Recent Posts

Technology

EU cookie law compliance (in WordPress)

By 26th May 2012 all websites in the UK are supposed to comply with the 2009 changes to the EU Privacy and Communications Directive, and this means paying attention to how any website deals with cookies. This website – just as almost any other website – uses cookies to improve the […]

EU Politics

Setbacks for transparency of the EU

One of the things that has, over the years, helped me maintain some faith in the functioning of the European Union was that – if push came to shove – you could find out what was going on within the walls of the institutions, and find out what the EU […]

EU Politics

Monica Macovei against the EU’s agencies

You don’t mess with Monica Macovei. I’ve met her, and she strikes me as one of the most strident and outspoken politicians to be found in the European Parliament, building upon a two year stint as Romania’s Minister of Justice during the period prior to accession. So when Macovei says […]

EU Politics, UK Politics

More Eurostar security oddities

On Tuesday this week I was on Eurostar 9161, the 1952 departure from Bruxelles Midi to London St Pancras, with stops in Lille Europe, Calais Fréthun and Ebbsfleet. Shortly after departure from Lille the train manager made an announcement, telling us that a control of tickets and identity papers would […]

EU Politics

Rick Falkvinge and the Pirates

A few weeks ago at a meeting in London, one of the Labour Party’s best known bloggers literally snorted at me when I said that Labour had much to learn from the Pirate Party. But I’m undeterred by that, and having spent the last week in Germany, I’ve been looking […]

Technology

Social Network friend/connection/follow criteria

My presence on various social networks was getting rather out of hand, so I’ve had to work out a rule of thumb as to who to add on each network. Here are my conclusions – comments most welcome! Facebook – I’ll accept friend requests from anyone I’ve met and – if […]