Tough on Transparency

Lobby proud

In our ceaseless search for the truth, the Public Administration Select Committee invaded Brussels today. This is Lobbycity.

There are 15,000 lobbyists here. They are bright gifted people on a mission to persuade. In a day’s evidence, we did not find anyone who would utter a word against the dark arts of lobbying. The view is that here they are accepted as part of the community that feeds off the Euro beast.

The euro MPs were very defensive. A new register of lobbyists’ interests comes into force on Commission business this month. It is voluntary, weak and watered down.

I did not get a friendly response when I suggested that MEPs' enthusiasm for transparency evaporated when it was suggested that their travel expenses are published. The fiddle they use is travel by air with cheap back-to-back tickets and then claim recompense at first class travel rates.

 Could that be the reason why the Euro Parliament is tough on transparency and the causes of transparency?

Dog days

The community of Labour MPs have been demoralised before. In the days when the beloved Michael Foot was Leader the sickening fear of impending doom prevailed. It never reached Michael himself. He found signs of an impending victory in every cheering group of hardcore supporters he visited in 1983.

Sensible party loyalists privately sobbed and braced themselves for the inevitable. Spirits were low in 1992. There had been real hope of a Kinnock victory. We lost and the hapless John Major was sentenced to a miserable five years of mockery with only his cones initiative and Edwina Currie to comfort him.

Since 1997, the Labour tribe has revelled in the ten years thrill of popularity and power. Over a hundred Labour MPs have experienced nothing else. They are the most vulnerable to come face to face with their P45s. Other crusty old long-termers are stoically realistic.

The world is about to come to an end. The future is sans salary, sans status, sans staff, sans influence. Time for gallows humour and suppressed hysteria to take over. The standing of MPs has never been lower.

One said to me yesterday, “The public has concluded that we are all sleazy thieves. We have already been judged. Public opinion of us could not be lower. We have nothing to lose, so we may as well grab and run.” He quoted last week’s moronic re-cycling of a Daily Mail lie by the NUT (Cymru) . If the public believe we have given ourselves a £23,000 pay rise, there is nothing to be lost in getting on and doing it.”   This is truly demented stuff. One paper this morning talked of more bleak news for Labour. A poll suggested a Tory majority of 109. This is good news. The polls a week ago suggest a majority of 229.

As someone once said, things can only get better.

Comments

[Pau Flynn]

Thanks Tony. I have a lot of sympathy with some of your comments. A stand must be made for green taxes but they should hit those who can best afford to pay.

There are still in idealists on the Labour benches

[Tony]

I suspect the demoralisation has something to do with being asked to support policies that deep down they do not want to implement.

a) 10p tax band
b) retrospective taxing of cars
c) 42 days detention without trial

I would hope that at some point the need to be in power would be overridden by doing what is right for the people that I used to think Labour were there to help.
GB stands up AGAIN today and says most of the people will be un-affected by the road tax changes - 81% was the figure he used
But the 19% that will be affected most (and by that I mean the ability to pay the increased charges) will be the poorer end of society. If you are on £18,000 a year then a rise in car tax will hit harder than if you are on £60,000
Now I thought that 'Social Justice' was a main value of the party - this does not really work for me I have to say

[Jon Worth]

You should have met some Brussels-based bloggers who would have been happy to point out the problems and contradictions with Brussels lobbying!