhttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/going-global-germany-is-shifting-trade.html

As @BrunoBrussels and @quarsan have pointed out on twitter, a blog post critical of Barroso which appeared on the College of Europe website has been removed without any word of explanation. John Worth has captured from google cache the original entitled: “Barroso’s promise of a federal Europe is an insult.” This act of censorship somewhat drives [...]

Blog SummaryEU referendum: What will the Tory backbench motion actually achieve?http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/eu-referendum-what-will-tory-backbench.html

Daily Press SummaryDowning Street indicates ministers will be allowed free vote on EU referendum amendmenthttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article?id=11344

a warning to the fair sex: And on an even lighter note, if you want proof that muslims do not believe in sexual equality, then answer me – how many male virgins are there? Just asking……. H/T Ian Parker-Joseph

IPSA has today released details of those MPs who have repaid profits they made from the “second home scandal” which arose out of the Expenses Scandal. Some of the names on the list will no doubt come as a surprise to readers – or may be not! Tory Stewart Jackson is being sued for £54,000 [...]

Courtesy of Ian Parker-Joseph, my attention is drawn to this article, from which: “In my career as a psychologist, I have talked with hundreds of people previously diagnosed by other professionals with oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, anxiety disorder and other psychiatric illnesses, and I am struck by (1) how many of those [...]

With all this “talk” about a referendum on this country’s relationship with the European Union – and let us set aside whether one should be held now – just consider the following: “One of the tasks that we clearly have is to rebuild trust in our political system. Yes, that’s about cleaning up expenses, yes, [...]

Blog SummaryThe real Europe question: how to kick-start growthhttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-real-europe-question-how-to-kick.html

Daily Press SummaryGovernment considering Open Europe???s proposal to liberalise EU services market; Mats Persson: Cameron should beat Europe at its own gamehttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=11336

Blog SummaryWhen ideology meets economic reality (Part III): Opposition to the FTT grows at the heart of Europehttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/when-ideology-meets-economic-reality.html

According to this report in the Mail there is more to the Queen’s Speech than meets the eye and one could say that once again we have an example of our political elite not being totally honest with us. Apparently there is “buried in the detail” of the Queen”s Speech, although not mentioned, the small [...]

With the “Lawson article” still in the news, a matter on which Richard North, EUReferendum, comments; it seems supporters of David Cameron’s renegotiation meme are swiftly out of their blocks to counter the Lawson charge that any such renegotiation would result in little of consequence. Immediately the voice of South rthNoamptonshire has an article on the [...]

Press ReleasesNew Open Europe report: How to reignite the EU???s services market and boost growth by ???300bnhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=10060

Press ReleasesNew Open Europe report: How to reignite the EU???s services market and boost growth by ???300bnhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article?id=10060

Philip Johnston, Daily Telegraph, comments on the Queen’s Speech and in particular the intentions where immigration is concerned, querying why landlords have to police our borders. Johnston ends his article querying whether we are seeing legislation used, not for the first time, as a political signal rather than a practical measure that will make a [...]

With the “Lawson article” still in the news, a matter on which Richard North, EUReferendum, comments; it seems supporters of David Cameron’s renegotiation meme are swiftly out of their blocks to counter the Lawson charge that any such renegotiation would result in little of consequence. Immediately the voice of South Northamptonshire has an article on the [...]

Daily Press SummaryNew Open Europe report: How to reignite the EU???s services market and boost growth by ???300bn; UK Europe Minister: It???s an idea ???worth exploring???http://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=11329

Blog SummaryIs Lord Lawson's intervention likely to be a game-changer?http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/is-lord-lawsons-intervention-likely-to.html

The proverbial pound to a penny that the unmentioned aspect of a short article that has appeared on the Spectator Coffee House website will be reported in the MSM. This article contains an extract from the recently published book by Andrew Adonis about the 2010 Coalition Negotiations that took place. It is alleged that Nick [...]