I’ve been wondering for a little time what the Liberal Democrat MEPs are pushing for when it comes to the European Union’s budget, which makes London MEP Sarah Ludford’s latest email update particularly timely:
No pro-European LibDem can be other than fully committed to reform of the EU. Any flaws in the way it is run overshadow its good work on everything from research to roaming charges, not to speak of the area I am passionate about, justice and civil liberties. I’m pleased therefore that a deal has been reached for the EU’s 2012 budget which overall represents no real terms increase over 2011 and within that an actual cut in the running costs of the European Parliament and other institutions. That is what Liberal Democrat MEPs have supported throughout the negotiations, since we insist on cutting the Brussels cloth to match the Europe-wide restraint on spending.
Another goal very firmly in LibDem sights is the crazy and expensive obligation that the 27 EU government impose on us to hold monthly sessions in Strasbourg. We have a perfectly functional building in Brussels where we spend the other 3 weeks a month, and this mad travelling circus puts an extra £160 million a year on the European Parliament budget.
I am thus appalled by a proposal by the Parliament’s bigwigs to spend €30 million renovating the Strasbourg building, and you can read my comments on LibDem Voice here.
I have joined a newly formed steering group of MEPs to push the case for one seat in any way we can.
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2 Comments
We’ve been bleating about the retention of the Strasbourg parliament for far too long. Can some dramatic action not be taken by the (surely) many MEPs who are completely opposed to this hideously expensive and wearisome nonsense?
Could they not simply announce en masse that they are refusing to travel every month and stage a sit-in in the Brussells premises?
For how long would the rest of the MEPs try to continue travelling to Strasbourg without them?
Following the dominance of the issue of a possible new EU treaty at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, perhaps the Government should make it clear that one of the conditions for its support for such a move will be to end the ridiculous practice of moving the Parliament to France once a month. At a time of blanket austerity I’m sure that any opposition to this kind of demand would not be politically tenable and so today’s European Council summit could surely offer a golden opportunity to finally end this dreadful practice.