UKIP MEP for the Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire region
News Updates
Date: 28 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
EU Incomes Policy
Reacting to the EU Trilogue agreement on limiting the size of banker´s bonuses, UKIP Economic spokesman Godfrey Bloom MEP said,
"The EU on banker's bonuses is like Shrek heading up a masochism event.
“This move is the European Parliament getting the boot into bankers for a bit of political pleasure, but it is totally misguided.
“
It may give the EU a dirty satisfaction to punish financial people it hates, but this agreement just hurts ordinary workers and the economy in general.
“On a point of principle, It should be the shareholders of the banks who decide how much their employees get paid, not the EU. Where will this practice end up if applied across the board?
“This EU action will drive more ambitious banking talent outside of the EU thus further hurting the City of London.
“It also illustrates how weak and supine the British government really is in defending the interests of a vital British industry. If Osborne does not veto this at the next Ministers of Finance meeting, he might as well hoist up the white flag now, and kick bankers out of London himself."
Date: 26 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Guest Speaker
Local MEP Godfrey Bloom is to be guest speaker at a Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce event on Friday. (March 1)
Mr Bloom, UKIP’s economic spokesman, will be speaking on the subject at the lunch, which is to be held at the KC Stadium,The Circle, Walton Street, Anlaby Road, Hull HU3 6HU.
“There is certainly plenty to be said about the economy and I will be setting out UKIP’s views on the situation,” said Mr Bloom.
Date: 19 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
What We Are Not Being Told: Bills will rise as EU makes us shut power stations
• UKIP has hit out at EU directive which is forcing power station closures including Ferrybridge
• British energy blackout will force us to import fuel, driving up bills
Local MEP Godfrey Bloom said, “I find it remarkable that not one single person has referred to the EU Industrial Emissions Directive that is behind this unnecessary closure of perfectly good coal fired power stations across the country, meaning Britain will not have the capability of producing its own energy supply.
“Ofgem Chief Executive Alistair Buchanan says that Britain’s fall in power production capacity will mean more imports and customers paying more. What he doesn’t say is why.
“Instead he says there isn’t a single person or people to blame and places responsibility on the financial crisis preventing new plants being built while existing ones are being shut down.
“Why are perfectly good plants being closed? The answer is the EU Industrial Emissions Directive.
“This is no big secret, yet the fact that not one single person has spoken the truth on this today makes me question why the British public are not being told.
“Nine power stations, including Ferrybridge, will be closed by 2015 involving a total loss of 11.8 gigawatts of energy. Five nuclear plants are also set to close.
“Meanwhile new power stations are opening every week in countries such as China. Around the world there are 1200 new coal-fired power stations in the pipeline, so our closures will achieve nothing in terms of global emissions"
“The EU’s flawed and dangerous climate change agenda is stripping Britain of self sufficiency and energy security, and the people who end up paying the price are people heating their homes, and businesses struggling to get by. It will drive industry abroad and leave extremely vulnerable people in fuel poverty,” said Mr Bloom, UKIP Euro-MP.
ends
Notes to Editors
On 8 November 2010, the European Council ratified the proposal. Following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union on 17 December 2010, the directive (2010/75/EU) came into force on 6 January 2011.
• The Industrial Emissions Directive (PDF 2.7 MB)
• The industrial emissions Directive: further background information (PDF 58KB)
In December 2010, the Directive on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) was published in the Official Journal and required transposition into UK law no later than 6 January 2013. It represents a coming together of seven directives into one piece of legislation.
• Transposition into UK law by 6 January 2013.
• Implementation from 6 January 2013 in respect of any installation new after that date.
• Implementation by 6 January 2014 in respect of installations already in existence before 6 January 2013 (except large combustion plants).• Implementation by 6 July 2015 in respect of industrial activities not subject to the current integrated pollution prevention and control Directive.
Implementation from 1 January 2016 in respect of large combustion plants already in existence before 6 January 2013.
Date: 14 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Miliband just doesn't get it
Ed Miliband’s big speech backing for a 10p lower rate of tax shows a serious lack of economic understanding, said local MEP Godfrey Bloom.
“This is yet another lost opportunity by a main party politician on tax; they really don’t get it. With a debt-to-GDP ratio now at 216%, virtually equal to Greece, we have a major, nay catastrophic, fiscal problem being ignored by the mainstream media,” said Mr Bloom, UKIP’s economic spokesman.
“It is not possible to tax our way out, we must grow our way out. This means we must put aside party politics. It is vital we abandon ‘political’ taxes like this, which are designed to win votes but end up actually harming the economy. We have seen, from the French exodus, how penal taxes for political reasons have the very opposite effect intended. Everyone simply leaves.
“The only way the economy can grow is to reduce tax drastically, which acts as a sea anchor drag on the economy, as does over-regulation.
“Tax, of course, is only one side of the fiscal coin. Spending is the other. Government must do more than cut spending cosmetically. The national debt is growing at 10% per year. We are heading for the abyss. Cut the following: £13 billion per year to the EU, £12 billion per year to fake charities, £25 billion per year in overseas aid, £50 billion per year in quangos. Cap public sector executive salaries at £100,000 per annum until the crisis is past.
“Sadly both in Government and in opposition the only policy anyone has on economics is the one that will win votes, not the one that will fix the country,” said Mr Bloom.
Date: 12 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Government Health Games
Godfrey Bloom, local UKIP MEP has suggested that Environment Secretary Owen Patterson is playing games with the health of UK citizens.
"I think it is disengenuous of Owen Patterson to suggest that we cannot ban the importation of frozen foods and horsemeat until we know the supply chain logistics, provenance of the meat and whether there is a risk to UK health is established.
"This meat can be sourced in Luxembourg, via a buyer supply side chain that can then go through France, Romania, via Sweden and then to the end user in the UK,” he said.
“If the public knew that the meat they were eating had travelled that far they wouldn't eat it, let alone not knowing the provenance of the meat.
"Perhaps Mr Patterson, a supposedly well-known Tory Eurosceptic, is playing games with the UK's health for his own agenda? Either that or he is as incompetent as he sounds.”
Mr Bloom pointed out that it was because of EU rules and regulations that 1,000 slaughterhouses in Britain were closed more than a decade ago which has made it much harder for shoppers to source local meat.
“This current fiasco just shows how we would all be better off healthwise if we shopped at local butchers and if supermarkets sourced their meats locally,” he said.
Date: 11 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Inheritance tax U-turn: Another pernicious way to punish the striving families
The announcement that the Government is dropping its plans to progressively raise the inheritance tax threshold has been described s another pernicious way to punish those whom have worked and saved hard all of their lives to help their loved ones when they pass away.
Local UKIP MEP, Godfrey Bloom, the party’s Economics spokesman said, “Inheritance tax is invidious. It represents the government’s second dip into people’s wallets as it is dual taxation. Money that has already been taxed when it is earned is then taxed again just because somebody has had the misfortune to die”.
“Of course this change in policy will not affect very wealthy families, as they will already have clever accountants and off shore tax plans to allow themselves to sensibly avoid this unjust taxation. Instead it will be hitting millions for whom the family home is their major investment, and investment that is made to ensure continuity and security for their families.”
“Time and time again when their backs are against the wall, Cameron and Osborne make a promise that they then never deliver. This just reinforces our view that the modern Conservative Party is no different to the tax and spend socialist parties. This act of economic vandalism, a strike against security and hope, must be seen as part of this government’s failure to work towards growth.
“People work hard to provide security for their families, they cannot but see this as an attack on that hard work. It is absolutely the wrong message to be sending out. Work hard, and we will hit you again and again and again. UKIP have a long standing policy to abolish inheritance tax - we are the only party that believes in this.”
Date: 7 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Climate Change
Godfrey Bloom has pointed out to the European Parliament that they “are missing the point” when discussing climate change.
Speaking in Strasbourg Mr Bloom said, “I would like to draw to your attention that there is no scientific institution now in the world that does not accept that there is no significant statistical climate change since 1995 and I am just wondering when you are going to wake up to that fact.”
Date: 7 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Tories vote against UK controlling own fishing
This month’s EU Parliamentary session shows utter lack of sincerity in the UK Government to repatriate EU powers.
An amendment to the proposed reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, put forward by UKIP and calling for all fishing policy to be placed back under the control of Member states, was resolutely rejected by all Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem MEPs.
The proposal which sought to end the decades of damaging fishing policy controlled by Brussels which allows all 27 member states to overfish British waters, was only supported by SNP and Plaid Cymru, showing that the main parties in power all wish to continue to allow the EU to continue to control UK waters.
Speaking from Strasbourg, Godfrey Bloom, UKIP MEP for Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire, said, “It is staggering given David Cameron’s recent pledge to work with all his heart and soul to bring powers back to the UK from the EU, that here, at the very first opportunity to support an opportunity to return fishing policy to us, all his MEPs instead voted against the proposal.
“Common Fisheries Policy has been shown up as one of the EU’s biggest disasters to date. With the scandal of discards seeing millions of tonnes of caught fish simply thrown back into the sea, and the UK fishing economy shrink by almost 80% costing 100,000 jobs and losing the industry hundreds of millions of pounds per year, it has become one of the most despised and contested areas of legislation.
“What UKIP put forward was a direct call for the management of fishing to be returned to Member states. However it would seem all the MEPs of the three main parties would rather allow Brussels to keep fishing our waters and churning out disastrous legislation that will have serious long term affects on our economy and our ecosystem.”
Date: 6 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
EU Trolls Slammed
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Plans by the EU to influence social media discussions to tackle increasing Eurosceptism have been slammed by local MEP Godfrey Bloom.
“People are waking up in an Orwellian nightmare of the EU's making. It is very disturbing that Big Brother is watching you.
“In public the EU talks about rights of online privacy and data protection but behind the closed door bureau meeting of the European Parliament they are scheming to introduce surveillance of your social media,” said Mr
Bloom, UKIP Euro-MP.
“People are mature enough to converse with others and make up their own mind without the European Parliament secretly monitoring what they are saying, interjecting and trying to influence what they think.
“This new aspect of EU communication policy really is sinister and is like something out of Orwell's ‘1984’.
“The EU spends over 2.4 billion euro per year on communication and despite calls for EU spending to reflect national austerity an additional £787,000 will be needed to be raised this year to fulfill their plans, It is frightening what they can do with this money. One thing is certain, this level of intrusion into people's lives by the EU is unwarranted, unnecessary and dangerous. This surveillance of our Facebook and Twitter has got to stop," said Mr Bloom.
“The amount spent on propaganda already is staggering and now they want to spend even more so they can crush anti-EU feeling.”
His comments follow the revelation that the EU is planning an unprecedented propaganda blitz ahead of next year’s European elections. A confidential document talks of particular attention needing to be paid to countries that have experienced a surge in Eurosceptism.
Key to the new strategy will be ‘public opinion monitoring tools’ to ‘identify at an early stage whether debates of political nature among followers in social media and blogs have the potential to attract media and citizens' interest’.
The document states, "Parliament's institutional communicators must have the ability to monitor public conversation and sentiment on the ground and in real time, to understand 'trending topics' and have the capacity to react quickly, in a targeted and relevant manner, to join in and influence the conversation, for example, by providing facts and figures to deconstructing myths."
“This violates the neutrality of the EU civil service by turning officials into a "troll patrol", stalking the internet to make unwanted and provocative political contributions in social media debates,” said Mr Bloom.
Date: 6 Feb 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
We're over taxed, over-regulated and over-governed
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MEP Godfrey Bloom has told the EU that the reason for lack of economic growth is because “we are over-taxed, over-regulated and over-governed.”
Speaking at an economic policy debate in the Parliament sitting in Strasbourg, Mr Bloom, UKIP MEP for Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire, said that was why “growth is unacceptably low.”
“I get the impression that members think if they use the word ‘growth’ enough it will somehow magically manifest itself.
“Most members of this House and Commission have never had a job in the commercial sector. This is an Achilles heel of gargantuan proportion.
“We have a suicidal energy policy and employment legislation makes it impossible to employ anyone, especially small businesses and particularly young people.
“There will be no economic growth until we can close down this place down and the Commission. We are the problem not the solution.”
Mr Bloom, a member of the EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, added, “And perhaps it will close itself down and maybe sooner than we think.”
Date:
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Is 'one man's terrorist' really another man's 'freedom fighter'
A children’s rights charity, which advocates banning smacking, has been criticised by MEP Godfrey Bloom.
“Our Government quite rightly decided not to change the law on this issue and it is rubbish for this charity to describe smacking as “ real threat” to children’s rights,” said Mr Bloom.
"No one would ever justify children being assaulted and excessively disciplined but that is a world away from a mum or dad giving a child, who needs such discipline, a smack.
"Children need discipline in their lives, you only have to look around to see out-of-control youngsters who plainly have never known any," said Mr Bloom, local UKIP Euro-MP.
The Children’s Rights Alliance for England has issued a report saying that Britain will be breaking international law unless it introduces an immediate ban on smacking,
It also says that the current age of criminal responsibility in Britain – just 10 years old compared with a European average of 14 – is too low to comply with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“Those of us living in the real world are only too well aware that children grow up much earlier these days. While that is sad in many ways it is self-apparent and to suggest raising the age of criminal responsibility is nonsense”, said Mr Bloom.
“Do children actually need ‘rights’ enshrined any more than those ‘rights’ of adults? How I long for the day when we return to ‘responsibilities’ rather than politically correct ‘rights’.”
“I came as no surprise at all to read that the biggest grant donor to this charity last year was the European Commission, which likes nothing more than trying to control our day to day lives,” he added.
Date:
Author: Godfrey Bloom
UKIP Is the only party opposing HS2
While all other parties are rallying around this £34 billion waste of time, UKIP wants to make clear the other, less heard, side of the argument.
Godfrey Bloom, UKIP MEP for Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire says, “The Government may talk about regeneration and the importance of linking cities in order to create jobs outside London, but high speed rail projects elsewhere have shown that in actual fact it simply leads to more people migrating to the capital city to work, rather than vice versa. It will extend the commuter belt to London beyond Birmingham.
“ Yet the cost will be more than £1,000 per household. Many people will never even benefit from High Speed railway and there are lots of people whose lives will actually be blighted by it. House prices will be devalued while swathes of the countryside will be destroyed for no good reason.
“Many people will simply not be able to afford the fares. The project lines the pockets of the construction industry.
“HS2 will not boost economies in the North. Far from it. It is a loss making scheme. Instead the UK should invest that massive amount of money in developing better infrastructure, including transport between and within towns and cities. This is where the real potential for development lies.
“The UK is supposedly taking painful austerity measures with huge cuts to services and infrastructure, yet the Government is adamant on spending £34 billion on a service that will only benefit the richest in society.
“There has been a lot of spin and a lot of propaganda about HS2. But I am sure if people knew the facts, they would most certainly not be in support.
Date: 24 Jan 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Tory Promise on EU Referendum for UK is 'snake oil'
Godfrey Bloom, UKEP for Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire said, “Cameron’s speech was a devious attempt to kick the whole matter into the long grass.
“It is based on him winning the General Election and a referendum would be five years down the line. In that time the EU will have caused further untold damage to our economy. We need an in-out referendum and we need it soon.
“The fact that Cameron made the speech at all is a testament to all the hard work of UKIP in putting the subject of the European Union high up the agenda and because we are doing so well in the polls.
"If Mr Cameron was really serious about renegotiation, then he would invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which is the only mechanism that exists within the treaties to take powers back.
“Our friends on the continent have no intention of giving anything more than lip service to the repatriation of powers.”
Date: 14 Jan 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
EU Sharing 'springboard' to identity theft
Identity theft is already a devastating crime and exchanging information about drivers – such as DNA and other details – at EU level would only make the threat worse, claims UKIP MEP
A few days ago I was a guest on a radio phone-in programme. Amongst the topical questions concerned my response to a request from European Union police authorities for the details, including DNA, of all British drivers. The Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency at Swansea, under instruction from the Home Office, have quite rightly refused.
The host on the radio show affected not to understand why I had a problem with the concept. Now it is quite possible he was playing devil's advocate, but I am not altogether convinced. He suggested that if a German driver had caused a serious accident it is not unreasonable to argue the British police should have instant access to all relevant details on a European data base.
MEP Godfrey Bloom today welcomed the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in favour of a Christian woman forced out of her BA job for wearing a cross.
"I am pleased that the right of Nadia Eweida to wear a cross at work was upheld. It was the right decision but in the wrong court.
"Matters like this should be decided in British courts, not foreign courts with a terrible track record and inexperienced judges," said Mr Bloom, UKIP Euro-MP for Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire.
Date: 10 Jan 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Now we have had Xmas to mull over the Autumn Statement and we look forward to Budget Day, I offer a few observations
Public spending takes money out of the economy, it does not put it in. This obvious fact does not seem to gain any traction at all in the media. Let me explain. The government must tax, borrow or print money to spend. This government has done all three in an unprecedented manner. In the last five years spending has increased from 37% of GDP to 49%. Borrowing has increased at 10% per annum since this administration took office.
In 2015, the national debt will be 60% higher than when Cameron took office. In the last five years manufacturing has fallen from 16% of GDP to 11%. Family real incomes have flat lined since 2005 yet inflation remains stubbornly at 3% on average over five years.
I am deliberately only using Treasury statistics because, in reality, things are much worse but I want to avoid an argument over statistical provenance. National debt stands at £1 trillion, the most dramatic in our country’s history.
I am no Keynesian, unlike its paid up members at the BBC, but you might make a weak argument for infrastructure, roads, drainage and rail. But the government does not do this; it wastes money in the most criminal fashion.
Look at some of the lunatic projects. £1 billon per month on charitable contributions, no not the RNLI or Donkey Sanctuary, but all sorts of Mickey Mouse bogus charities like ‘The Fawcett Society”, political cronies and lobby groups who have somehow got charitable status. They have never ‘rattled a tin’ in their lives. £1 billion a month on overseas aid, windmills in Africa, F16s for Pakistan’s Air Force, Raybans and Mercedes for dodgy dudes across the globe. No receipts necessary. £50 billion per year on quangos, there are literally hundreds of them. What do they all do? Each has an executive on a salary to die for, a wonderful way of paying off political favour. What happened to the bonfire ‘Dave?’ £35 million per day for our subscription to the increasingly absurd European Union. No room here to continue listing government waste.
The current energy policy is simply suicidally expensive. Every pound the government spends, 18p goes on servicing the public debt. Welfare spending is over £200 billion, all this comes at the expense of our children’s future and crucifying the wealth creating class, mainly small to medium size businesses.
We cheered when no extra duty went on petrol and diesel, but it remains the most expensive in the free world. Cheered when he promised to build new schools, as if the quality of education had anything to do with the building which shelters it. Nodded sagely when the stark raving bonkers Heseltine promised to switch grants from bureaucrats in Whitehall to bureaucrats at the Town Hall. Did nobody think to put the money into cutting business rates? We have 24% youth unemployment but the employment tax remains (N.I.). We pursue employment policies which make it impossible to employ. Maternity leave, paternity leave, minimum wage, holiday entitlements, working time directives, flexible working hours.
In my constituency the increase to 20% of VAT put the caravan manufacturing industry into a three day week. So no extra revenue there because no one can afford a new caravan. What is he doing with the money? Bribing Siemens to set up down the road to manufacture subsidised windmills, which we all know are being abandoned by the Germans themselves, no wonder they are desperate for the contract.
There is too much government and last week the Prime Minster claimed insurance, alcohol prices and fitness levels as additions to the State’s supposed remit.
Only massive cuts in tax and regulation can grow the economy and let the market recover. Government is the problem not the solution.
Date: 9 Jan 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
Demands must be resisted
Demands from the EU to hand over the personal details of every motorist in the country must be strongly resisted, said MEP Godfrey Bloom.
“Theresa May has not yet implemented this Orwellian diktat and she certainly should not do so.
“Brussels may well be threatening to levy fines totalling millions of pounds if we don’t do as they instruct but we must stand firm and refuse to be bullied,” said Mr Bloom.
Eurocrats are demanding that the 26 police forces across the EU should have access to the personal details of every motorist in Britain and foreign police also want open access to the UK’s national DNA database and fingerprint records.
“Handing over the DVLA database containing details of 38 million drivers is a recipe for disaster. Not all these countries have such high police standards as the UK and it is not difficult to foresee incorrect details being input into computer systems. Innocent motorists could then have enormous trouble proving their innocence,” said Mr Bloom, Euro-MP for Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire.
“And I am very concerned about checks against our DNA data base as some European countries have high error rates which checking such samples,” he added.
“Innocent British citizens have already been seized under European Arrest Warrant legislation for crimes allegedly committed abroad. If this goes through the likelihood of such miscarriages of justice will only increase.
“It is thanks to the Labour government in 2008 who signed up to this Prum Treaty that our civil liberties are further at risk. Our current government must not implement it,” he added.
Date: 9 Jan 2013
Author: Godfrey Bloom
More Nonsensical Projects Slammed
Throwing away UK taxpayers cash on more nonsensical EU schemes has been criticised by local MEP Godfrey Bloom.
“This time those idiots in Brussels are throwing away our cash on madness including backing seven unknown rock bands from small countries to compete with our successful British groups,” he explained.
“Who on earth thought that lashing out £160,000 so these Mickey Mouse musicians can perform over here was a good use of our money? They are certainly out of tune with public feeling.”
Other projects supported by the EU include a ‘celebration of the baking skills’ of 75 grandmothers in five countries; a theatre production called The Conquest Of Happiness, in which performers from Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Slovenia pose the question, ‘Can We Be Happy?’; and a festival of wild flowers involving gardening enthusiasts in Britain and three other countries making a patchwork meadow.
“And they’ve also parted with £162,000 to Tate Liverpool’s forthcoming exhibition Glam: The Art of Excess. Well the spendthrift Eurocrats sure know all about excess,” said Mr Bloom, UKIP Euro-MP.
“People are desperately struggling to make ends meet but meanwhile in Brussels these nonsensical schemes are still being dreamt up as if money grew on trees,” he added.
