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Monthly Archives: February 2015
Paris climate summit: Europe must continue to be a leader
The European Commission today launched a communication setting out the EU’s vision for a legally binding United Nations climate change agreement. International negotiations are under way and are set to be finalised at the UN climate confe…
Posted in ALDE
Tagged Public Health and Food Safety, Week News,Press Release,EU in the World,,ENVI :: Environment
Comments Off on Paris climate summit: Europe must continue to be a leader
A strong Energy Union would be a nightmare for Putin
Guy Verhofstadt, President of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament commented today:
“Putin is using energy as a weapon to further his interests and divide Europe. It seems that he has already bought an ally in Europe by offering Hung…
Posted in ALDE
Tagged Public Health and Food Safety,ITRE :: Industry, Research and Energy, Week News,Press Release,ENVI :: Environment
Comments Off on A strong Energy Union would be a nightmare for Putin
Early reform of EU Carbon Market welcome
The Environment Committee in the European Parliament today adopted ambitious proposals to reform the European Union’s faltering Emissions Trading Scheme. A large imbalance between the supply and demand of allowances, resulting in a surplu…
Posted in ALDE
Tagged Public Health and Food Safety, Week News,Press Release,ENVI :: Environment
Comments Off on Early reform of EU Carbon Market welcome
Bio fuels: ALDE rapporteur welcomes Parliament vote
The Environment Committee in the European Parliament today adopted its second reading report on ILUC, which will provide a mandate to the ALDE rapporteur, Nils Torvalds MEP to start negotiations with the Council of Member States.
Posted in ALDE
Tagged Public Health and Food Safety, Week News,Press Release,ENVI :: Environment
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European Energy Union will hit Putin where it hurts
European Liberals and Democrats today launched their proposals for the creation of an ambitious Energy Union, based on five key priority areas:
Posted in ALDE
Tagged Public Health and Food Safety, Week News,Press Release,ENVI :: Environment
Comments Off on European Energy Union will hit Putin where it hurts
MPs should focus on being MPs!
I was a Member of the European Parliament for two and a half years during which time I worked on average 6 days a week, including some rather unsocial hours. Sunday was usually my only proper day off and I often did some catching up on emails that day.
The job of course also involved a great deal of travel, mainly between Leeds and Brussels, but also across the Yorkshire and Humber region and to Strasbourg once a month. I didn’t have much time for family and friends and many complained to me about this.
The life of an MP is similar (although possibly with less travel). I know MPs who work 80 hours a week pretty much on a permanent basis. I therefore struggle to comprehend how an MP has the time for a second job.
If they have time for another job, what are they not doing as an MP as a consequence? Perhaps they only show up to very few parliamentary debates, hold few or no constituency surgeries, don’t visit local businesses, schools and colleges and rarely venture out to meet their constituents? And if they’re not working full-time as an MP, why are they receiving a full-time salary?
Any MP foolish enough to claim they need to earn extra money because £67k isn’t enough to live on (yes Malcolm Rifkind I’m talking to you!), is so out of touch with ordinary life they deserve all the criticism they get. I managed to live in London, the most expensive city in the UK, on a bit more than a third of an MP’s salary. Doing so did require careful budgeting (my top tips: walk or cycle to work, take a packed lunch every day and never buy take away coffee), but it is possible and many people do it. In fact, many people manage on less.
I understand that some MPs earned considerably more before they entered politics and if that is the case, then good for them for making a choice to earn less in order to take up public office. That is not however, a justification for a 2ndjob/outside consultancy work.
I do however understand that for MPs in certain professions, e.g. the medical profession, there may be a need to undertake training/education or even some professional practice in order to remain qualified and able to practice. I think it’s fair enough to allow an MP time for such activities, but I strongly suspect they don’t come to anything like the time commitment of a 2nd job.
I am uncomfortable about an MP being paid for advice on matters that relate to parliamentary business. As an MEP, when I met with representatives of businesses, charities, NGOs, industry associations, public sector bodies etc, they often asked whether their organisation’s aims in their campaign/concerning a piece of legislation et were realistic and achievable, and if certain of my colleagues were worth approaching. I was happy in such situations to give my opinion (and it was only my opinion). The idea of being paid to do that while holding elected public office not only seems wrong, but seems possibly undemocratic, as I’m sure only a minority of organisations have the money to do that.
And finally, the thing that annoys me the most about the second job debate is that it paints a picture of MPs that is wholly unfair to all those who dedicate long hours serving their constituents sometimes at great personal cost.
Posted in Blog
Comments Off on MPs should focus on being MPs!
MPs should focus on being MPs!
I was a Member of the European Parliament for two and a half years during which time I worked on average 6 days a week, including some rather unsocial hours. Sunday was usually my only proper day off and I often did some catching up on emails that day.
The job of course also involved a great deal of travel, mainly between Leeds and Brussels, but also across the Yorkshire and Humber region and to Strasbourg once a month. I didn’t have much time for family and friends and many complained to me about this.
The life of an MP is similar (although possibly with less travel). I know MPs who work 80 hours a week pretty much on a permanent basis. I therefore struggle to comprehend how an MP has the time for a second job.
If they have time for another job, what are they not doing as an MP as a consequence? Perhaps they only show up to very few parliamentary debates, hold few or no constituency surgeries, don’t visit local businesses, schools and colleges and rarely venture out to meet their constituents? And if they’re not working full-time as an MP, why are they receiving a full-time salary?
Any MP foolish enough to claim they need to earn extra money because £67k isn’t enough to live on (yes Malcolm Rifkind I’m talking to you!), is so out of touch with ordinary life they deserve all the criticism they get. I managed to live in London, the most expensive city in the UK, on a bit more than a third of an MP’s salary. Doing so did require careful budgeting (my top tips: walk or cycle to work, take a packed lunch every day and never buy take away coffee), but it is possible and many people do it. In fact, many people manage on less.
I understand that some MPs earned considerably more before they entered politics and if that is the case, then good for them for making a choice to earn less in order to take up public office. That is not however, a justification for a 2ndjob/outside consultancy work.
I do however understand that for MPs in certain professions, e.g. the medical profession, there may be a need to undertake training/education or even some professional practice in order to remain qualified and able to practice. I think it’s fair enough to allow an MP time for such activities, but I strongly suspect they don’t come to anything like the time commitment of a 2nd job.
I am uncomfortable about an MP being paid for advice on matters that relate to parliamentary business. As an MEP, when I met with representatives of businesses, charities, NGOs, industry associations, public sector bodies etc, they often asked whether their organisation’s aims in their campaign/concerning a piece of legislation et were realistic and achievable, and if certain of my colleagues were worth approaching. I was happy in such situations to give my opinion (and it was only my opinion). The idea of being paid to do that while holding elected public office not only seems wrong, but seems possibly undemocratic, as I’m sure only a minority of organisations have the money to do that.
And finally, the thing that annoys me the most about the second job debate is that it paints a picture of MPs that is wholly unfair to all those who dedicate long hours serving their constituents sometimes at great personal cost.
Posted in Blog
Comments Off on MPs should focus on being MPs!
Egypt must put an end to persecutions and abusive justice
The ALDE Group in the European Parliament deplores the 5 year prison sentence of pro-democracy activist and blogger, Alaa Abd el-Fattah, for violating a protest law.
Posted in ALDE
Tagged Week News,Press Release,EU in the World,DROI :: Human Rights,AFET :: Foreign Affairs,External Relations and Human Rights
Comments Off on Egypt must put an end to persecutions and abusive justice
Capital Markets Union must be expedited say European Liberals and Democrats
Commenting on today’s presentation by Commissioner Hill of a Green Paper on a Capital Markets Union and the launch of a public consultation,the ALDE group in the European Parliament has urged the Commission to adopt a much more ambitious …
Posted in ALDE
Tagged Week News,Press Release,Growth & Jobs,ECON :: Economic and Monetary Affairs
Comments Off on Capital Markets Union must be expedited say European Liberals and Democrats
FREE LOPEZ: One year anniversary of Leopoldo Lopez’s arrest sees only worsening conditions for political prisoners. Dita Charanzová, MEP
Today (18 February 2015) marks one year since the arrest and imprisonment of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, whose treatment at the hands of the Maduro regime has only worsened as he is increasingly subject to physical and psychological…
Posted in ALDE
Tagged Week News,Press Release,EU in the World,Democracy promotion,AFET :: Foreign Affairs
Comments Off on FREE LOPEZ: One year anniversary of Leopoldo Lopez’s arrest sees only worsening conditions for political prisoners. Dita Charanzová, MEP