Godfrey Bloom MEP

Dear Editor,

I would argue as Chris Huhne's political career is in ruins a custodial sentence for a piece of stupidity is inappropriate.

However, a custodial sentence might be more appropriate for his energy policies, though he would not be alone.

Yours sincerely

Godfrey Bloom MEP

Dear Sir,

I am very confused. We send logistical support to fight 'terrorism' in Mali, we condemn terrorism and violence throughout the world. Yet we are sending sophisticated weaponry to terrorists/freedom fighters/militants in Syria.

Could Mr Hague give us all a realistic definition for all these terms? If not, I am sure the CIA will give him some.

Yours faithfully 

Godfrey Bloom

Dear Sir

This paper was kind enough to allow me to warn readers twelve months ago that government policy would stall the economy but not for the reason most politicians suppose. The problem is not that the government has cut public spending too much, too soon or on the wrong things. The enormous problems we now face is because we have had decades of too much public spending, far more than we can sustain.

Real deep cuts need to be made to revive the economy by growth of the private sector. We have barely scratched the surface of massive deficit spending; we borrowed £8 billion last month!! It has to stop. The government spends nearly 50% of GDP. This is unsustainable. 20% VAT is crippling the economy, especially retailers. We must put money back into peoples’ pockets via lower tax, they spend money more wisely than politicians.

Before the usual knee jerk reaction from the bloated public sector let me show a few ways of doing it. Immediately stop £25 million per day to ‘foreign aid’, £38 million per day to the EU, £12 billion per year on fake charities and £40 billion per year on Quangos. Cap fat cat public sector salaries at the Town Hall. We do not need to sack nurses, teachers, soldiers or policemen but get our house in order.

This government spend 18p in every pound servicing debt. The public debt will have grown by 50% by 2015 since this administration took office. If we must spend public money I suggest a pocket calculator for every politicians, bureaucrat and TV presenter.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom
UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire
Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee in the European Parliament

 

Dear Sir,

We found out yesterday the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds are to be desecrated by no less than nine monster wind turbines, notwithstanding their well- documented inefficiencies.

For those distressed local residents let me remind you. If you voted Conservative they promised that and it is exactly what they are doing. Only UKIP have a long standing policy of stopping immediately the subsidies involved in this national madness.

Yours faithfully

 

Godfrey Bloom

 

Dear Editor,

Recently the German central bank, the Bundesbank, announced that it would repatriate a significant portion of its gold reserves held in vaults of foreign central banks.  We applaud this move and recommend that the Bundesbank repatriate ALL of its gold. 

The underlying cause of the world financial crisis is fiat money issued in unlimited amounts by central banks to finance irresponsible government spending.   

Germany suffers an additional burden in that its currency, the euro, is not under its own control.  Rather, It is under the control of a central bank jointly controlled by sixteen other countries, all of whom are less responsible than Germany and have decided to inflate the euro to unknown heights.  

As a sovereign nation Germany can leave the eurozone and reinstate the deutsche mark.  Furthermore, it can end the rush to currency collapse around the world by going one step further and tying its reinstated deutsche mark to gold. 

This will set off a chain of similar virtuous acts by the major central banks of the world in order to prevent the steady depreciation of their currencies against the deutsche mark, which will be well on the way to coming the most demanded currency in the world for international trade, a position currently occupied by the US dollar.  

The world's financial system will be saved from its current cycle of competitive devaluations and ever-expanding government deficits.  Governments will be forced to balance their budgets and reform their economies; in other words, they will be forced to face reality and live responsibly like everyone else. The status quo is not a long term option. 

Yours sincerely

Godfrey Bloom, UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, Professor Antal Fekete and Patrick Barron.

Dear Editor,

The controversy in Beverley over digging up the characterful cobble setts is exactly the type of issue that should be the subject of a local referendum.

Such referenda are UK Independence Party policy so that local people can resolve controversial issues for the community and not bureaucrats and councillors.

It is clear from the strength of local feeling that these setts are much loved and help make the town so popular with tourists. Sure Yorkshire flags are attractive but the setts in the Saturday Market are a valued feature.

Carrying out repairs and putting the setts back would add to the cost of the overall scheme but it is short sighted  to get rid of them when they have served the town so well and could do so for another couple of hundred years.

Dare we hope that the last minute decision to re-phase the work from this week to the latter part of the project "to allow further discussions with stakeholders to take place" means that common sense may yet prevail and the setts be saved?

Yours sincerely

Godfrey Bloom MEP

 

Dear Editor,

President Obama is worried the UK might leave the UK, as well he might be, it grows ever more likely.

In 1975 the CIA poured big money into the ‘yes’ campaign which had over 20 times the amount of the ‘no’ campaign.

The United States believes, rightly, the EU is fundamentally hostile to the US in cultural, economic and foreign policy matters. This is, of course, quite true.  They are, therefore, desperate to have an Anglo-spheric Atlanticist power at the top table to restrain a power block of a centralised statist nature not unakin to the old Soviet model.

As a regular speaker on the East Coast circuit I am familiar with this Washington based geo-political outlook. There is no ‘special relationship’. It died at Yalta. There is a special bond between the military and academic people but it is personal.

Barbecues on the lawn at the White House are simply to keep prime ministers of smaller countries on side. So let us understand President Obama’s view for what it is, the usual US self interest.

Yours sincerely

Godfrey Bloom MEP

Dear Sir,

I am delighted that MPs have rejected a draft EU directive aimed at increasing the number of women on company boards.

We all know that Brussels says 'jump' and we just ask 'how high?' so it made a pleasant change to read that MPs agreed a motion stating that the EU directive "does not comply with the principle of subsidiarity" - that decisions should be made at national level if possible.

It is plainly nonsense to insist on 40% of top management posts being given to women by 2020. This is reverse discrimination and is an insult to all business women who have worked hard to attain their positions.

Our government's backing for a voluntary approach and rejecting the EU target, is plainly far more sensible.

But, and of course, there's a but, the EU invariably gets what it wants sooner or later so unless we leave this wretched behemoth just watch out for the imposition of this ridiculous quota.

 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom

Dear Sir,

Christian Vassie responds to my concern (Dec 26) that heavily subsidised green policies are making a bad economic situation worse for the productive parts of our economy for no good reason. His argument is that 2012 was the warmest year on record for the USA, which he seems to believe is a rebuttal to the observation that there has been no significant global warming since 1995.

Mr. Vassie should take a Geography class. The USA covers less than 2% of the surface of the globe. Regional warming is not global warming.

Furthermore, the recent IPCC Special Report on Extremes noted that there has been no trend in losses from storms or floods. This is as true for the USA, in spite of its warming, as it is for the world.

 People who cannot grasp simple economics worry about balancing temperatures and ice caps rather than balancing the books. Mr Vassie is worried about a 0.25 degree warming since 1981, rather than the UK's £trillion debt. 

Meanwhile, in spite of all this alleged global warming, most of the world enjoys economic growth. Millions are lifted out of poverty and disease every year, except in the West, where climate change dominates the political agenda while useless politicians struggle to contain the economic mess they've made.
Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom

Dear Editor,

It seems now the Government will eventually means test the fuel allowance and probably the bus passes.

I was over 30 years an investment manager for pension funds so let me give the many young people reading a tip. Governments of all political hues degrade money and artificially depress interest rates. People who work hard all their lives, are prudent and save for their old age are actively punished by the state. 

My advice is save nothing, spend everything and when you reach retirement just knock on the door of the almighty state and they will give you everything you require. Probably more advantageous to never work at all and breed as many children as possible.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom

Dear Sir

Some of your correspondents miss the point on taxation. Government spending is 50% of GDP, which is unsustainable. It is the EU who allows under their rules companies to pay tax anywhere in the EU, so they opt for the cheapest country, Luxembourg, their rules not UKIP’s.

Tax for health and education, well yes, but that’s not where it goes.  £25 million per day in overseas aid, £40 million to Brussels, £50 billion per year on Quangos, £12 billion per year on fake charities and military adventurism in Afghanistan is £12 billion.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom

UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire
Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee in the European Parliament

Today, thanks to the tireless work of my committee we have managed to increase the price of motor insurance for women.

As women live longer than men we intend to work for more equality for women by re-introducing the practice of suttee. Burning women in the funeral pyre of their husbands thus ensuring equality of married life expectation.

 

Yours sincerely

Godfrey Bloom, UKIP MEP 
Member of the Women and Gender Equalities Committee. The Lunatic Asylum, EU Parliament, Brussels.

Dear Editor,

I was in the United States in the summer when the dreadful Colorado shootings took place. 

I appeared on US and UK radio with a solution which would protect citizens' rights to bear arms under their constitution. Remember in the UK we have had outrages in Dunblane and Hungerford.

My solution would almost certainly prevent such deaths. It is simple. In order to own firearms a certificate must be granted by the local police who would ensure that 20 householders plus the applicant's GP sponsor the certificate and it must be reviewed annually.

Any purchases above two firearms must be notified to the sponsors. Any psychological medical changes must be reported to the police.

This would heavily curtail the deranged from access to firearms, those who become unstable would lose the support of their sponsors, moreover it would carry the support of the all powerful National Rifle Association in the US.

 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom

 

Dear Editor,

Could it be we have now taken the first hesitant step to a cross-party policy on drugs?

I hope so, the current one is failing and has been so for decades. We need men and women of all sectors of the community to come forward, the only qualification needed is vision.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom

Dear Editor,

There seems to be much confusion by the body politic and indeed many of the electorate as to how an economy really works.  There can be no public spending without taxation of the wealth creating sector or borrowing (leave aside counterfeiting or ‘quantitative easing’ pro tem). 

Taxation is simply a system for government to take money from one sector of the population and apportion it arbitrarily to others.  Subsidising Siemens in Hull, or holes in the ground for CO2 capture in Doncaster means taking money from the genuine wealth creators. 

There is no economic merit in taking heavy tax from the caravan, growing, steel or aircraft industries to give to other companies whose projects are unsustainable without government subsidy. 

If there is money to spare, which there is not, reduce the tax burden on those in the private sector.  Much better for our manufacturers to go back to a five day week, have cheaper energy and less employment tax than support failed technology like wind and solar power.  

Incidentally I hesitate to stir up the maniacal pseudo religious fervour of the greenies but has anyone noticed there has been no significant measurable global warming since 1995?  Perhaps the whole hypothesis of manmade global warming is misplaced?

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom

Dear Editor,

People who publicly vilify multinationals for tax avoidance clearly do not understand the concept of state revenue raising.  It is the duty of joint stock companies to reduce their tax bill in the interests of shareholders and customers.  

There is no ‘moral’ dynamic in either the raising or paying of taxation.  We cannot have some sort of committee making subjective decisions on what they feel a company should pay.  There is either tax law or not.  Avoidance is both legal and moral.  Evasion is illegal.  Politicians can huff and puff but there is no way around this.  

If I ran a multinational in a country which tried a system not commensurate with its own law I would cease to trade in that jurisdiction.  Indeed I would have no option.

 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom,

Dear Editor,

People who publicly vilify multinationals for tax avoidance clearly do not understand the concept of state revenue raising.  It is the duty of joint stock companies to reduce their tax bill in the interests of shareholders and customers.  

There is no ‘moral’ dynamic in either the raising or paying of taxation.  We cannot have some sort of committee making subjective decisions on what they feel a company should pay.  There is either tax law or not.  Avoidance is both legal and moral.  Evasion is illegal.  

Politicians can huff and puff but there is no way around this.  If I ran a multinational in a country which tried a system not commensurate with its own law I would cease to trade in that jurisdiction.  Indeed I would have no option.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom,

Dear Editor,

Our hopeless Prime Minister shows yet again how little he understands commerce. 

He says, and I quote, "We need to take a tough line with insurance companies to make them do what they are supposed to do and insure people's houses."  Well yes, but at a premium commensurate with risk reward to a free society.

Some people, very sadly, will not find insurance because the risk of flooding is too high. It is the nature of insurance, it is not the role of government to interfere. Where will it end? Teenage boys driving insurance, life assurance for the terminally ill?

Mr Cameron, government's role is defence of the realm, the Queen's peace open highways, keeping the drains clear and building flood defences,
that's it.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom

Dear Editor,

The government must stand absolutely firm and maintain the ban on prisoners' voting rights.

Never mind options of giving votes to prisoners sentenced to four years or less or six months or less. Prisoners have broken their contract with society and they forfeit the right to take part in elections. End of.

The overwhelming feeling in the country is for a blanket ban and the government must stand up to the Mickey Mouse tribunal, the European Court of Human Rights. 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom

Dear Editor,

There is a "thin red line" between a dictatorship and a democracy. It is the press. Particularly the local press, who in my experience, are significantly more informed and balanced than the national press who have an overt political message.

Any form of state control is abhorrent. Common and statute law is enough for wrong doers. No sinister, veiled, behind-the-scenes regulators please.

 

Yours faithfully

Dear Editor,

Germany should repatriate all of its gold held in foreign banks as a prelude to reinstating a deutsche mark tied to gold.  

Any entity that wishes to convince the public that its money is sound must have complete control over its reserves (the actual money; i.e gold or silver) and grant access to third party auditors without reservation.  

Therefore, Germany needs to clear up the question of whether or not its gold held outside its control actually exists and/or if it is encumbered in any way. 

Germany does not have to offer any excuse or rationale for repatriating its property.  Given the state of the euro crisis, Germany should act with all due haste.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom and Patrick Barron. 

Dear Sir,

I was pleased to read that a top magistrate has publicly said what the rest of us have been thinking for a long time. That serious criminals are escaping justice by being let off with cautions and on the spot fines.

John Fassenfelt, chairman of the Magistrates Association, has said serious crimes are being punished "inappropriately" by such means. How right he is. More than a million offenders have escaped court since on the spot fines were introduced in 2004 and half of all fines are unpaid within the 21 day limit.

The public are fed up to the back teeth as offenders blithely get away with their misbehaviour, both major and minor, and quite frankly this situation must change.

Well done to Mr Fassenfelt for speaking up for all of us.

 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom 

Dear Editor,

I was amused to read Kate Pridgeon's comments rebuffing the implications of non compliance with EC Regulations 1935/2004 and 2023/2006 for the reuse of jam jars. She states "The truth is there is no such legislation new or old" as well as "the EU has no powers to levy fines, let alone to jail someone"

The main legislation controlling all food contact materials and articles is European Regulation (EC) number 1935/2004. This Regulation came into force in 2004 and replaced Council Directive 89/109/EEC.

The European Regulation is directly and fully applicable in all EU Member States with national regulations put in place to establish the means of enforcing the EU Regulation. It is these national regulations that create offences for failing to comply with the European Regulation. Penalties that may be imposed by the Courts upon conviction for non- compliance include fines and terms of imprisonment.

These are very real consequences for those in breach of the regulation and will no doubt strike fear into those who regularly sell their home-made jam, marmalade or chutney in re-used jars at village fetes, hence this circular from the Churches’ Legislation Advisory Service  which warns that while people can use  jars for jam at home or to give to family and friends, they cannot sell them or even give them away as raffle prizes at a public event.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom 

notes to editor

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/legalcompliancefoodpackaging.pdf

Dear Sir,

I hope the people of Yorkshire take the trouble to find out how their MP voted in the debate over demands for a cut in the EU budget.

I am obviously delighted that the House voted with the country rather than the Government whips. I personally believe we should be looking at a cut of 100% of our payments to Brussels but at least this was a small step in that direction.

But let me point out that 12 Conservative and three LibDem Yorkshire MPs voted to stick with Cameron's plan and not for the real interests of this country. I hope residents check out how their MP voted and bear that in mind when the elections come round.

 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom 

Dear Sir,

It appears the government are coming around to UKIPs way of thinking on wind turbines, sentencing policy, EU budgets and European Arrest Warrants. Hopefully next year it will be flat fax and a return of grammar schools. Our ‘Dave’ is a bit slow on the update, but we’re getting there.

 

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom MEP

 

Dear Sir,

So David Cameron is pleased that the Scots are to be given a single in-out question about membership of the United Kingdom.

Pity he won't allow the citizens of this country the same question in relation to membership of the EU. Instead we just get mealy mouthed words about a possible distant referendum on re-negotiation and threats about seizing back some powers.

And we only get those airy fairy pronouncements because the Tories are running scared as more and more members desert them for UKIP.

Yours faithfully,

 

Godfrey Bloom

Dear Sir,

I see Graham Stuart feels the MOD should put us all at increased risk whilst allowing our Yorkshire’s most precious economic asset –its landscape - to be destroyed.

Why do small businesses planning turbine development need subsidies when his own Environment  Minister is saying they should stand on their own two feet and how much damage is being done to our treasured landscapes? 

How many thousands of tourism jobs are going to be destroyed in Yorkshire at a time when we have just been voted ‘Best Tourism Destination In Britain’. Just when David Hockney and ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ is making that success worldwide, making people marvel at the very landscapes that is being threatened with industrialisation.

Has Mr Stuart got a vested interest in them? And why should he be speaking out on encouraging turbine proliferation, at a time when the MOD have stated this is causing them problems and that they are alarmed at the reality of turbine infested hills not only desecrating our Yorkshire landscape but also putting our national security at risk?  And why only for a chosen few and those with financial interests resulting in that Yorkshire  landscape desecration?

These are not just a couple of small turbines Mr Stuart – you are talking about hundreds in the pipeline and even more with your attempted intervention. Monstrosities that are described by all those with hands in the till, as “small” turbines, which in reality are now being submitted as farm turbines up to 86 metres tall - that’s  280 feet high to most people.

Is this like your version of Jerusalem “On England’s Green & Turbined Land “?

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom 

Dear Sir,

If you divide Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire’s share of our £50 million daily subscription to the EU we could have £900 million per year given back. 

But not to government or councils to fritter away but back to small business in VAT and Business rate relief. The EU is the problem not the solution.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom 

Dear Sir,

We now see the problems for ordinary British citizens in European jails, there is no concept of Habeus Corpus in their law. Fran Prenger is still in jail in Greece after six months but is innocent. The European Arrest Warrant means this could happen to any one of us.

Indeed it is happening on an ever greater scale.

Yours faithfully

Godfrey Bloom