Presentation for Svanen, Stockholm
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The notion that social media is a great leveller is wrong
For someone as active as I am in social media, perhaps the title of this blog entry is a little extreme. But bear with me. Or, to be more precise, bear with me those of you in the ever dwindling
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Now we have proof: Richard Howitt is the most manically active MEP
When he’s not getting turfed out of Dale Farm, Labour MEP Richard Howitt seems to also be the most active of Labour’s MEPs in the European Parliament, at least thanks to one measure discovered using open data from Ron Patz. The
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An idea for a little Facebook mashup for travellers
For the first time in ages, Facebook has me hooked on a new feature – the ‘Cover’ image (the large image at the top) in the new profile timeline. If you don’t know what I am on about, see this
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Today’s European Parliament budget move: a welcome alternative to austerity, or pissing in the wind?
The EU institutions are in the middle of their annual budget ping-pong. The European Commission proposes the annual budget, and then the European Parliament and Council of the European Union (where Member States are represented) decide on the budget. The
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We need to stop being cheerleaders for the status quo
One of the responses to the Tory rebellion yesterday on the EU referendum vote has – rather predictably – been a call for ‘pro-Europeans’ to be more assertive. Clegg has said Britain should lead and not leave the EU, and
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The Guardian | 10 steps that brought Cameron closer to Europe
“Over the last week, many on the left have been crowing at the sight of the Tories going into self-destruct mode over Europe. Cameron has brought this upon himself, they say, playing up to the Eurosceptic gallery and surrounding himself
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The speech we won’t hear tomorrow: honest yet opposing a referendum
This is a mythical speech that could be delivered tomorrow in the House of Commons by a MP opposing the resolution for a referendum. In my view it’s both realistic and honest, and hence there’s not a hope in hell
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On direct democracy
There are some things party politics and representative democracy struggle to solve – those few issues that divide parties, that cross left-right divides. Britain’s relationship with the European Union is one such issue and, as a result, prompts calls from
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LabourList | Tomorrow’s EU vote is a very postmodern political pickle
“Tomorrow’s debate and vote on an EU referendum in the House of Commons is a problem largely of David Cameron’s own making. It was he who, in November 2009, made a u-turn on his cast iron guarantee that the Tories
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This hasty referendum debate is no way to settle a vital constitutional question (whichever side you’re on)
Britain’s relationship with the EU is absolutely vital to the economic and political future of the country, and even to the political and economic future of the EU. The structure of British democracy, the way the country is governed, is
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