Monthly Archives: March 2014

Pro-EU politicians from the old parties keep telling us that “every UK family benefits by £3000 a year from EU membership”. This is based on a recent CBI report. But there are big questions about the CBI’s numbers. First of all, … Continue reading →

We’re far enough into the €uro campaign for broad lines of our opponents’ case to be becoming clear.  First it was Jobs.  We need to be in the EU for jobs.  The Lib-Dem slogan will be “In Europe, In Work” … Continue reading →

My recent spat with Lib-Dem Bill Newton Dunn over voting rates (covered in BBC Political Correspondent John Hess’ blog) has attracted some comment on Twitter, and I’m particularly concerned by the mistaken assumptions and, frankly, the ignorance of the comments … Continue reading →

I was invited on March 18th to speak to a conference at the Renaissance Hotel Brussels organised by the EU-Ukraine Business Council, to offer my reflections from a UKIP perspective on the situation in the Ukraine.  I said something like … Continue reading →

For at least two years, now, UKIP has been raising the problems of EU energy policy, which have driven up prices in Europe, just at the time when the USA is benefitting from cheap shale gas.  Shale gas has driven … Continue reading →

With our European campaign in full flow, I don’t find myself with much time to browse through comments left on my twitter feed. But at the weekend, I happened upon this: R. Andreas Kraemer ‏@RAKraemer  19h  .@RogerHelmerMEP Please look at #Germany #Energiewende … Continue reading →

Two academics have written a book about the rise of UKIP.  One of them (I’m not sure if it was Robert Ford from the University of Manchester, or Matthew Goodwin from the University of Nottingham) was on the Today Programme … Continue reading →

  Not really a blog post, but too long for a Tweet: At a briefing in the Strasbourg parliament yesterday, we heard that German chemicals business BASF was halving its investment plans for the EU, while planning major expansion elsewhere, … Continue reading →

I never cease to be amazed by the determination, the commitment, the altruism of folk across the East Midlands who are prepared to work their socks off for the benefit of their local communities.  These indeed are Edmund Burke’s Little … Continue reading →

It’s a long way to the British Riviera, but hundreds of UKIP stalwarts were there at the Riviera Centre on February 28th for our Spring Conference.  It was a pleasure to meet UKIP Councillor Julien Parrott in his (non-party) rôle … Continue reading →

I have been astonished to hear the preposterous argument from the Lib-Dems – Clegg in his speech yesterday, Martin Harwood on Daily Politics yesterday, Bill Newton Dunn on BBC Radio Derby last evening – that “We need to be in … Continue reading →

The on-going and fast-moving crisis in Ukraine has huge ramifications, not only for the long-suffering people of the Ukraine, but also for European economies and energy prices.  Gas price futures have already spiked by 10% or so over fears for … Continue reading →

On Wednesday in Strasbourg I appeared live on the BBC News Channel alongside Labour MEP Richard Howitt from Eastern Region.  He is (as he pointed out) my neighbour, across the East Midlands border.  We’d been promised around four minutes, but … Continue reading →

It was bound to come, and we’re hearing it already.  We need to be prepared.  On BBC Radio 4 News’ Westminster Hour with Carolyn Quinn, on Feb 23rd, they had a Lib-Dem Baroness, Olly Grender who said that David Cameron faced … Continue reading →