Jon Worth's Euroblog

12.01.2006 Observations

345 deaths for the sake of their faith? The Hajj

Every able bodied Muslim is supposed to make a pilgrimage to Mecca during their lifetime, and yet it seems this duty is bound to involve fatal sacrifice for some. This year 345 people have died today (as I write –

11.01.2006 EU Politics

The Dead Constitution Sketch

Have we not been over this ground before? Immediately after the French and Dutch No votes, everyone started to debate whether the European Constitution was dead or not. Then the Brits came along with their Presidency and put the lid

11.01.2006 UK Politics

Excellent news: all of the UK might get a smoking ban

After months of nasty wrangling, it looks like the UK will finally get a full ban on smoking in all public places. The government has decided that MPs will be give a free vote on any proposals that go further

11.01.2006 UK Politics

The George Galloway, erm, phenomenon?

He managed to beat Oona King in the East London constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow in the 2005 election, standing for his ‘Respect’ party. There were plenty of strange stories of what his activists managed to get up to.

01.01.2006 Technology

Slow start to 2006 blogging!

Things have not really started well with blogging in 2006… First of all, I have been hit by all kinds of people trying to put Spam in my commenting system. Damn them. I am doing my best to sort it

30.12.2005 EU Politics

What criticism of religion is acceptable?

The row over cartoons of Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten goes on and on. Arab Foreign Ministers yesterday condemned the Danish Government for not doing anything about the cartoons, so no surprise there then – article from the BBC

29.12.2005 UK Politics

British obsessions: police sirens

Barely a day goes past in London without hearing one: the wailing sound of a police siren. You hear the sirens so often that it becomes a bit like Peter crying ‘wolf’ – it is such a normal sound that

28.12.2005 Observations

The High Commission of South Africa: what a mess

I have just spent most of the morning in long queues at the consular section of the High Commission of South Africa in London – my sister is due to spend 8 months working on charity projects there from 4th

27.12.2005 UK Politics

UK voters are like grumpy teenagers

Downing Street policy analysts reckon that the UK electorate is presently behaving like a grumpy teenager: wanting responsibility, but not ready to handle it. They tend to view any attempts by the state to cajole or force them to do

27.12.2005 EU Politics

Europe, wake up and feel good

I have just finished reading an extremely pleasant and gratifying book: T. R. Reid???s ???United States of Europe??? (buy it from Amazon here). Reid was the Washington Post???s correspondent in London from 1998 until 2002 and his book details how

24.12.2005 Observations

I hate this damned island. Let me leave. Soon.

London can get somewhat frustrating, but take a trip out of the capital and into the wilds of the rest of the UK and the situation becomes to dire it’s horrid. I’m sat writing at my seat 42F of Coach

23.12.2005 Observations

Christmas, South Wales style [Updated, 23.12.2005]

Christmas is fast approaching and – as usual – that means heading home to the town of my upbringing, Newport in South Wales. The place is famous as the hometown of Goldie Lookin’ Chain and has an interesting transporter bridge,