Libertas Insider

A glimmer of hope still on the horizon

2009-10-12T19:39:00.002+01:00

The fate of Europe still hangs in the balance, with just one man, Vaclav Klaus, the Czech President, holding out for the people of Europe. The Times today has reported that his application for an amendment to the Lisbon Treaty is now being supported by his own Government, which looks like a major U-turn from them, having previously been encouraged to consider impeaching the President:

After an emergency Cabinet meting this morning, Jan Fischer, the Czech Prime Minister, said that he would put President Klaus's call for a human rights opt-out to the next European summit on October 29

Many, of course, believe that this is very much a delaying tactic, in the hope that the Tories win the next General Election in the UK and hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty immediately, as David Cameron has promised.

It is a sad day when the people of Europe are denied a say on their own future by an anti-democratic conspiracy of European leaders seeking to create a new European superstate. Thank goodness we have Vaclav Klaus, who is willing to risk his political career both at home and internationally to stand up for the right of the public to decide our own future.

Libertas accounts published

2009-10-10T18:51:00.005+01:00

For anyone interested, the EU election returns have been published by the Electoral Commission. Our 'return' is here and the invoice sheet is here.

In total, including a large amount of notional expenditure, Libertas spent £98,050 on the June EU elections. That compares reasonably to the No2EU campaign that spent £89K and achieved a similar percentage of the vote.

Campaign posters

2009-10-01T10:09:00.003+01:00

Here are a couple of current campaign posters from Ireland:

Democracy for sale in Ireland?

2009-09-30T18:43:00.002+01:00

Since Brian Cowen has run away from the Lisbon debate and left it to Michael O'Leary of RyanAir to be the principle spokesman for the Yes campaign, it is no surprise that it has become a dirty fight. Oddly, Cowen is using a man who describes his government as 'incompetent' and 'feckless' to fight on his behalf.

Having previously called it 'undemocratic' to force the Irish to vote again, why is Mr O'Leary involved at all? A big clue might have been given when he admitted on television:

“One of the reasons that I am campaigning for a ‘yes’ vote is that our Government is incompetent, yet I need to persuade them to sell me Aer Lingus.”

So the main proponent of the Yes campaign is doing so, by his own admission, to indebt the Irish Government into reversing their block of his takeover bid.

Come on Ireland, kick this grubby Yes campaign to the curb.

No referendum for Britain

2009-09-30T18:10:00.003+01:00

Having played the referendum card for the European elections in June, the Tory leader, David Cameron, admitted today that there is no chance of Britain having a referendum. Of course, they hid it behind weasel words, but the reality is obvious.

If Ireland votes No, the Treaty is dead. If Ireland votes Yes, then all that remains is for Poland, Germany and the Czech republic to endorse it before May next year (the likely date of a UK General Election). There is little hope that any of those three countries could hold out long enough for a Tory Government to come into power and hold a referendum.

So the reality is that the Tories will form the next Government in May 2010, in an EU that will probably have had the Lisbon Treaty ratified by all member states and in place for several months. There will be nothing that the Tories can do, especially since their entire intent is to "not let matters rest". I bet the EU leaders are shaking in their boots.

But are the Tories willing to admit that there is nothing that they can do? Of course not; that would be far too honest.

Pro-Lisbon campaign yobs

2009-09-28T14:41:00.002+01:00

The Irish Times over the weekend reported on a Libertas press conference that was invaded by a bunch of pro-Lisbon yobs from 'Ireland for Europe' (what kind of illiterate name is that anyway?).

Not willing to allow Libertas to launch its new posters and debate in a civilised manner afterwards, the anti-democrats swamped Declan Ganley trying to cause as much disruption as possible while also shouting over him. They also shoved their own posters over the new Libertas poster, as you can see from the picture.

So not only are the Yes campaign using big business to outspend the No campaign by ten to one (yes, they are spending 10 times as much!), they are seeking to physically disrupt the No campaign as well. All the while, Brian Cowen refuses to debate the treaty in public.

Such is the face of 'democracy' in the EU. Does anyone need another reason to vote No?

Interesting Reading

2009-09-28T01:09:00.002+01:00

Two great articles to read. Firstly, the Irish Times seems to have turned over a new leaf and is giving much better coverage of the No campaign. They report on a canvassing evening on a housing estate where just one person said that they would be voting Yes.

Another article in The Post highlights the danger of multinational companies entering into political debate, and the vote swinging cash that they bring with them.

The more I see of this referendum, the more I think that the Yes campaign has massively over-played its hand and we just might see another No result.

Irish democrats still say no to Lisbon

2009-09-25T09:19:00.003+01:00

There was a nice article published in the Guardian yesterday by Declan Ganley. It's interesting to see such a piece in the usually pro-everything-EU paper.

Being Irish, it's hard to imagine how it must appear to an outsider looking at our second referendum on the Lisbon treaty. At least somebody out there reading this must be jealous – we get to vote twice and you don't get to vote at all. Perhaps the most interesting thing about our re-vote is the way in which it was regarded as a certainty after the original referendum. The votes were literally not counted before some Irish media personalities, and EU leaders, were speculating on a timeline for round two. You see, "no" results are never about the treaty. No. They are about domestic issues, or people are misinformed, or enemies of Europe have lied to the poor unsuspecting people. By contrast, "yes" votes are ringing endorsements of Brussels, based on informed, thoughtful analysis.
As such, we Irish behaved badly, and were therefore required as a matter of course to vote again. Nearly every EU leader agrees with this. Their own people must not vote, but the Irish must vote twice. It would be funny – a parody in fact – were it not real. It is what has become of the European Union, and it is the single most compelling reason to reject the treaty again.
Europe cannot go on like this. Opponents cannot continue to be treated as dissident enemies of the state (for a state is what this treaty creates) who must be undermined and smeared at every opportunity. I use my own experience not to beseech your pity in this regard, but as an example. In the last 18 months, as I tried to highlight these issues both in Ireland and around Europe, I have been attacked by EU leaders and officials variously as a CIA agent, a KGB asset, an MI5 plant, an agent of the neoconservative movement (the evils of whom are assumed in aGodwinesque fashion), a eurosceptic, a religious extremist and a neo-Nazi. I kid you not.
And what have we, the opponents of the treaty, been saying to merit this kind of attitude? Well, we think it's anti-democratic. We think it sends more and more power to Brussels and sends nothing in the way of democratic accountability in the other direction. It creates a president, a job which is being fought over at this very moment in smoke-filled rooms around Europe without regard to the views of the citizenry. This person will be our spokesperson for years to come, and their views will largely determine the agenda, voice, and direction of an EU council that will be more powerful than ever. You and I have no say on who this will be. It creates a foreign minister in the same fashion. An EU diplomatic corps. It expands ever further the reach of the commission, that unelected bureau in whom is vested the sole power to initiate, conservatively, 60% of member state law. It vests in the European parliament the power only to amend or suggest certain approaches, and it continues the trend away from subsidiarity towards centralisation.
Our politicians love it. It's easy to see why. Adam Smith's invisible hand of profit guides their action, though in this case their profits are not directly financial. It is another step in the dramatisation of politics. Our leaders at home will continue to present themselves before us, but have fewer and fewer responsibilities. A single prime minister alone cannot be blamed for every irritating EU directive. Your local MP cannot take responsibility for decisions made in Brussels. Our leaders have a permanent pension home, and a chance to stride the world stage as leader of what would be the world's second or third political power.
The Lisbon treaty makes politics easier for politicians, and makes political change harder to achieve for citizens. It locks in an economic approach as if history itself has ended. It locks in social legislation as if society has ceased to evolve. It treats the challenges of today as permanent, and ultimately, it redefines democracy as something Brussels aspires to, rather than something we all have a right to. Voting twice? If we say yes, voting once on anything may be a very rare privilege indeed.

No Hint Of Irony

2009-09-23T11:29:00.003+01:00

Hypocrisy and outright lies from our politicians are no longer shocking - indeed they are parr for the course these days. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't mock it when we see it.

The pro-Lisbon Irish Times has provided an excellent example of the state of the debate in Ireland. Firstly Brian Cowen says this:

Meanwhile, Mr Cowen yesterday argued that the No side’s efforts to create fear in the public mind had to be stopped.
He said the Yes campaign had to send out a positive message

And then swiftly follows it with this:

“If we stand against the consensus that has emerged in the European Union about the Lisbon Treaty going ahead, that is not going to be good for the country,” he told TV3.
“Two out of three jobs in Ireland are with companies with orders in European markets. People see there are consequences if we vote No. What signals do we send, and why do we put ourselves at risk?”

And this:

“It’s not that we will leave the union immediately. It’s not that there will be an overnight Armageddon.

So the positive, anti-fear campaign from the YES camp is that it is going to be bad for the country, 2/3 of Irish jobs will be at risk and Armageddon will strike, albeit not in the first 24 hours.

"Wake Up and Smell the Bull"

2009-09-22T10:34:00.003+01:00

Libertas today hit out at the absurd claims by the Irish Government that the Lisbon Treaty will create jobs in Ireland. I don't think that political statements get much blunter than this:

“Just show us where the jobs are in the Lisbon Treaty” is the challenge Libertas Leader Declan Ganley is laying down to the Yes campaign this morning. With just about a week and a half to go to polling day, Mr. Ganley said that the people of Ireland were beginning to “wake up and smell the bull”.

“We’ve had months of this nonsense about jobs, nearly all of it coming from people who would fail junior cert economics, if their record is anything to go by” Mr. Ganley said. “And despite all of this, we are only aware of one job that will be definitely saved by Lisbon, and it belongs to Brian Cowen”.

“We’ve had the referendum commission say they are lying. We’ve had the Wall Street Journal say they are lying. We’ve had the Financial Times say they are lying. We’ve had yes side strategists boasting to the media about how they intend to “persuade” people that this is about the economy. We’ve had months and months of dreary, tired, stupid nonsense about jobs, and they can’t point to a single one”

“We’ve seen millions of taxpayer’s euros spent on posters waffling about jobs. We’ve seen Pat Cox, who wouldn’t have earned a dime for most of his career if he’d been in business, tell people to be afraid. We’ve had the Dick and Mick road show from Iveagh house running around the country telling people to be afraid. We’ve had Enda Kenny desperately trying to postpone an election with a yes vote because he’s terrified of having to write a budget. We’ve had the whole, tired, pathetic, lot.

But not one example of a job.

It’s time to put up, or shut up. Show us the jobs, or prove, once and for all, that the country is led by a bunch of spoofers who’d say and do anything to get people to vote for this rotten, discredited, and defeated piece of junk they call a Treaty”

Anti-Lisbon videos on Youtube

2009-09-21T15:34:00.000+01:00

A couple of videos for your entertainment:

Our President has been selected for us.

2009-09-18T20:16:00.003+01:00

José Manuel Barroso was 'elected' as President of the European Commission for a second term, on Wednesday.

It couldn't come at a better time, as the Irish start warming up for their enforced second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. What better representation of the EU than a President who hasn't been elected by the European public. Anywhere. Yes, he's not even an MEP as far as I can see.

So not only is he unelected as President by us, he can't be unelected by any public anywhere. This is a selection not an election for the most important political position in Europe. Welcome to the post-democratic era, which can only get worse under the Lisbon Treaty.

But the question is: would MEPs have been forced to vote again if they picked the wrong candidate?

Having complained that we don't get to elect our President, what would happen if we did? It would be a disaster of Eurovision proportions, with national and regional interests monopolising the voting patterns. It just highlights the nonsense of an artificial state being created against the wishes of the public.

Daniel Hannan put it well in his recent article for the Telegraph:

It cannot be stressed too often that democracy requires a demos: a unit with which we identify when we use the word “we”. Take away the demos and you’re left only with the kratos: the power of a system that must compel by force of law what it dare not ask in the name of civic patriotiosm.
No, the solution is to return power to the units with which voters feel genuine identification, namely the national parliaments.

"UKIP should just go home"

2009-09-18T19:29:00.002+01:00

In a press statement issued earlier today, Declan Ganley asked UKIP to leave the Irish political scene. It's obviously a tricky issue; the Irish decision will have implications for everyone in Europe, not just Ireland. Does that give the rest of us a right to interfere? Probably.

However, on a practical note, foreign interference is never welcome in politics, and the Libertas team in Ireland believe that UKIP is doing more harm than good by associating the NO campaign with UKIP's right wing image on top of looking like a bunch of foreigners telling the Irish how to vote.

Here's that statement in full:

The United Kingdom Independence Party should pack up its tent and go home, Libertas Leader Declan Ganley said this evening.

Mr. Ganley said that the intervention of the party was “every bit as unwelcome as the parade of Brussels mandarins that will be wheeled out over the coming weeks to lecture the Irish people”:

“We all know that a “Yes” to Lisbon will give the UK more of a say in our affairs – and we may well get a British President of the EU speaking on behalf of Irish people throughout the world – but this interference is unwarranted, unwelcome, unhelpful, and unnecessary” Mr. Ganley said.

“The Irish people showed the world in the first vote that they are not sheep, and will not be bullied. Mr. Farage’s intentions in arriving to these shores are known only to himself, but we do not need a foreign political party to tell us that our politicians are a bunch of arrogant clowns who won’t take no for an answer. We know it already, thanks very much”.

Ends

Libertas back in the game

2009-09-17T14:08:00.005+01:00

After a long quiet spell, Libertas is back in full swing in Ireland, where the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is looming. Declan Ganley has also rejoined the fight.

Today saw a major attack on the YES campaign, following a cracking article in the Wall Street Journal that ripped apart the fear mongering by the YES campaign.

INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS READ TRUTH ABOUT LISBON WHILE YES SIDE LIE – GANLEY

“3 million global business leaders are reading the truth about the Lisbon Treaty this morning while the people of Ireland pass lamp-posts littered with lies on their way to work” Libertas Leader Declan Ganley has said today.

Mr. Ganley was responding to an editorial in the Wall Street Journal which said that Finance Minister Brian Lenihan was “peddling phantom terrors to scare the Irish people into voting Yes”. The paper also said that “no sane businessman” would see a No to Lisbon as a “vote against Europe”, and that Ireland had “no reason to fear the consequences of a No vote”.

Responding, Mr. Ganley said that it was absolutely clear that the only job saved by the Lisbon Treaty would be Brian Cowen’s:

“It’s a sad day when 3 million global business leaders are told the truth by the world’s most famous business newspaper, while the same number and more of Irish people are having the truth hidden from them”,

“This Treaty has absolutely nothing to do with jobs or the economy. It has everything to do with a fanatical class of deluded people at the top of Irish society who are determined to have their way at any cost.”

“The truth is that despite hanging thousands of bland, misleading posters across the country, and rolling out about a hundred astroturf groups made up of the same small fanatical band of professional Brussels-leeches, the Yes side cannot point to a single job this piece of junk treaty would create”.

“Meanwhile, in the real world, the bible of the international investor is telling its readers the truth. There will be no jobs. Ireland will not be a better place to invest. The Government is telling lies. And No sane businessman agrees with their ideas.”

“So, who will the Irish people believe? The same Government that has brought the country to the edge of an economic cliff, or the 33-time Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper which is read by every serious investor on the planet?”

“Other than Brian Cowen’s, the yes side cannot point to a single job that this treaty will create. And therein lies the answer to the question”

Ends

Where now for Libertas?

2009-06-19T15:15:00.003+01:00

After a disappointing election night for Libertas and Declan Ganley's apparent withdrawal from front line politics, many people are questioning the future of Libertas.

I attended a UK get together on Wednesday for candidates and activists, which was quite revealing. Whereas one might have expected gloominess, on the whole people were extremely positive and asking what the next step is. There weren't a lot of answers, but what is clear is that Libertas is going to continue to grow and without the time constraints of an electin to fight immediately, we can do it properly this time.

Discussions are now underway across Europe as to the best way forward, and I am looking forward to Libertas Mk II.

Onwards and upwards!

Declan Ganley looking hopeful

2009-06-07T09:17:00.004+01:00

The Times today is showing that Declan Ganley might get elected in the North West region of Ireland, despite many smear attempts in certain sections of the Irish press:

Tallies throughout the sprawling area showed high levels of support for Ganley in several areas, not just his base in Galway. This suggested that he could potentially pull off a shock result and take a seat, possibly at the expense of Pat “The Cope” Gallagher of Fianna Fail.

This would be a fantastic result for Libertas and give us a base to fight the Lisbon Treaty from when the Irish are forced to vote again.

Go Declan!

Libertas still campaigning

2009-06-06T17:38:00.002+01:00

While the other parties in the UK are now somewhat quieter, waiting for the European Election results tomorrow night, Libertas is still going. One of the unusual aspects of us being a pan-European party is that the elections take place at different times.

Ireland voted yesterday, and it is looking good for Declan Ganley by all accounts.

Latvia, Malta and Slovakia, and the Czech Republic are all voting today, and we have candidates in each of those countries, and there are yet more elections tomorrow across Europe.

It does bring home the sheer scale of Libertas and the feeling that we are part of a much wider movement for change.

Blears resigns to spend more time with her constituents

2009-06-03T15:21:00.003+01:00

Today Hazel Blears has gone, following Jacqui Smith, announcing 'I am glad to be going home to the people who matter the most to me: the people of Salford.' Aside from the sickening insincerity of it, what this really indicates that she is going to spend the next few months doing nothing but campaigning in her constituency to try to hold on to her seat when Labour collapses at the next General Election.

But what does this mean for the EU elections? Normally a senior minister resigning just before an election would be seen as catastrophic news, but this time, with two of them going (and maybe more), it is just lumped in with the rest of the bad news for Gordon Brown.

Caroline Flint, the Europe Minister, is widely reported to be the next likely minister to quit.

So just how bad is it all going to get for Gordon tomorrow? The polls are putting Labour on 16-22%, and I think that they are going to end up under 20%; Labour voters simply aren't going to turn out in numbers as the bad news keeps on landing. This leaves a massive swing vote available in areas of the country that should bring about good results for smaller parties like Libertas, the Greens and UKIP.

The writing's on the wall

2009-06-03T10:59:00.003+01:00

Libertas managed to grab the attention of Londoners last night with a series of huge messages projected on to the side of London buildings. They look really impressive.

Growing Support for Libertas

2009-06-02T10:56:00.000+01:00

With just two days to go before the EU elections, support for Libertas, the pan-European reform party is growing rapidly in the media. As the shine comes off UKIP as the alternative vote, journalists across the board are taking a fresh look at Libertas, the party that took on Brussels and won.

In just the last day or so, the Daily Mail included a glowing piece by Peter Oborne and then the Sun joined in with an endorsement by Trevor Kavanagh and a further compliment in the editorial.

Here are some of the highlights:

“A better bet is Libertas, the new party that sensationally humiliated established political parties in Ireland last year. In a brilliant campaign, backed by The Sun, Libertas turned a near-certain YES into a bombshell NO on the Constitution.”
- Trevor Kavanagh, The Sun

“Many voters are tempted by the increasingly credible Libertas.”
-The Sun Says column

“At a time of moral squalor and decay in Westminster and Brussels, both Libertas and Jury Team offer voters a hugely refreshing - and, perhaps, the only proper - alternative on Thursday.”
- Peter Oborne, Daily Mail

Libertas challenges MEPs to bare all on expenses.

2009-05-28T14:22:00.003+01:00

Libertas today organised a publicity stunt to highlight the lack of transparency over expenses from our MEPs. While MPs are under the spotlight, our MEPs are getting away with expense abuse on a massive scale.

Libertas today challenged them to bare all by publishing their expenses in detail, including receipts, for the last five years BEFORE the 4th June so that the voters can see where their money has been going.

Moral authority in politics?

2009-05-25T14:00:00.006+01:00

Shocking news from Scotland. According to Alex Salmond, First Minister,

political institutions have lost their "moral authority" in the row over MPs' expenses

I beg to differ. Politicians lost their moral authority long ago. Before any of these expense scandals came out, trust in our politicians was at an all time low, and they were regarded as a money-grabbing sell-outs. People thought that they were crooks before. After the expense scandal, people know that they are crooks.

All of these politicians calling for the 'trust' to be rebuilt are living a fantasy. There was no widespread trust before, and there is almost none now. Publishing expenses doesn't rebuild the trust, it just means that we, the public, get to watch how they are spending our money because we definitely don't trust them to do it in private.

Do our political elites really think that paying money back and publishing expenses is seen as anything more than damage limitation? The fact is that they would NEVER have paid the money back OR published their expenses in detail if it hadn't been for the Telegraph.

If our politicians really want to build trust, they will need to be consistently trust-worthy over a very long period of time. Deselecting every single MP who has had to pay money back is only the first step. That includes David Cameron.

And next they need to surprise us. Reacting to public anger is not going to build the trust. We need innovative leadership.

The Stamp Out Sleaze campaign from Libertas is a good start, but it needs to be applied in practice. Unless we have MEPs and MPs following the principles and leading by example, we will be stuck with the same old politicians stuck in the same rut.

Stamp Out Sleaze Days 4 & 5

2009-05-18T22:45:00.006+01:00

I am coming to this a bit later than I should, but Libertas has now released the final two pledges on its Stamp Out Sleaze pledge cards:

4. I will publish the details of all meetings with lobbyists.
5. I will never abuse my expenses to reward my family.

I can certainly see the importance of full disclosure with regard to lobbyists. It's not a pledge that will excite the masses, but hopefully those more interested in the working of Government will understand the importance.

As for hiring family members, there was a great news item out from Libertas today that summed this up: Tory MEPs are three times more likely to employ their wives

What has amused me immensely though is how much the Tories totally copied our pledges idea today for their launch, even down to using five of them. It's really quite outrageous:

“One – Conservative MEPs will publish online a breakdown of all office costs, signed off by a certified accountant.

“Two – they will publish online details of all travel: to Brussels, to Strasbourg, to any other country.

“Three – they will publish the names of each member of staff they employ.

“Four – they will publish details of all meetings with lobbyists and interest groups.

“And five – all of the above will be subject to examination by a scrutiny panel.

They already do number 3, so it's no big deal. Number five isn't a pledge; they should be doing that already. 1 & 3, however, are largely the same as our first pledge - to release all expenses in detail. Their number 4 was the same as our number 4. At least Cameron has realised the significance of this.

It's all very encouraging really. You know you are important because the other parties start copying you wholesale.

Noticeably absent was a Tory promise not to hire family members, and it looks like they are happy for their MEPs and MPs to carry on accepting bribes too.

Stamp Out Sleaze Day 3

2009-05-15T10:53:00.002+01:00

We are into Day 3 of Stamp Out Sleaze week. The pledge launched today was: "I will not accept 'gifts' of any kind".

This addresses one of the most serious problems in politics today - our politicians are for sale. Few people can forget Peter 'freebie' Mandelson's Caribbean cruises and other 'gifts' that he has accepted. But this is just the most visible abuse of power. Politicians of all levels are being targeted with bungs/bribes/gifts/whatever you want to call them.

Yet, despite all of the publicity, it still goes on. Our politicians claim that as long as they declare them, they are in some way no longer obligated to the businessses and billionaires buying their attention. Does anyone really believe this?

Given the shocking moral vacuum in Westminster exposed by the expense scandal over the past week, there is nothing that we shouldn't question. We simply cannot trust our politicians any more. We certainly can't believe them when they tell us that the 'gifts' don't compromise them in any way.

We pay our politicians well enough that they don't need to accept freebies - it is pure GREED that drives them to do so.

Libertas is the ONLY party that has pledged to refuse freebies. Let's hope some of the other parties copy our policies soon.

Libertas.eu most visited party website in the world

2009-05-15T10:50:00.002+01:00

Today's bulletin from Libertas head office included this amazing snippet, about the continuing surge of interest in Libertas:

Libertas.eu, the website of the pan European people’s movement for more democracy, accountability and transparency in the EU, had more visitors mid-week than any other political party in the world. Figures from Alexa, the web tracking company, for Wednesday May 13th , show Libertas blazing ahead, leaving even the US Democratic party website trailing.

You can see the Alexa ranking information here: http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/libertas.eu

Stamp Out Sleaze Day 2

2009-05-14T10:12:00.003+01:00

The second pledge has been released today: "I will attend at least 90% of Parliamentary days."

It is accompanied by a report that the average attendance of MEPs in the European Parliament is just 77%, dragged down somewhat by UKIP's pitiful voting attendance of just 60%!

So why is the voting important? Because that's why we have so much bureaucracy coming from Brussels; it gets voted though in the Parliament. If our MEPs aren't there voting for or against it, we are unrepresented. Every time an MEP fails to vote, 800,000 British people lose their vote in the Parliament.

The fact that UKIP MEPs are the worst offenders by a wide margin is astonishing. For a party that claims to be the primary opposition to Brussels, they seem to be spending rather more time in the bar than actually voting and arguing against the mass of unnecessary laws spewing out of the EU Parliament.

In contrast, today's pledges makes it clear that Libertas MEPs will be there every day, working hard to change the EU and fighting against unwanted bureaucracy and waste.

I just wish the pledge had been for 100% attendance, but I suppose that it impossible due to other commitments.

Party Election Broadcast

2009-05-13T17:42:00.000+01:00

Party Election Broadcast

There will be a Libertas Party Election Broadcast for the European Elections on BBC1 & BBC2 (England) on Tuesday 26th May

- BBC1 22:35
- BBC2 23:20

Sorry seems to be the easiest word

2009-05-13T11:07:00.001+01:00

Sign the petition!

Over 550 candidates!

2009-05-13T10:13:00.003+01:00

It was announced today that Libertas is fielding over 550 candidates across Europe for the June elections. This is a monumental achievement, especially given that the party didn't even exist six months ago.

As far as I know, no other party has ever managed to stand in more than one country, let alone right across Europe.

Stamp Out Sleaze Day 1

2009-05-12T23:41:00.003+01:00

In what has to be one of the most exciting political moves in a very long time, Libertas today began a Stamp Out Sleaze campaign designed to establish a whole new set of standards for political behaviour.

There will be five pledges in total, with the first one launched today; a promise to print all expense claims in detail, including receipts and discussion of why the payment was necessary.

Libertas MEPs will be the first to offer us real and detailed information about how they are spending our money, and to offer justification for why each payment was needed. If only we could have this level of analysis in every level of Government!

One only has to compare this to the disgusting display of greed and abuse of the expense system by the Tories and Labour, as exposed by the Daily Telegraph, to see just how far ahead of the game Libertas really are.

No other party has even come close to providing this level of information. The Tories claimed to be offering 'full disclosure' last year, but a quick look at what Cameron thinks of as 'full' shows that it was a lie. Here's one of the Tory expense documents. What does it tell us about our Tory MEPs? That they make phone calls, travel, hire their wives and... well that's it. It's hard to imagine how they could have made this information any less useful.

UKIP, the supposed champions against the EU haven't even bothered to pretend to publish their expenses. Perhaps Nigel Farage doesn't want people knowing that he hires his wife too.

All in all, the election just changed to becoming a choice between the same old has-beens and the flag-bearers of honesty in politics; Libertas.

I can't wait for the next pledge release.

Klaus won't give up yet.

2009-05-12T15:01:00.003+01:00

It would appear that Vaclav Klaus isn't giving in as easily as Graham Watson and the other anti-democrats would like. Here is a press statement from him from last week (sorry for the poor translation in places):

Press statement by the President of the Czech Republic after the Senate vote on the Lisbon Treaty

I must express my disappointment that after an unprecedented political and media - foreign and domestic - pressure some senators resigned to the views they had publically held until recently, and with them also to their political and civic integrity, and they agreed with the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. They thus turned their back to the long-term interests of the Czech Republic and what they put above them was the short-term interests of the current political representations and their own.

It is a very sad evidence of another failure of an important part of our political elites which we know so well from various similar moments of our history. Our politicians have always found some cowardly reasons of this sort: We are small, weak, we do not mean anything in the European context, we must conform, despite we do not agree with it. This is something I refuse. We either regained our sovereignty after November 1989, and together with it the responsibility for the fate of our country, or it was all a tragic mistake. This is a very up-to-date reminder in the year of the twentieth anniversary of November 1989.

Now, I will wait if a group of senators, as some of them announced, asks the Constitutional Court for another scrutiny of the Lisbon Treaty in relation to our Constitution. If this takes place, I will not be considering my decision to ratify the Lisbon Treaty or not before the Constitutional Court issues its decision.

My views on this matter are known and clear. I can’t afford to be resolutely against at one moment, and then, because it begins to fit my personal political and career objectives, easily change my opinion.

Let me emphasize that for this moment, the Lisbon Treaty is dead, because it was rejected in a referendum in one of the member states. That is why my deciding about the ratification of this Treaty is not the issue of the day.

Sign the Lisbon Treaty in Blood?

2009-05-12T14:35:00.004+01:00

According to the Prague Monitor today, "The leader of the European Liberals in the European Parliament, Graham Watson, said, "Václav Klaus should now sign the document in blood - ahead of the EU summit in June. What we need now is certainty, not more obfuscation."

It would seem that Graham Watson, Lib Dem MEP for the South West, still hasn't grasped the concept of democracy and is, like so many other european elites, applying undue pressure on Vaclav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic to sign the Lisbon Treaty. Klaus has already publicly stated that he won't sign it until every other country has ratified it.

Ireland is due to hold another referendum in October. In theory, the Lisbon Constitution should be dead and buried - killed off by the only country that allowed its citizens a vote. However, Graham Watson and the rest of the anti-democrats have run out of ideas and insist on pursuing their immensely unpopular federalist agenda.

Let's hope Watson and the others lose their seats in June.

The Tories will save us. Or not.

2009-04-29T11:06:00.005+01:00

There must be an election coming soon or something because William Hague has been wheeled out for yet another lengthy puff piece. Once again he is making vague promises that a future Tory government would do blah blah blah:

He promised immediate legislation for a referendum to reject the treaty if it had not been ratified by the whole of the EU by the time that the Conservatives took power.
He left open the door to the possibility of the Tories promising a referendum in their election manifesto even if the treaty had been ratified by then.

Well, that's me convinced. We might as well pack up and go home; William Hague will nip into government, fix the EU and be back in time for tea and medals.

There are one or two niggling doubts about the Tory promises that are barely worth mentioning however. Firstly, as Hague admits, there is only a 50-50 chance that the Constitution/Lisbon Treaty won't have been ratified by the time the Tories get into government; at which point they can't legally do anything. The chances of the treaty being ratified will be significantly less if Libertas can produce a good result in the June elections, and we can send a strong message from right across Europe that the Constitution is not what the people want.

Secondly, one doesn't hold a referendum to 'reject' a treaty. This fundamental misunderstanding of a basic principle of democracy is deeply worrying. A referendum is held to find out what the public want. If the Tories thought that they could lose such a referendum, would they still be (vaguely) promising it?

More importantly, the Lisbon Treaty is just the tip of the iceberg. The EU is in a disastrous anti-democratic mess and there's zero evidence that the Conservatives have even considered a plan for fixing it. They seem happy with the EU as it is and never mutter a word about reform.

The final point about all of this is that the Tories are transparently trying to link a referendum in Britain with voting for the Conservatives in the EU elections... although the two issues are completely separate. No amount of Tory MEPs are going to make any difference to whether we get a referendum in Britain. They haven't made a difference for the last ten years, and they won't make any difference for the next five either.

If you want something to change, then you need to change your vote.

Libertas.eu is the most visited political website in Europe

2009-04-27T15:15:00.002+01:00

This was an interesting snippet that came out of one of the daily briefings:

As the Libertas movement gears up for the European elections in June, the Libertas.eu website is more visited than any other party's website in Europe.

Libertas chairman Declan Ganley said "With just over a month to go, this is great news for us. This is a tremendous start and shows how quickly a grassroots movement in one country can turn into a serious political force across the whole of the EU27"

A full break-down of Libertas.eu can be found here:

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/libertas.eu

Obviously we are at something of an advantage by virtue of being the only party standing right across the European Union, but this is still encouraging news, especially given that the EU campaigning frenzy hasn't started yet.

Libertas declares war

2009-04-22T13:27:00.004+01:00

Libertas today declared war on corruption in the European Parliament with a threat to name and shame all MEPs who vote to approve the latest accounts in tomorrow's vote.

The latest auditors' report continues the now annual tradition of telling us what a poor state the EU's accounting systems are in, and that billions of euros (and pounds) of our money is being wasted.

MEPs don't appear to regard this as their responsibility. That has to change, and if they won't do it willingly, then we will have to embarrass them into doing it, until we have Libertas MEPs who will actually tackle it head on.

This is the front line in the battle against EU corruption and waste. I look forward to the release of the names in the next day or two.

Robin Matthews interviewed by Spiked

2009-04-21T16:32:00.001+01:00

Robin Matthews was interviewed by Spiked:

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/6558/

Not a bad bit of coverage at all!

EU bans 'dangerous' anoraks

2009-04-21T10:27:00.003+01:00

When I read the headline, I thought that my time was up, but apparently this is a genuine EU decision to tackle the severe risk to children from drawstrings in their anorak hoods.

It's hard to know what to say. This is the front line of the battle against the bureaucrats, where common sense has no place, and risk is no longer seen as character developing, but something to be avoided at all costs.

Let's hope that the Libertas ideology of promotion of small businesses and risk taking to rebuild the damaged economies of Europe will directly challenge the gutless nanny-state being built in Brussels.

Lobbyists stick two fingers up to transparency

2009-04-20T15:44:00.003+01:00

Registration for lobbyists in Brussels is going to remain voluntary despite just a 9% sign up rate, according to a Libertas statement released today.

Although it may not sound like a big deal, the secret meetings with lobbyists are one of the biggest problems in Brussels. Not only are the most important people in the EU unelected, they are also heavily influenced by the 15,000 lobbyists based in Brussels. The attempt to encourage them to sign a voluntary register has failed, but in true EU style, they are ignoring the problem.

Unsurprisingly 91% of these lobbyists have decided that they would rather not announce themselves and instead will carry on meeting with Commissioners, bureaucrats and MEPs in secret. We don't even know who these lobbyists represent.

We already know from experience in the UK that lobbyists buy access to ministers and MPs though conferences, free tickets, flights etc, but lobbying in Brussels is on a whole different scale, with nearly 20 lobbyists for every MEP.

I am hoping that Libertas will not only continue to fight for a mandatory register, but will lead by example and publish the details of all meetings between Libertas MEPs and lobbyists in Brussels.

Tory MEPs vote themselves a major pay rise

2009-04-18T11:58:00.006+01:00

Continuing the theme of salaries, expenses and pensions in the EU, Libertas today revealed the following new details. MEPs - including Labour and the Conservatives - have voted themselves a lucrative pay deal that kicks in AFTER the European election in June.

Here are the details:

A base salary of €7,665 per month (that's £82,000 per year, taxed at a special rate of only 15%)
Daily allowance of €298, just for turning up (which works out at £1,300 per week)
Secretarial expenses of €4,202 per month extra (£45,000 annually), although no proof is needed to claim the cash, on top of the £125,000 they already get.
All business-class travel expenses on top of this.
A gold-plated pension scheme, guaranteed by YOU, the taxpayer, to the tune of over €200 million.

Now I don't have a problem with our representatives being well paid. I do have a problem with them awarding themselves substantial pay bonuses a) during a recession and b) when they are doing a poor job of sorting the EU out.

I also don't see why MEPs need to travel in business class. This must add a vast amount to the travel expenses and only serves to fluff their egos; hardly something we need. Isn't it time that our MEPs were reminded that they are supposed to be servants of the people?

For the political geeks out there, here are how our esteemed Tory MEPs voted on the new pay scheme:

Voted For:

Richard Ashworth MEP

Rt Hon Sir Robert Atkins MEP

Christopher Beazley MEP

John Bowis OBE MEP

Philip Bradbourn OBE DMA MEP

Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP

Martin Callanan MEP

James Elles MEP

Malcolm Harbour MEP

Chris Heaton-Harris MEP

Roger Helmer MEP

Dr Caroline Jackson MEP

Mr Sajjad Karim MEP

Timothy Kirkhope MEP

Edward McMillan-Scott MEP

Neil Parish MEP

David Sumberg MEP

Against:

Giles Chichester MEP

John Purvis CBE MEP

Robert Sturdy MEP

Abstension

Nirj Deva DL FRSA MEP

Struan Stevenson MEP

Dr Charles Tannock MEP

Not Participating

Daniel Hannan MEP

Jonathan Evans MEP

Syed Kamall MEP

Geoffrey Van Orden MBE MEP

€230,000 basic salary for a Commissioner

2009-04-12T10:50:00.000+01:00

The gorging in the bottomless trough known as Brussels has been properly exposed by Open Europe in their latest report. Firstly they have revealed that the basic salary of a Commissioner is €230,000 (£207,000), although most earn more.

On top of the ongoing salary, they also get substantial annual 'entertainment' allowances (minimum €7000) and a rather mean €35,000 "Residency Allowance" (i.e. second home).

However, it's not until they retire that Commissioners really reap the benefits. You may recall the fuss recently over Peter Mandelson's "retirement" package when he moved to the Labour front bench as a minister (on a new hefty salary). Mandy received (as a minimum) a €19,000 resettlement fund, even thought he had already been paid a large residency allowance during his term, and €286,000 per year for the next three years.

Are we really getting value for money from these unelected bureaucrats? Even our own Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, earns less, on £187,000 and gets a lot more public scrutiny and criticism into the bargain.

Isn't it time we had MEPs in Brussels fighting for less extravagance and better value for money?

Brussels isn't listening

2009-04-10T16:51:00.001+01:00

The European Union has launched a campaign to bring out the yoof vote in June, using MTV ads and a new website. The aim is to get people to send in crazy clips of themselves talking about the European Union and, more unusually, to attend some organised public shouting.

Bruno Waterfield in the Telegraph pretty much covers how nauseating it is when politicians engage in this kind of nonsense:

This is all typically patronising and commitment-lite, an indication of the low expectations and true contempt in which "young people" and the rest of us are held. It is European politics for cretins... People, young or old, should not vote in the European elections unless they think they are being offered a manifesto that directly addresses politics - for the EU, to reform it or against it.It is better not to vote than to perpetuate a ghastly sham. If low turnout reflects a lack of political engagement with the EU project then so be it.

The idea that young people should attend a propaganda rally where they are encouraged to shout "Can you hear me Europe?" would be only slightly less stomach churning if the EU hadn't just ignored the French, Dutch and Irish voters shouting 'NO' to the Lisbon Treaty at the ballot box.

So kids, you can shout all you like, but Brussels isn't listening.

190 parties in the European Parliament

2009-04-08T15:47:00.007+01:00

Libertas sent out a newsletter yesterday that revealed that there are 190 domestic parties represented in the European Parliament. It's no wonder that the Parliament is a shambles.

Most of those 190 domestic parties have joined one of the big 'groups' in the Parliament which function as the real parties of the EU.

This is the big lie of European politics; those 190 domestic parties are all elected on a national manifesto, not on the real manifesto of the EU group that they are part of. For example, the Labour party is part of the PES grouping, but you won't hear it mentioned in their campaign. In fact, you have no idea how your Labour MEPs will actually vote in the European Parliament, or what the PES group will force them to do. You don't get what you vote for.

This is where Libertas is different - we are the first proper pan-European party. Our MEPs have one set of goals and one manifesto right across the European Union. This means that our British MEPs will have the same ambitions as the our Libertas MEPs from France, Germany, Bulgaria and so on.

Anti-democrats strike again

2009-04-03T15:14:00.002+01:00

In yet another desperate move to shift the media in their favour for the next referendum, the joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution has urged the Irish Government to remove the requirement for broadcasters to provide equal air time for both sides during a referendum debate, the Irish Times has revealed:

Mr Regan said: “It is the view of the committee, and it would be my view, that the 50/50 rule as it is presently applied, and was applied in the Lisbon Treaty referendum, actually distorts the debate.

Ensuring that both sides get equal coverage 'distorts' the debate? But giving more air time to one side rather than the other will ensure that it is fairer? Is there a secret Peter Mandelson clone army being used for committees in Ireland that we don't know about?

“I think the view is it would be very difficult to get any referendum through on any subject under the rules where you have to find in all occasions a 50/50 split between the yes and no arguments."

Isn't that the whole point of the democratic process of a referendum? It's not supposed to be easy; the Government is supposed to have to convince the electorate to vote in favour. If your arguments aren't strong enough, you lose the debate. If you have to give more air time to one side to win, then your proposals simply aren't good enough!

Is democracy now so foreign to our politicians that they actually don't understand it?

What the article in the Times doesn't mention is that every single member of the Committee also campaigned for a Yes vote last time around and was embarrassed by the No result. One might suspect that they had a conflict of interests, but that's just detail.

Second Referendum will cost €25 million

2009-04-03T14:52:00.000+01:00

The referendum that should never happen will cost Irish voters another €25 million according to the Irish Independent. Despite the fact that Ireland has already voted 'no', the EU is determined to make them to vote again, no matter the cost.

MEPs claim €820,000 for… nothing

2009-04-02T12:07:00.003+01:00

A leaked note from European Parliament Vice-President Diana Wallis showed that more than 60 MEPs regularly sign in to be present for the monthly EP session in Strasbourg on Fridays, even though the EP does not convene on Fridays – allowing MEPs to make €200 each time. The so-called “Friday reimbursement” has come under fire previously and has cost the European Parliament €820,000 since 2004.

Taken from the Libertas Daily Update

If and when we get MEPs elected I am going to make it a personal mission to expose these crooks and ensure that they are hung out to dry. I don't mind them being well paid. I do mind them bleeding the system for work they aren't doing.

While we are on this topic - why are we bribing MEPs to turn up to do their jobs anyway? We don't bribe MPs to go to Westminster. It has to end.

Contempt and lies from Caroline Flint

2009-04-01T23:05:00.003+01:00

In an astonishing admission on Monday, Caroline Flint told MPs that she has read only parts of the Lisbon Treaty.

The gasps of shock from MPs, media and commentators are all a little fake though; no one is really that surprised. It's an unreadable treaty that should be rejected on those grounds alone. Surely any MP of any calibre would realise that if a document is too complicated to read, it's too complicated to vote for (or against) and should simply be rejected until it can be simplified?

It does beg the question though - if she hasn't read it, who in Government actually has?

Presumably some civil servants in the dog house will have been forced to trawl through it to brief her and other ministers, but its the responsibility of MPs to know what they are voting for and promoting to the public.

To top off the insult, Flint claimed the following day that since her admission she had finished reading the Lisbon Treaty. In less than 24 hours, on a working day, she managed to read and digest most of the Lisbon Treaty? Liar.

Oddly she is willing (in her fictional account) to read the Lisbon Treaty to avoid embarrassing questions, but she wasn't willing to read it before she voted in favour of it in the Commons and told the country how good it was for us.

Libertas issued a statement on this debacle here.

Former Prime Minister To Lead Libertas Latvia

2009-03-28T15:19:00.004Z

Guntars Krasts, former Prime Minister of Latvia will lead the Libertas campaign in the country in the forthcoming European Parliament elections, it has been announced today. Mr. Krasts will lead a list of eight Latvian Libertas candidates into the election campaign, in which a total of 9 Latvian seats in the European Parliament will be contested.

Mr. Krasts has held various positions in the Latvian Government, and served as the country’s Prime Minister between 1997 and 1998. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1998 to 1999, and was the country’s minister for the economy from 1995 to 1997.

He has served as a member of the European Parliament since 1994.

Speaking before a crowd of several hundred supporters at today’s launch of Libertas Latvia, Mr Krasts focused heavily on the need for an “economic and political renaissance” in Europe. He said that the current approach in Brussels was not sufficient to make the EU sustainable, and that they must be reformed for the sake of all of those who want to see Europe succeed in the future:

“We need a Europe that is democratic, accountable, and responsive to citizens. We in Libertas Latvia are convinced that the EU can become a force for economic growth and personal freedom, but for this to happen, the EU must not be the toy of Brussels elites.

In Europe, we need to unbind human initiative, and to recognise that economic recovery and dynamism will come by creating conditions that allow small and medium-sized businesses to grow and thrive. In Europe, we need a European Charter for small business that reduces the regulations and encourages, not inhibits the potential for job creation, recognising that it is real people, not government officials, who drive demand and production in our economies”.

Welcoming the former Prime Minister to the Libertas campaign, Libertas Chairman Declan Ganley said:

“Leaders of the calibre of Guntars Krasts should be an inspiration to us all. He is a great Latvian, and a great European. He grew up in a country where his parents were forced to live under the oppression of a Soviet system that denied them a say in the running of their own country, and in many cases their own lives. He is one of the great generation of Europeans who stood up and helped rebuild their countries after the downfall of that oppressive system of Government.

Libertas is building a team of leaders across Europe who when elected will be able to address the common concerns of EU citizens in a way never before seen in European History. For the first time, we will have a party in the EU Parliament which gives voice to the common concerns of European citizens about the progressive erosion of democracy in Brussels and their homelands, while at the same time offering a positive and ambitious new vision for Europe.

We need a Union which is open and transparent, so our citizens can have confidence that their money is being put to good use, and not being wasted on vanity projects, like the €2.4billion is spent this year on the Union’s public relations. We need politicians who engage directly with voters, not big PR projects.

Like Ireland, the vast majority of Latvian law now come from Brussels, and Latvian citizens have no mechanism to hold those initiating those laws to account. Libertas is a political party and movement which allows Latvian, Irish, French, German, Polish and every other European citizen to do just that, and I am pleased that the former Prime Minister has joined this historic effort. Europe is something we must all be part of and it is not something we can leave to national political parties who have failed miserably to engage with the spirit of the Union they claim to be so committed to, while at the same time failing to deliver at home for people all across Europe facing an economic crisis overseen by a management team of unequivocally proven failures.

Libertas will be the force for positive change in Europe that will put economic leadership, job creation, and the reinvigoration of the European idea at the heart of the political agenda”.

Taken from a Libertas Press Release.

Belgian Commissioner thinks he’s worth €1.1 million pension plan

2009-03-28T13:14:00.000Z

Belgian EU Commissioner Louis Michel, who stands to receive a “transition allowance” of €1.1 million over a period of three years after he leaves office initially stated ‘If that were true, I would retire immediately”. Unfortunately for Commissioner Michel it WAS true, and after consulting one of his employees he was forced to admit that the figures from the Open Europe research were actually correct.

Forced to defend his position, Michel then went on to try and justify his generous pension by saying that “We are well paid, though. But every morning at five o’clock I have to wake up, I have to make countless tours, endure heavy traffic jams ... This compensation is a parachute, okay, but certainly not a golden one.”

After admitting to mishandling the economic crisis, Commissioners still feel that they deserve a generous payoff while they change their jobs. What about the millions of people affected by their incompetence? Where is their support for finding new jobs?

Please Commissioners, let’s have some consistency... Libertas opposes the generous treatment of unelected Brussels elites at the expense of the European citizen. The EU should work FOR the people of Europe, not AGAINST them.

Taken from the Libertas Daily Update

€5,000 coffee machines in EU... wasted.

2009-03-27T11:13:00.004Z

The European Commission spent €100,000 on 20 luxury coffee machines to equip the Berlaymont building in Brussels.

The machines have now been switched off, following a complaint from an employee. A spokesperson attempted to justify the expense by saying that they didn’t want the Commisioners to waste time waiting for coffee.

Taken from the Libertas Daily Update

My comment:

€5,000 for a coffee machine seems a little steep. How about we give them a £20 kettle and a value box of Nescafe like I have to use in the office? If they can finally admit that the Lisbon Treaty is the same as the Constitution, we can upgrade them to Gold Blend.

Commissioner admits incompetence

2009-03-27T11:00:00.002Z

Unelected EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes has admitted to the Dutch press that she “underestimated” the extent of the global credit crisis, and that her decision to give priority to other matters was “bad”.

In a world where European citizens are feeling the economic pinch and unemployment figures are steadily rising across the continent, the direct impact of Kroes’ gross mismanagement is plain to see.

The fact that this unelected official has such job secuirty despite her obvious incompetence is a prime example of the lack of accountability in the EU as it stands today. Libertas is committed to increasing accountability and ensuring that the EU works for the benefit of its citizens, as opposed to costing them their jobs.

The European Commission has also announced the cancellation of a Jobs Summit that was due to be held in May with a view to tackling the rising unemployment across Europe.

Libertas chairman Declan Ganley said “Let’s hear Mr. Barroso’s explanation of how cancelling this meeting is beneficial to those who have lost their jobs. This Commission is astonishingly out of touch with the people of Europe”.

This is taken from the Libertas Daily Update - not my work!

Robin Matthews is blogging

2009-03-26T19:41:00.001Z

Robin Matthews, leader of Libertas in the UK, has today launched his personal campaign blog:

http://robin-matthews.blogspot.com/

MEPs vote to keep expenses secret

2009-03-16T16:31:00.000Z

What is it about MEPs and their expenses? Why is it so hard for them to trust the public to see what they spend our money on?

The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that both our Tory and Labour MEPs voted to keep their expenses secret, nobbling the legislation that would have forced the information into the open.

I think that criticism in relation to expenses is often misdirected. Expenses themselves form only a tiny fraction of the total spend of our governments (both British and EU), and are essential to good governance. As long as politicians use the money to improve their ability to do their job properly, I am happy.

The real issue with expenses, often overlooked, is what they represent. Expenses provide a window into the mind of a politician. They tell us what their priorities are, how concerned they are with value for money, how active they are at travelling, where they go, who they see and so on. Most importantly they tell us how seriously politicians take our money that they are spending. If we can't trust them to spend their expenses wisely and frugally, then we simply can't trust them to spend public money in other areas either.

When we see Conservative and Labour MEPs voting to hide this information from us entirely, the alarm bells should be ringing across the country.

When asked at the UK launch whether Libertas MEPs would publish their expenses, Party Leader Robin Matthews categorically stated:

"As a former British soldier, my salary has been in the public domain for over 21 years and I think, given the amount of money that the EU wastes and spends on our behalf, I think it’s the least that the 500million citizens across Europe should expect."

If you want a new style of MEP representing you in Brussels, please support Libertas.

Thanks to a reader for pointing this story out.

Tories out of the EPP, but now where?

2009-03-13T11:47:00.002Z

Conservative Home revealed a couple of days ago that the Tories have officially handed in notice to leave the EPP-ED, the largest grouping in the European Parliament. This was a promise made by Cameron during his leadership election campaign back in 2005 and it has taken nearly four years to implement.

The big problem for the Conservatives is that it leaves potential voters wondering what it is they are really voting for. Not only is the Tory party completely divided on the Lisbon Treaty, it now doesn't have a home in the European Parliament.

As this blog has discussed before, one of the main problems in voting for domestic parties is that they form such a tiny fraction of the overall number of MEPs in Brussels. The Tories, even though they won the last EU elections with 27 MEPs, still only represent 4% of the European parliament. At least while they were in the EPP they had a voice and people knew where they stood. Now that they are on the outside, they have absolutely no influence in the Parliament.

Cameron announced in 2006 that he would try to form a new grouping with a Czech party, but so far there has been little evidence of that going ahead. Even if they manage to meet the minimum requirements of having MEPs from seven different countries in their new group, all indications are that it will remain a fringe group like the Independence and Democracy Group (UKIP's group).

So what will be the point of British voters supporting a marginalised Tory party with no influence in the Parliament?

Perhaps Cameron is anticipating joining the Libertas group after June...?

Libertas on the News at Ten

2009-03-12T14:49:00.002Z

In case you missed it, here is the News at Ten report covering the launch in the UK on Tuesday:

Libertas still scaring politicians

2009-03-12T14:40:00.000Z

Politicians from around the country are lining up to attack Libertas following the launch on Tuesday. While we find this mightily encouraging, it's always interesting to look at how the domestic parties are trying to misrepresent us. One thing is clear; they still don't really know what to make of us. Libertas is the first pan-European party, standing on a pro-European reform ticket; clearly this is a concept beyond some of the intellectual giants masquerading as politicians in Britain.

First up we have Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, who was at pains to point out that "Libertas is not a Eurosceptic party". I am not sure how that constitutes a criticism, but it has the advantage of being accurate, unlike many of his other claims. For example he also stated:

There's a rather bewildering assumption that because Declan campaigned so successfully for a No vote in the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty that he's therefore against further integration, ever closer union and the rest of the federalist claptrap.... It's really just the Lisbon Treaty he doesn't like.

It seems that UKIP is deliberately trying to present Libertas as being in favour of a superstate, even though it is our stated aim to avoid this (as I have said many times on this blog). But the truth is irrelevant when you are as scared as Farage is. The problem for UKIP is that their dream of leaving the European Union isn't supported by the vast majority of the public. Libertas is offering a positive, realistic solution to the anti-democratic EU superstate in a way that UKIP never can, and it's going to appeal to many disillusioned UKIP voters.

Next into the ring was Liberal Democrat MEP, Andrew Duff. It is a little known fact that Tuesday was also National Cattle Excrement Day, and Duff, who is a keen supporter of excreta, claimed that "anti-European voters in Britain are being spoiled for choice". Is it too much to ask our politicians to engage in discourse within the realms of realism? This isn't just a lie, it's an anti-truth. It's a mystery why Duff is allowed out of the house unaccompanied, let alone allowed a public platform.

But this appears to be the official Liberal Democrat line on Libertas. Our good friend, Lib Dem MEP, Graham 'President' Watson has also accused Libertas of being 'anti-European' even though the party is entirely about creating a new democratic European Union.

Not content with that lame and transparent anti-truth, Duff blundered on:

"Ganley wants the EU to stick with the present, clumsy and inefficient Nice treaty but voters want a stronger and reformed EU," said Duff.

I can't even bring myself to comment on that.

Finally, the publicity shy Labour MEP, Richard Corbett, was wheeled out with plenty to say:

UK Socialist deputy Richard Corbett branded the group's plans a "farce", saying it was "a personal vanity project" for Ganley.

It might seem like a fair criticism at first; Declan Ganley is certainly a central identifiable figure for Libertas, but he is a roaming Chairman representing 27 countries. Although he was at the UK launch, his input into the UK arm of Libertas has been minimal; we are a home grown party. On top of that, Declan has publicly stated that he will not be putting any money into Libertas and that we will be funded entirely from donations (which is a legal requirement for parties anyway!).

The fact that their 'party leader' has been personally appointed by Ganley demonstrates that Libertas is nothing more than a personal vanity project – a pressure group masquering as a party."

Indeed, Robin Matthews was appointed to set up the party in the UK, but there is simply no other way for this to work; he was the person who brought the rest of us in and actually made it happen. The organisation required to establish a serious political party in time for the June elections doesn't allow for three months of leadership elections.

Someone had to pick up the baton and start running. Robin Matthews is the person who has made all of this possible in the UK, and he has done a phenomenal job of it so far. One only has to look at the media coverage of the launch, and the panic amongst politicians like Corbett to see evidence of this.

What Corbett also conveniently forgot to mention is that the Libertas UK party constitution requires a leadership election within six months of the June elections. Democracy is at the core of Libertas.

"That is what he is about - slick propaganda, myth-making and playing on people's fears. If he doesn't spend his own money, then he will be using someone else's."

Phone the police! Libertas might be using someone else's money to fund itself. We sometimes call this dubious source of funding 'donations'.

In conclusion, the sum total of attacks on us is a steaming pile of gibberish.

Tories and Lib Dems divided over the EU

2009-03-11T23:29:00.013Z

Liberal Democrat peers have stated that they will vote against a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in the UK, effectively ending all hope of forcing one in the UK before Ireland is forced to vote again in October.

In a grand example of why domestic parties are wholly unsuitable to stand in European Parliamentary elections, the Tories immediately sought to gain political capital:

But Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Lib Dems' position on Europe was "now in total chaos".
"They now have a three-way split between rebel MPs who want a referendum, Lords officially voting against a referendum and a leadership lamely abstaining.
"Nick Clegg's authority over his party now looks very weak indeed."

Allowing himself to get sidetracked from the real issue, Hague has unfortunately opted in favour of political points scoring. Isn't this precisely the kind of issue where party politics is completely inappropriate? Hague isn't criticising their decision on the referendum, he is just attacking Nick Clegg for political gain. It's just not helpful to the debate.

However Hague's statement was not only unhelpfully partisan, it was also shockingly hypocritical:

But a number of senior Tories spoke out against their party's policy.
Ex-Chancellor Lord Howe said he did not have "huge affection" for the "complex" treaty but failure to ratify it would be a "serious blow to the credibility and effectiveness of the United Kingdom".
Ex-EU commissioner and former home secretary Lord Brittan said he was "strongly opposed" to a referendum.

So what exactly will potential Tory and Lib Dem supporters be voting for in the coming EU elections given that both parties are divided from top to bottom on the single most important EU issue at the moment?

In contrast, Libertas is offering a single platform for reform of the EU. All of our candidates agree that the Lisbon Treaty is effectively the same as the Constitution, that the EU needs root and branch reform, and that we don't want a federal superstate run by unelected bureaucrats. It's a clear and solid message that voters can trust in.

Robin Matthews is the UK Libertas Party Leader

2009-03-10T17:41:00.001Z

Robin Matthews was announced as the Libertas Party Leader in the UK today.

There are more videos from the event on our YouTube page:

http://www.youtube.com/libertasuk

Robin Matthews was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army. In 2005 he commanded the Light Dragoons in Iraq and has also served in Cyprus, Bosnia and Sierra Leone.

After 2005, he worked as a Director in the Army’s Department of Corporate Communications, responsible for preserving and promoting the Army’s reputation during a period of intense operational activity and media interest. Just prior to leaving the Army, he was seconded as the Strategic Communications Advisor to 16 (Air Assault) Brigade, Helmand Province, Afghanistan and also acted as the spokesman for all British Forces there.

He is married with three children.

Declan on the Politics Show today

2009-03-08T11:16:00.004Z

Declan Ganley, Chairman of Libertas.eu, will be appearing on the Politics Show today at midday on BBC1.

Democracy, but not as we know it.

2009-03-07T23:04:00.001Z

Ireland will be thrown out of the EU if it votes 'No' to the Lisbon Treaty again, according to EU fanboy Graham Watson. Not satisfied with ignoring the first vote, and forcing the Irish to vote again, Watson is now using fear tactics to bully Irish voters into supporting the reanimated corpse of the EU Constitution.

Talking to the ever neutral Irish Times, Watson stated:

“It is very difficult to see any country being able to stay in if they have had two Nos from the people”

But not content with that threat alone, Watson went on to add:

"It would be very difficult to get large companies to invest in a country that looked as if it might be leaving the EU. I think it would have a social impact as well and, of course, it would call into question the future of the EU agency that is based in Ireland,”

In other words, the Irish will be forced to vote once more because they voted the wrong way, but with the additional threat of being booted out if they dare to defy their new masters again. They also will lose their EU funding, lose international business investment and it will have a 'social impact' whatever that means. It's probably Liberal Democrat code for total panic in the tea rooms.

The more Watson opens his mouth the more he exposes the sham that is 'democracy' in the EU. He and the other Brussels elites simply don't care whether the Irish (or the French, or the Dutch, or the British) want an anti-democratic superstate for Europe or not. We are going to get it regardless, and if the Irish get in the way they will just be ignored and kicked out.

The veneer of democracy that the EU may have had before is rapidly peeling off, leaving a nasty stain.

It's not Ireland that needs booting out of the EU, it people like Graham Watson.

It's time for some genuine democracy, and some genuine democrats. It's time for Libertas.

A special thanks goes out to my reader for flagging this one up.

Joe Trippi joins Libertas

2009-03-04T13:21:00.000Z

It was announced yesterday in the Irish Times that Joe Trippi is now working with Libertas. Mr Trippi has worked on several high profile American presidential election campaigns, including those for John Edwards and Howard Dean.

His inclusion in the Libertas team was announced by Declan Ganley at the launch of Libertas in Germany:

“We have brought on board one of the world’s leading internet fundraising strategists . . . Joe Trippi. He did Howard Dean’s campaign from which the Obama campaign learned very much,”

His presence underlines the seriousness with which Libertas is taking this election.

Graham Watson defects to the BNP?

2009-03-03T09:49:00.000Z

It seems that I was a bit remiss in my posting yesterday. The big story of the day was not Lib Dem MEP Graham Watson's fight for life against rampaging killer adverts, it was the revelation of his true personality:

I am confident that the people of South West England and Gibraltar will not be fooled by a crass attack by a foreigner on a representative of our region

Yes, you read it correctly. Graham Watson is a xenophobe. He wants you to think less of someone else's opinion because they are foreign.

This bizarre dismissal of Declan Ganley on the basis of his nationality is hampered only by the fact that he has dual Anglo-Irish nationality; he was born and raised in London and has considerable British business interests.

But if Declan Ganley was French or Bulgarian, how would that make his opinion of Graham Watson any less valid? Surely this kind of antiquated attitude has no place in a modern Europe?

If Graham Watson is intending to become the BNP's first MEP, I thnk that we should be told!

Graham Watson. Again.

2009-03-02T21:20:00.000Z

Graham Watson is again trying to use Libertas to position himself as a future President of the European Parliament. In an unusual article placed on his own website today, he claimed that he 'will not be cowed by Ganley threat'. But what is this serious threat and has he reported it to the police?

Apparently not. This most dangerous of threats that he won't be cowed by is that Libertas might run some adverts in his South West region during the EU elections... where Libertas will also be running candidates. His bravery in the face of danger is an inspiration to us all.

So what's this really about? Firstly, Mr Watson has identified that whereas Eurosceptics are easy to dismiss, criticism from the pro-European Libertas is much harder to 'stymie'. Our arguments can't simply be rubbished as coming from little Englanders because we want the EU to be a success more than he does. However, unlike Graham, we believe that this can be achieved without abolishing Britain, and without forming a bureaucratic superstate. We don't believe that supporting the corrupt anti-democratic EU in its current form is pro-European at all; in fact his stance is damaging to the future of Europe and the European Union.

Secondly, and this again demonstrates one of the biggest problems with the EU, Mr Watson seems to think that the best way to garner support for his Presidency campaign is to become the ultimate EU fanboy. He has taken it upon himself to become our Nemesis; he will stand against those most dangerous to the Brussels hegemony, and that now means Libertas. Because we are promoting an alternative style of European governance, we are his perfect enemy.

Striking fear into politicians everywhere

2009-03-01T07:53:00.001Z

Libertas continues to strike fear into the hearts of politicians everywhere. Today's victim is Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who has actually gone so far as to change the political donation rules just to counter us!

Brian and other anti-democratic Irish politicians first got their knickers in a twist last year over how Libertas raised the money to fight the No campaign in Ireland. In a magnificent display of SLS (Sore Loser Syndrome) they threw a tantrum and accused Libertas of taking money from the CIA and US military.

The alternative, that the Lisbon Treaty they all support was just very unpopular in Ireland and so people donated money to Libertas, didn't occur to them. It's clearly far more civilised to run a smear campaign complaining that the CIA is providing a slush fund.

When will they realise that these dirty tricks only serve to reveal their true anti-democratic nature? It's a superb advertisement for why the public should disbelieve their propaganda and fear tactics over the Lisbon Treaty.

Anyway, must dash, I'm off to McDonald's in my brand new Hummer.

Swimming lessons urgently needed in Brussels

2009-02-25T13:43:00.001Z

Swimming lessons are urgently required in Brussels, where our MEPs appear to be drowning in their own excess. Luckily, MEPs have just approved a new nine million Euro swimming pool for themselves to practice in.

Gerard Onesta, the French MEP who proposed the centre claimed that "It is not a swimming pool. It is an aqua gym."

Libertas has issued a statement condemning the move:

“At a time of economic crisis and rising unemployment it is an outrage that MEPs should vote to spend taxpayers’ money in this way. It shows how out of touch and unaccountable current MEPs are” said Libertas Chairman, Declan Ganley.

The issue was also covered in the Telegraph by Bruno Waterfield, where there is a priceless quote at the end:

Senior MEPs discussed plans for the new fitness facilities on Wednesday night after they were tabled by Gerard Onesta, a French Green and vice president of the parliament.
Mr Onesta insisted that the new gym would have "nothing to do with luxury" and that the facilities would save money by cutting staff absenteeism by up to 30 per cent.

They are paying nine million euros to reduce 'absenteeism'? In the real world, outside the Ivory Towers in Brussels, if employees aren't turning up to work they don't get a new swimming pool, they get the sack.

Isn't it time we brought an end to this kind of gross mismanagement of our money and institutions?

How to make a million in five years

2009-02-24T06:45:00.001Z

There was an interesting article in the Times on Sunday by David Craig, author of 'The Great European Rip-Off', looking at the many and varied ways in which MEPs can (and apparently do) generate vast amounts of cash for themselves above and beyond their hefty salaries.

He claims that MEPs can pocket up to a million pounds over a five year term, even while living the high life, and even after the so-called expense reforms introduced recently:

Becoming an MEP is a bit like joining a millionaires’ club – you can easily live like royalty and still walk away with more than £1m saved up in your bank account from serving just one five-year term at the European parliament.Get elected twice or more and you can become a multi-millionaire.

While it is indeed very revealing, I think that the emphasis of the article is in the wrong place. Yes there are going to be some MEPs who employ their wives/husbands and others who abuse their expenses. These are indeed deplorable, but it's the system we should be attacking more. Why is it that the EU is so frivolous with our money? How have they convinced themselves that this is an acceptable system?

If they can't be trusted to look after our money in an area of such public and media interest (politicians' expenses), where they are likely to be scrutinised closely, what horrors await in the less public areas where billions of euros are spent away from prying eyes?

One aspect of EU reform that Libertas will be tackling is 'Value for Money'. It's time that the elites in Brussels remembered that they are servants of the people, not a European nobility entitled to be pampered, chauffeured and deferred to. We have to bring an end to the culture of financial mismanagement and indifference in the EU. Every penny (or cent) of our money should be used properly and give value for money. We need a new culture of thriftiness.

There was a similar article in the Telegraph by Matthew Elliott, the other author of 'The Great European Rip-Off', that revealed that a leaked auditor's report showed widespread corruption in the Parliament.

"Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent, and if anyone is stealing from them. The EU Parliament must publish the full details of all MEPs' expenses and allowances, and name the people this report found to be ripping taxpayers off."

So not only does the Parliamentary system allow wide spread abuse, it is now hiding the names of those it has discovered milking the system. How are we ever supposed to trust the EU when it harbours crooks in its ranks? Yes, it will be damaging to the EU in the short term, but not as damaging as protecting MEPs who are scamming the system in the long run.

Remember the cautionary tale of UKIP MEP Tom Wise. He unwittingly boasted to an undercover reporter about how much cash he was making. This is how the public see our MEPs, and unless action is taken to stop this kind of excess, the EU is going to continue to damage public trust in politicians. At the moment they simply don't deserve our trust. It's time for some fresh blood in Brussels.

[Addition]

There is an interesting addition at the end of the Telegraph article:

Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat MEP who last year exposed some of the report's findings, last night said..."Honesty doesn't pay in this system and the temptations are great. No-one knows who is cheating and who is not, and it is a disgrace that the Parliament has voted to keep auditors' reports secret."

This is a laudable sentiment, but entirely at odds with his own party leader's declaration that the European Parliament should "stymie" its critics. So which is it? Is it OK to criticise the EU as long as you are a Liberal Democrat, or is Mr Davies parting ways with his party leader, Graham 'ever-so-popular' Watson?

Baroness Ashton? Who she?

2009-02-23T09:46:00.000Z

In a recent article I mentioned Baroness Ashton, to which I received a response 'who is she?'

The answer is that she is the EU Commissioner for Trade who took over from Peter Mandelson in October 2008. Why do we care? Because she is yet another example of what we are campaigning against (not her personally, but what she represents).

There are in fact three levels of democracy lacking between her appointment as a Commissioner and the public she supposedly represents.

Firstly, it doesn't look like she has ever stood for election. In other words, she has never received public support, or any political mandate in any capacity. While it isn't a requirement for the position, Commissioners perform a very political role and one might reasonably expect someone who has been approved by the British public at some point in their career.

Secondly, she is unelected to the post. She was appointed as the UK's primary EU representative by Gordon Brown (our Prime-Minister-without-mandate), and rubber stamped by the European Parliament. Even our own House of Commons didn't get to vote on her appointment.

Thirdly, she is a Labour peer appointed by the Labour Government. This sounds about right, until it is pointed out that the Conservative party won the last EU elections. Why then does the Labour party, without a mandate, have the power to appoint our Commissioner? The democratic choice of the British public in the EU elections was for the Conservative Party policies, not Labour... yet we still have a Labour Commissioner. Where's the democracy?

Isn't it about time that Commissioners, and every one else making major decisions and laws on our behalf, are elected directly by the people? Please support Libertas in June to end this anti-democratic system.

Voting No to Lisbon causes death and devastation

2009-02-22T13:43:00.002Z

In the increasingly hysterical political discourse surrounding the Lisbon Treaty one can always depend on Dick Roche to bring calmness and reason to the debate. At a meeting of the European Affairs Oireachtas committee on Thursday, the Irish Commissioner claimed that Irish voters had a "death wish" and that voting No in the second referendum would "be absolutely devastating for Ireland". He then went on to link a No vote to higher unemployment, less foreign investment and asserted that Ireland would be relegated to a second tier position in the EU.

But the absolute best part of his statement came towards the end:

He insisted the Government would have to make sure voters were adequately informed, without using the fear tactics of the 'No' side.

It's actually very difficult to comment on that, other than to reiterate that the Brussels elites will literally say anything in their desparation to push the anti-democratic EU superstate.

I would urge the Irish electorate to vote him out for making such ridiculous statements, but like all Commissioners, he is an unelected bureaucrat. So they are stuck with him whether they like it or not.

Running scared in Poland

2009-02-18T14:38:00.005Z

EUobserver is reporting today that the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, is so concerned about the popularity of Libertas that he has asked the Polish EU Commissioner, Danuta Hubner, to run against us in June.

While obviously we feel that Libertas is going to cause a political storm in June, it's always nice to see that the opposition feels the same way! Wouldn't you just love to see Peter Mandelson running on the Labour MEP lists too? *

Ms Hubner said she considered the June elections of particular importance, because it would be the first time they would be about Europe, not just national issues.
"This is because of the treaty and the new political group - Libertas - which will raise issues to which we will have to react strongly. "

I would rather that she actually listened to what we are calling for and tried to implement some of it. Why do these Brussels elites insist on circling the waggons instead of bringing us in to discuss how we can rescue the future of Europe? Do they really not understand that they have no right to continue with the Constitution/Lisbon Treaty after it has been rejected by the public in three member nations?

Libertas is offering a positive alternative vision for how Europe should be run, and the EU would be wise to listen. The Commissioners shouldn't be 'reacting strongly', they should be rethinking the whole EU model from scratch as we are proposing.

On the plus side, she is crediting us with making the elections about European issues, or more accurately what kind of EU we have, instead of about national issues.

But who elected her anyway? No one is the answer. She is an unelected bureaucrat taking a very active political role; exactly the kind of thing that we are fighting against.

Could it be that she is frightened that she would be out of a job if we got our way and ditched all of the unelected Commissioners perhaps?

* Yes, I know that Peter Mandelson is no longer our EU Commissioner, but he is a far better representative of everything wrong with the EU than Baroness Ashton, who you've probably never heard of.

"Aren't you offering the same as the Tories?"

2009-02-17T14:52:00.009Z

I have seen this question come up a few times now, so it obviously deserves some attention. I tried to look up Conservative policy for the coming European Elections, but all I could find was a single page on the issue. However, it does summarise their position nicely:

We believe in an open, flexible Europe in which countries work to achieve shared goals rather than the ever greater centralisation of power in Brussels.
We believe that in democracies nothing lasting can be built without the people's consent - and yet people have been denied their say on the renamed EU Constitution.

I can't disagree with any of that, and it could easily have come from the Libertas website. But this is where the similarity ends.

If the Lisbon Treaty is not yet in force at the time of the next general election, and a Conservative Government is elected, we would put the Treaty to a referendum of the British people, recommending a 'no' vote. If the British people rejected the Treaty, we would withdraw Britain's ratification of it.

Well... then what? If Britain stops the Lisbon Treaty, just as the Irish have, then what happens next for Europe? Are the Tories really suggesting that the EU should remain how it is? Even the EU claims that it is broken, which is why they pushed the Constitution/Lisbon Treaty to 'make it work'.

And NONE of that is relevant to the EU elections - it is all dependent upon a Tory Government being elected at some time in the future (probably 2010 ) and that the Lisbon Treaty hasn't been ratified by then. So what will their MEPs be doing for the next five years?

The EU must adapt to the times we live in - and it should act where European countries together can achieve things they cannot do alone. So our priorities for the EU are today's challenges of global competitiveness, global warming and global poverty.
That means:
Ending the remaining barriers to free trade within the EU
Taking back control of social and employment policy so we can make our own decisions in these vital areas for Britain's prosperity and social well-being
Improving the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme
Reforming the EU's aid policy so that it is more focused on poverty reduction and less entangled by bureaucracy and administrative short-comings.

It would be hard to argue with any of that, but there is no mention of reform at all. Not even a nibblet of change. The Tories are happy to keep the EU as it is.

One only has to look at the voting record of Conservative MEPs to see that they consistently support the EU's anti-democratic policies and structures. Most people don't seem to realise that the Conservative MEPs are members of the EPP-ED, home to both Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament, and José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. That's right, the Tories are part of the largest group in the European Parliament.

So what difference would it make if all 72 of Britain's MEPs were Conservatives for the next five years? None, because the Tories have no plans for reforming the EU, and no means of actually implementing them anyway.

This is NOT what the British public want.

This is why Libertas and the Conservatives are offering completely different positions to the electorate. Libertas is not just saying 'No' to the Lisbon Treaty, we are offering a pan-European solution to make the EU more democratic, more accountable and more transparent. We want to return national sovereignty. We want to ensure that everyone making major decisions and forming European law should be directly elected and accountable to the public.

So if you are happy with the EU as it is, then vote for the the Tories in June.

However if, like most people in Britain, you think that the EU is over centralised, authoritarian, corrupt and anti-democratic, and you want to change it, then please support Libertas.

Watson can't leave it alone

2009-02-16T18:33:00.000Z

After his hypocritical comments telling Declan Ganley to return to the "political hinterland", one might have expected MEP Graham Watson to keep quiet on the topic of Libertas. Instead, the Lib Dem MEP for the South West has gone on the offensive again, or, rather, he has gone offensively wrong again.

When asked in an interview for his opinion of Libertas he claimed:

I think they will be a short-lived phenomenon, in the sense that I would be very surprised if they fought the election campaign in 2014. They failed to establish a party in the Czech Republic, they failed to establish a party in the UK,

Failed to establish a party in the UK, Graham? Is that euro-speak for "haven't launched yet", or are you just lying? Just how desperate do you have to be to resort to claiming that your opposition doesn't even exist!

they will try to establish a party and they might get seven or eight countries.

We are well beyond that already, and Libertas hasn't even started yet. Whose nerves are you trying to calm?

They’re getting publicity. I think there will always be people who are either opposed to or very skeptical about the development of the European Union. But to have a movement which is actually dedicated to wrecking treaties and so on. I don’t think it will get much public support.

Dedicated to wrecking treaties? No, Graham, we are offering a positive alternative future for Europe based on democracy, transparency and accountability instead of the anti-democratic, authoritarian nightmare that you and your kind are trying squeeze the life out of Europe with under the pretence of being 'pro-European'.

We will even be standing on a platform promoting a new brief, readable treaty for the EU. That's not 'wrecking', it's disagreeing with their vision of a post-democratic EU. Unfortunately this is a foreign* concept to the Brussels elites; disagreement will not be tolerated.

Still, it's nice to know that we have him so rattled that he will spout any old nonsense.

* Foreign = anywhere outside the Ivory Towers in Brussels = the real Europe where real people live.

A reminder of what we are fighting against

2009-02-15T16:49:00.004Z

I came across an article in the Kilkenny Advertiser today, and had to share it with you. It's a perfect example containing all of the classics; propaganda, misdirection, bullying, denial, false statistics, bare faced lying, doublespeak and calls for the end of democracy. Yes, it's an article supporting the Lisbon Treaty.

For the political geeks out there, like me, this article is a dissection in detail. Readers with a sensitive disposition towards the truth should look away now.

It begins with:

I detect one tiny slice of silver lining on our dark clouds. A recent Red C opinion poll found that 58 per cent of respondents would vote Yes if there was a second Lisbon Treaty held this year.

Readers of this blog will already know that the poll the author is referring to says no such thing. It actually states that 58% think that the Irish people, as a whole, would vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty in a second vote. One should only interpret that as a resignation to the 'inevitable', rather than renewed support for a completely unchanged treaty. Reality aside, this is a useful tool for Lisbon propagandists; pretend that people have changed their minds and now support it.

While the value of opinion polls is as durable as our recent snow, it does indicate some hope that the public realise the economic importance of our relationship with the European Union.

Did you spot the not-so-subtle propaganda technique - 'belittle your opponents'? People who voted against the Treaty apparently don't "realise the economic importance of our relationship with the European Union". If you voted No, you must be financially illiterate.

I believe the No result last year damaged Ireland’s vital national interests. Investment sentiment towards Ireland is dependent on our full commitment to the EU. This is reflected in 90,000 multinational industrial jobs.

Now we are into scaremongering; vote No and you could cost 90,000 jobs. 'Investment sentiment' is based on many factors, but in Ireland's case it's due to favourable tax rates, tax breaks that most of the EU do not get, and the combination of the Euro currency and an English speaking work force. It's the ever-encroaching tax harmonisation efforts of the EU that will damage investment prospects for Ireland.

While multinationals are attracted by our low corporation tax rate and a well educated labour market, they are fundamentally here because of access to the EU consumer market.

Here's a piece of total misdirection; multinationals can access the EU consumer market from anywhere in the EU - it's completely irrelevant to their choice of Ireland....

Similarly, our preferential AAA credit rating is underwritten by being part of the Euro zone.

...swiftly followed by another bit of misdirection: the claim that saying No to the Constitution/Lisbon Treaty is somehow linked to Ireland being in the eurozone. Is the author really suggesting that saying No to the Lisbon Treaty a second time would push Ireland out of the eurozone? Is that a threat by the EU to keep the Irish in line?

The No campaign successfully sold the voters a pup. The myth was that if we rejected the Treaty it would not proceed and would be renegotiated.

Myth? It hasn't proceeded, and the only reason that Ireland is voting again is because the Irish Government who ran the Yes campaign is making the Irish vote again! If Cowen had any respect for the Irish public he would have stood by the decision and told the EU to start again from scratch.

Events since June have shown this to be untrue. European political leaders have respected our sovereign right to choose, but they will not agree to one per cent of the EU population dictating to the other 26 states.

So they respected it, but rejected it? You can choose, but only if you choose the right way? Doublespeak alert.

Maths isn't my speciality, but given that the French and the Dutch have already said No, and other countries, such as Britain have been denied a vote because they would certainly say No, I am not sure how the author arrives at 'one per cent'. The Irish aren't dictating; they saved the rest of us from the Constitution/Lisbon Treaty nightmare.

The EU Council has told us bluntly that we can have clarifications to preserve our national policies on neutrality and taxation, but the Treaty text will not be amended.

And this is a good reason to support it? Ireland voted no, but the EU refuses to change the treaty at all... so the Irish should count themselves lucky to have the opportunity to vote correctly this time? On what planet is this an incentive to support it?

...Their subsequent links with the UK Independence Party and other mavericks confirm their true euro sceptic credentials.

What? Bare-faced lying as well! This article has it all. Libertas has no links at all with the UK Independence Party. None.

Even Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, stated that there was "absolutely no common ground on Europe" between Libertas and UKIP. The parties have completely opposing aims; UKIP wants Britain out of the EU, Libertas wants Britain to take a leading role in a much improved EU.

Anti-democracy supporters will say anything in their desperation.

The context of the next vote has to be based on realism. Given that the 26 other states are likely to proceed with ratification the future of Europe is not at issue. Instead it’s the future of Ireland and our relationship with the EU. Whatever the respective merits on the debate about the future of the EU, we have to ask what’s best for Ireland?

"The future of Europe is not at issue"? Chalk this one up to denial. Of course the future of Europe is at issue. The Irish No vote was the third stake through the heart of the Constitution. The EU is out of ideas and has no where to go. Never has the future of the EU been more undecided. Why are all the EU leaders in such a fluster, if not because they can see that their vision of a post-democratic Europe isn't wanted?

...There is a case for not determining such matters by way of a public vote. The referendum commission added to the confusion. Most EU states allow their parliament to scrutinise such turgid legal text and decide.

And there it is - the Irish people can't be trusted to vote on their own future. The anti-democrats always show their true colours in the end.

The author also seems to forget that both Brian Cowen, Ireland's Taoiseach, and Charlie McCreevy, Ireland's EU Commissioner admitted that they hadn't read the treaty. I know that they do things differently in Ireland, but usually 'scrutiny' would involve reading it.

...The impetus for this Treaty is to modernise EU procedures to cope with enlargement from 15 to almost 30 states. It is probably less significant than the Maastricht or Nice treaties.

Is this a Jedi mind trick?

"This isn't a treaty that you need to vote on. Move along."

The growth of Europe eastwards is not entirely to our benefit. However, we have to face the reality that this train is leaving the station – with or without us.

More Faintheart than Braveheart isn't it? Don't bother fighting for anything decent Ireland, just cave in and don't cause a fuss. It's a message to inspire all generations. Don't expect a movie any time soon though.

The Yes campaign was inept. McCreevy and Cowen’s comments about not having read the document were ill-advised.

Has it occurred to you that they shouldn't even be talking about, let alone promoting, a treaty that they haven't even read? Admitting that they hadn't read it was the least inept part of their support for the anti-democratic Lisbon Treaty! At least they were being honest.

The article rather weakly finishes with:

...The EU is not a panacea for our ills, but without it we are doomed.

"Doomed. Doomed I tell you!"

Just one last little scare tactic; vote No and Ireland will be kicked out of the EU into the void.

It's definitely worth reading articles like this to remind ourselves what kind of people we are fighting against. The future of Europe is hanging in the balance and we have to do everything we can to rid ourselves of the anti-democratic, lying, corrupt elite and their supporters who are destroying everything that could be good about the European Union.

Germany has 'enormous potential'? So does the UK!

2009-02-14T11:14:00.000Z

There were two Libertas articles in quick succession on Wednesday from Euractiv. The first is an interesting interview with Declan Ganley. The second is a more in-depth look at Declan's declaration that Germany has 'enormous potential' for Libertas.

As the site put it:

Ganley's gift for spotting a gap in the market is well-known in business circles, and he believes he has spotted a similar gap in Germany's political landscape. "Here is a place which doesn't have one single party that raises serious questions about the anti-democratic disposition of the current EU institutions," he claimed.

While this is true in Germany, it is also true in the UK. There isn't a single party offering a reformist agenda for the EU here. As I have stated in previous articles, their debate is simply about 'more or less' integration into an EU superstate. There is almost no debate about what kind of EU we want.

A recent poll on the British view of the EU showed that 45% of people think that none of the main parties represent their view on the EU; an astonishing number. And that's before Libertas has even started campaigning and the other 55% realise that there could be an alternative!

Just 22% of people in Britain are happy with our relationship to the EU at the moment, and one would be hard pressed to find one of those who thinks that the EU works as well as it should.

Libertas is not only going to be taking votes in large numbers from the established parties, it is going to be providing an outlet for those 45% who don't like the EU policies of any of the main parties. The potential for Libertas in the UK is beyond 'enormous'.

Trying to 'wrong-foot' Libertas

2009-02-13T20:38:00.001Z

The Irish Independent paper today revealed that the Irish Government is considering running the anti-democratic second vote on the Constitution/Lisbon Treaty on the same day as the EU elections. Why would they bring it forward from the already announced October date? According to the Independent:

Proponents maintain that the idea has merits, not least that it would completely wrong-foot Libertas.

Yes, you read that correctly.

They want to move it to damage the No vote.

Is this really the dire state that Irish politics has fallen to, where its own Government resorts to stunts rather than debate to try to force through legislation that the public have already voted against?

And given that they have already announced the reason for it, what makes them think that the Irish public would be more likely to support it now? Just how much contempt do they have for the Irish public?

On a more encouraging note, it demonstrates just how scared they are of Libertas and its positive message for change. If they have to resort to dirty tricks (just like the EU is in Brussels), it is an admission that they have already lost the debate on the real issues.

The cheek of it

2009-02-12T09:56:00.002Z

ALDE group leader, Graham Watson MEP, yesterday declared that Declan Ganley "should return to the political hinterland from whence he came". Ignoring his xenophobia against Hinterlanders, this is an almightily cheeky challenge, for Mr Watson is a Liberal Democrat. That's the party that came fourth in the last EU elections. Not first, not second, not third, but fourth, behind UKIP. That's right, Graham, you are less popular than Robert Kilroy-Silk.

What's more, even the Lib Dem voters don't really like Mr Watson's rabid support for the abolition of Britain and absorption into a Euro super-state; nearly a third of them dumped the Lib Dems in the last EU election, compared to their General Election result. So from what pinnacle of public support does Graham Watson think he can safely attack Libertas?

But we can forgive him. He's bound to be scared of us, because he is exactly the kind of Brussels elite that we are campaigning against. You know, the ones who see that the French, Dutch and Irish all said 'No' to the Constitution but continue in their unrelenting support for it anyway.

Last month, for those who don't know, the ever-so-popular Graham Watson launched his campaign to become the next President of the European Parliament. Is he looking to tackle all of the problems of the EU as part of his proposed Presidency? Apparently not...

Watson said that one of the challenges facing parliament in the upcoming European elections was to “stymie” critics of the institution...

I had to look up 'stymie' to see if it had an alternative meaning, but no, the dictionary defines it as 'to hinder or foil'. So Graham's big plan is not to do anything about the massive problems of the EU or to tackle the concerns of the vast majority of British voters, but to hinder or foil critics of the EU. Astonishing, but true. I doubt that this is what the Liberal Democrats and ALDE group really want from their leader.

If, unlike Graham, you want a better EU, then Libertas is waiting in the hinterland for your vote.

EU Red Tape Cost Us £100 Billion In 10 Years

2009-02-12T09:03:00.003Z

The Sunday Express took a good look at an Open Europe report on EU over-regulation last weekend. You may recall that Open Europe launched its previous study on EU propaganda at the new Libertas office in Brussels. I really hope that Libertas will continue to work with this excellent organisation in the future.

Anyway, back to the article. The crux of it is that unnecessary Brussels legislation is costing us taxpayers vast amounts of money. While the EU seemed to get away with this in the 'good times', wasting money and hampering businesses with interfering regulations in a recession is unforgiveable. Libertas is committed to not only dramatically cutting back on new EU legislation, but slashing many of the unwelcome 100,000 pages of EU regulations that add no value to UK governance.

Shockingly, the Open Europe report concludes that

If the current rate of legislation continues for the next decade, EU rules will cost Britain £356billion – equivalent to £14,300 per British household, or enough to abolish income tax for two years.

Interestingly though, the paper tries to suggest, by associaton (that's a bit desperate!), the Tories are taking a stand on this:

Mr Wolfson, a close ally of Tory leader David Cameron, said: “Small businesses in particular need all the help they can get. There has never been a more important time to confront the torrent of regulations shackling their ability to operate effectively.

“The mindset of government must change. Policymakers must accept the radical idea that the law should only be used to regulate our endeavours where there is an overwhelming case for state intervention. “Secondly, Ministers must be far stronger in resisting new regulation from the EU.

“They must use all the power at their disposal to stem the tide of regulation coming from the EU, regardless of the unpopularity it may cause us in Brussels. In the long run, the whole of Europe will thank us for taking a stand.”

That all sounds good, doesn't it? But what the paper forgot to mention is that under the existing EU rules, that the Conservative party have continuously supported and voted for, there is nothing that British Ministers can do about EU legislation.

If you want to end this madness, then Libertas is the only party offering a realistic way out. We will change the entire way the EU is run to place national sovereignty at the heart of all European governance.

The only way that Europe can work is for nations to willingly cooperate. The EU's endles march towards a superstate that imposes its "post-democratic" bureaucracy on unwilling nations is already killing Europe. Please support Libertas to help us put an end to it.

Update: Declan NOT on Newsnight tonight

2009-02-09T16:43:00.001Z

Apologies, but Declan Ganley's appearance on Newsnight has been moved back to the 24th February.

Declan Ganley on Newsnight tomorrow

2009-02-08T14:16:00.002Z

Declan Ganley, founder of the Libertas pan-European party will be interviewed on Newsnight tomorrow (Monday, 10.30pm BBC2).

Libertas is not eurosceptic

2009-02-06T10:27:00.000Z

Eurosceptics accuse us of being europhiles. Europhiles accuse us of being eurosceptics. The truth is that we are neither.

The problem is that politicians and pundits simply don't understand where Libertas sits in the political spectrum. There is a very simple reason for this: Libertas isn't in the existing political spectrum.

The EU debate, especially in Britain, is one dimensional. At one end, we have the extreme UKIP view of total withdrawal from the EU. At the other end, the Lib Dems favour total integration into a European superstate. The Tories and Labour sit somewhere in between, arguing over how many powers to give away.

The common theme is that all four parties are simply talking about the EU in terms of "more or less".

But Libertas isn't talking about "more or less"; we are talking about "better".

We want a different system of European cooperation. And so do most of the citizens of Europe. There is no reason at all why we have to accept the future for Europe set out in the abysmal Constitution/Lisbon Treaty. Nor should we have to put up with the awful anti-democratic system we have now.

What we want is a system of willing cooperation between sovereign nations, founded upon real democracy. We are pioneers forging a new kind of Europe.

That's pro-European.

They're at it again!

2009-02-05T13:38:00.013Z

There is a tradition in the European Union that if at first your scheme fails miserably and makes you look stupid, the best plan is to try exactly the same thing again. You might recall from way back earlier today that Igor Grazin, assisted by British Lib Dem MEP Andrew Duff, tried to claim that he had not signed the Libertas application to be recognised as a pan-European political party, after immense pressure was applied to him by his Liberal group. It didn't take long for this unusual claim to be disproved via the publication of a photo of the document that he really did sign.

It takes a special kind of thinking to attempt a stunt like this. Presumably Andrew Duff, an MEP for the Eastern region of the UK, was trying to claim that Libertas had put Igor Grazin's name on the form, forged his signature and then hoped that no one would notice. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it?

Not quite as ridiculous as trying the same stunt again. EU traditionalist MP, Mincho Kuminev from Bulgaria, another signatory on the application, today claimed that he hasn't signed it either:

Bulgarian MP Mincho Kuminev, who is one of seven signatories to Libertas’s application to the European Parliament for some €200,000 in funds, said he never signed an application for Libertas to receive funds and was surprised his name was on the list of Libertas supporters.

“I have no intention of leaving the Bulgarian party system to join a foreign party. My only contact with Libertas was when I met Jens Peter Bonde at a conference in Bulgaria . . . I never signed any application or document in relation to Libertas,”

Perhaps what adds even more of a comedy value to this nonsense is that the story appeared after Libertas had already published a photo of the document showing his signature on it....

[UPDATE]

It appears that Mr Hristov even gave an interview, and is pushing this charade so far that he claimed:

"if somebody has falsified my signature, I will ask for an inquiry. The whole thing is a lie."

Judging by the photo of the documentation someone must have forged his passport as well. We look forward to the investigation.

[UPDATE 2]

It now looks like the EU is going to investigate, and if these two politicians (both of whom provided their passports to Libertas!) have in fact just suffered from SWA (Spontaneous Willful Amnesia, common amongst politicians placed in stressful positions), they will grant the application anyway.

"Just a bit of political game-playing"

2009-02-05T11:07:00.008Z

Now that the establishment has realised that Libertas is a serious threat to their cosy existence in their ivory towers things are starting to turn nasty. A few days ago Libertas submitted its formal application to the European Parliament asking for recognition as a party in the parliament. A requirement of this application is the signature of politicians from a quarter of the member states (seven).

Oddly, once the names on the list were revealed, one of the representatives, an Estonian politician called Igor Grazin, claimed that he had never signed the agreement, assisted by Andrew Duff, a British Lib Dem MEP for the Eastern region. According to the Irish Times:

“I have never signed any papers asking for recognition of Libertas as a political party in the EU and all corresponding claims are utterly untrue,” wrote Mr Grazin in a signed affidavit presented to parliament president Hans-Gert Pottering by the Liberal group.

Liberal MEP Andrew Duff, who uncovered the affidavit signed by Mr Grazin, asked Mr Pottering to “urgently review” the decision to recognise Libertas and give it EU funds.

“Mr Ganley appears to have fallen at the first hurdle. Apparently his claim to have recruited enough supporters was untrue. What Europe really needs is a bit more Veritas and a lot less Libertas,” said Mr Duff, who is a strong supporter of the Lisbon Treaty.

Well it didn't look too good for Libertas at that point did it? Except that they were lying.

Today it was revealed that:

Libertas published photos of documents signed by Estonian Igor Grazin supporting the application of Libertas for EU Parliamentary recognition.

Mr Ganley accused the Liberal group in the parliament of "bullying and dishonesty".

A Libertas spokesman said the group was not concerned at the row, and described the development as "just a bit of political game-playing" by the Liberals in the parliament.

The Estonian politician had signed the document supporting Libertas in the presence of Declan Ganley and two or three others, he said.

So journalists were lied to, the public mislead and hours of time wasted for... "just a bit of political game-playing". Don't you just love the European Union?

First glimpse of the party policies

2009-02-04T23:19:00.003Z

I attended another weekly start up meeting yesterday where we were given a look at the draft policies for reforming the EU. The aim is to get feedback from each of the Libertas national parties before the core policies are finalised.

Obviously this was a slightly tense moment; would they fulfil the promised rebirth of the EU, or would they just be tinkering with the Lisbon Treaty? Well, I am glad to say that they ticked my boxes.

Democracy and national sovereignty were at the core of the policies, while encouraging more willing cooperation between nations, to replace an increasingly centralised system that imposes unnecessary legislation on unwilling member states. Spot on.

Obviously there is still more to do on them, but I am greatly encouraged by what I have seen so far. The next step for us in the UK is to look at how these policies would affect us in practice, and how we can ensure that British interests are looked after.

Libertas welcomes its first Lord

2009-02-02T21:15:00.009Z

There are many things I expected of Libertas but recruiting a Lord before it has even launched wasn't one of them. Such is the draw of a positive, fresh force for change.

Lord Alton of Liverpool was today confirmed as a founding member of the Libertas group in the European Parliament.

From his website:

"For 18 years David Alton was a Member of the House of Commons and today is an Independent crossbench life Peer. He began his career as a teacher but, in 1972, he was elected to Liverpool City Council as Britain's youngest City Councillor. Twenty five years later, in 1997, David was made a Life Peer of the House of Lords"

Irish Fudge

2009-02-01T07:28:00.002Z

The Irish Times today released an article headed "Decisive shift in favour of treaty", apparently citing a poll that shows that opinion is shifting in Ireland in favour of the Lisbon Treaty in preparation for their second vote.

What the poll actually asked was whether Irish voters thought that Ireland would vote in favour of the treaty, not how they would vote themselves. So what the poll really shows is that 58% of Irish think that there might be enough of a swing in the next vote to ratify the treaty, not that 58% support the Lisbon Treaty. Presenting this as a shift in support is misleading at best.

It is hardly surprising that people might expect the Irish to vote 'no' in the next referendum. This is what happened after the Nice referendum in 2001; they voted 'no' the first time and when they were made to vote again (as outrageous as that is) with sufficient bribes/concessions, they voted 'yes'. The EU has already begun negotiations to bribe the Irish into voting Yes this time too.

Whether the Irish voters will feel that such 'guarantees' are worth the paper they are written on is another matter, especially once the campaigning on the Treaty begins again. Bearing in mind that the Treaty has already been ratified by most EU governments, the EU can't actually make any changes to the treaty itself without causing every other government to vote on it again. So what are the Irish really getting? Nothing but a generous helping of fudge. Will they fall for it? I hope not.

However, things are different this time, and this is no Nice Treaty. The Constitution/Lisbon Treaty has faced two other referendums already, in France and Holland, where the public there rejected it too. There is a growing feeling across Europe that the EU has lost its way, and no amount of bodging to get the constitution through is going to change that.

Peter Mandelson, the former unelected European Trade Commissioner, once claimed: "The age of democracy is over. We are now in the post-democratic age". Are these really the people we want deciding the future of Europe? People who don't even believe in the concept of democracy? Is the Lisbon Treaty really the best we can do for the future of Europe?

This is where Libertas comes in. Libertas is offering a whole new future for Europe, not a bedraggled, "post-democratic", unreadable Constitution/Lisbon Treaty bringing about a European superstate that no one other than the unaccountable elites in Brussels wants.

We believe that democracy has to be the fundamental foundation of all cooperation. If they still don't understand after three 'no' votes that this means that their vision is unwanted by the people of Europe then they have no place being in Government at all.

So when the Irish are forced to vote on exactly the same Treaty once again in a few months time, they will really have two options; vote for an anti-democratic, corrupt, nanny super-state or a positive Libertas future offering democracy, national sovereignty and improved cooperation between nations. Which way do you think they will vote?

Web warriors needed

2009-01-31T19:22:00.004Z

We are aiming to build up a large team of volunteers to help the party get the message out across the web over the next four months. This is the ultimate job for armchair activists, so there are no excuses for not getting involved, no matter how effort-averse you are!

If you would like to lend a hand, make some new friends and be part of Libertas as it changes the face of Europe, get in touch as soon as possible. We need people to:

- Write blog articles like this one
- Promote articles on social bookmarking sites
- Promote the party on web forums, social networking sites and so on.
- Run online ad campaigns

So if you are an experienced web user and want to help from the comfort of your desk, please contact our web coordinator: anthony.butcher@libertas.eu

Aspiring Candidates are Go!

2009-01-30T17:55:00.014Z

Another meeting, another recruit looking to stand for the party. These eager beavers are going to be known as 'Aspiring Candidates'; our new name for people seeking to be candidates before the final list is submitted in May.

Today's Aspiring Candidate was a political author with plenty to say about corruption, waste and the democratic deficit in the European Union. More importantly though, he had a wealth of ideas about how to fix it. Libertas is all about solutions, so he should fit right in.

If you fancy putting yourself forward to become an Aspiring Candidate, just send an email to uk@libertas.eu and someone will get back to you about how to proceed.

Office Politics

2009-01-30T17:30:00.017Z

I had the privilege of visiting our brand new office in central London on Tuesday (right next to Victoria tube station) for another of our weekly 'start up' meetings. A huge range of topics were discussed, from broad policy direction to what to wear to the official party launch next month (yes, that was my question).

Everything's moving very quickly now, and the scale of the venture is starting to dawn on me. We have a large number of roles to fill in the party and while volunteers are coming forward every day, we need many more.

Who are we looking for? Researchers, writers, organizers, people to run social functions, communications officers, bloggers, fundraisers and leafleters.

If you think that you have anything to offer, even just a bit of time, please do get in touch today, and tomorrow you could be part of the most exciting political project that Europe has ever seen. That's how I got started and I am enjoying every minute of it.

Welcome to the blog

2009-01-30T15:25:00.007Z

This blog is going to provide you with an inside look at Libertas in the UK. It's a personal blog, so I'll be voicing my opinions about what's happening, answering your questions and having some fun along the way.

And no, I'm not Declan Ganley.

If you have any questions about Libertas, please feel free to ask them (use the comments link below) and I will do my best to answer them in future postings.