EU bans homemade jam

The Churches' Legislation Advisory Service and Womens Institute have both advised their members that due to EU directives they are breaking the law if they sell jam, marmalade or chutney in pre-used jars.

The ban on re-using jars is so daft that the Bishop of Exeter, when sending out the advice on behalf of the CLAS, felt it necessary to warn members that "this looks like a spoof but it's not".

The maximum penalty for selling jam in a pre-used jar is £5,000 and 6 months in prison.

Safe drivers to be penalised by EU directive

The British government has confirmed that its interpretation (ie. gold plating) of an EU directive on gender bias in insurance will prevent insurance companies from taking gender into account when calculating insurance premiums.

Part of me says good because I'm a man and it irritates me that despite being only two years younger than my wife, both with a clean licence and no accidents in the last x number of years, I still have to pay more for my car insurance than she does and I've had a licence for longer.

But mostly I think this is a bloody stupid idea because insurance isn't based on gender, age, disability, race or any of the other -ists, it's based on risk.  Like it or not, statistically women are lower risk drivers than men.  Young drivers are high risk than older drivers and disabled people are also higher risk.  Premiums are therefore loaded according to the risk taken on by the insurance company - the less chance there is of them having to pay out on a claim for you, the cheaper your insurance and that's entirely fair even if it means that women get cheaper car insurance than men.

The cost to the insurance companies will be passed on to consumers.  The premiums for men won't come down (or at least not significantly), they will be increased for women and the insurance companies will simply make more money.  If they are forced to equalise prices for men and women then they will just load another category that it's not illegal to weight premiums on such as age or disability.  Until someone complains about age discrimination and then we'll all end up subsidising 17 year olds in Subaru Impreza's.

Six of one, half a kilo of the other

It looks like the European Empire is going to ban the sale of food by numbers after useless MEPs voted against an amendment to a pointless and badly worded directive that would have allowed the imperial outposts to choose which products to exclude from regulations that force retailers to sell by weight or volume.

Under the Directive, the British government will no longer be able to allow retailers to sell eggs by the dozen, bread rolls by the half dozen or even have "buy one, get one free" promotional offers.  Instead, you'll have to buy eggs and bread by the kilo and the BOGOF offer on bottles of Coke at your supermarket will have to be changed to BTLGTLF (Buy two litres, get two litres free) - hardly trips off the tongue does it?

Any sensible government would tell the European Empire to buy one and get one free but of course the europhile ConDem coalition has come out with its usual weak posturing which is already the norm for its dealings with their masters on the continent.

Caroline Spelman, the Minister for the Environment, says that the Directive appears to go against common sense.  Appears to go against common sense.  Appears?  It entirely defies logic!

Syed Kamall, one of the Tory fifth columnist MEPs, says "In Britain, millions of pounds could be wasted by shops and bakers having to change packaging just to comply with a directive which nobody here asked for or voted for".  Well that's easily sorted Syed, give us a vote on membership of the EU or even just the referendum we were promised on the Lisbon Treaty, it's being changed after all which gives the British government the right to put it back through the ratification process again.

Except "Cast Iron" Dave doesn't want to give us the referendum he promised does he?  He's told the European Empire that as long as they don't change anything in the Lisbon Treaty that affects the UK he won't put it back in for ratification.  The only opportunity he is ever going to have to give us the referendum he promised and he's wriggled out of it once again.

This sort of ridiculous meddling by the European Empire is never going to stop, it's only going to get worse as they try to cement their control over us.  The only way to stop stupid Directives like this one is to leave the EU but the ConDem coalition isn't going to give us that choice.

UKIP Leader Slams EU Fishing Policy

The EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) threatens to obliterate the UK's fishing industry entirely within 10 years, according to Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party. It is also fuelling the massive growth of economic migration and piracy in Africa, according to the party, which advocates reclaiming the UK's fishing grounds.

"We must regain control of our territorial waters and of our fishing and marine conservation policies as a matter of extreme urgency," said Mr Farage at a meeting with North Devon Fishermen at the new Appledore Fish Dock today.

"The EU itself has now admitted that 26 years of the CFP have been a complete failure, with 88 per cent of European fish stocks over-fished and 30 per cent being at risk. In fact, it has been an ecological, economic and political disaster. We must put a stop to it now, before it's too late."

Mr Farage claimed the direct cost of the CFP to Britain was £2.8 billion a year and the UK has lost almost 100,000 jobs since 1973. It was estimated the direct annual cost to Britain as being equivalent to the entire pre-tax profits of Tesco.

"The scandal of millions of dead fish being dumped back into the sea every year is now well known. Where British fishermen have landed fish rather than dump them, they have been prosecuted, ruined and in some cases imprisoned by our Government, acting for the EU, he said.

UKIP policy is for an immediate reinstatement of the UK's 12-mile territorial waters, with all foreign fishing banned; and a further 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone in which fishing would be managed by the UK to ensure proper conservation of stocks.

"Our waters hold 70 per cent of Europe's fish, but we may not catch more than 13 per cent under EU rules," said Mr Farage. "Every other EU member state - many of whom subsidise their fleets - is entitled to a share, even if they're landlocked countries in Eastern Europe.

"What's worse is that the EU's industrialised fleets, having exhausted UK waters, are now plundering African fish, impoverishing already poor communities and leading a massive rise in emigration and piracy." Mr Farage described the Appledore Fish Dock, part-funded by the EU, as "an extreme irony".

"They're giving us back some of our own money, to build a facility they are working hard to make redundant as soon as possible", he said.

You couldn't make it up, could you?

The European Commission has released its proposals on possible changes in financial markets regulation. The link is here.

One proposal is that: "It also recommends banning severance pay..."

European Union Commissioners, when they step down, receive up to £182,000 a year each year for the three years after they leave office.

Boggling, isn't it". "The European Commissioners, who get one of the best severance pay packages around, are recommending that severance pay should be banned for everyone else. You couldn't make it up, could you?"

Liz Denton to stand for UKIP over EU ban

Honiton hardware shop owner Liz Denton is pictured with Brian Russell as she collects signatures for the petition.

“I‘m not a political person at all, I haven‘t got time,” says campaigning hardware shop owner Liz Denton from Honiton. Yet she is so fired up by the support her petition to save the traditional 100 watt lightbulb has generated that she has recently joined and is now standing as the UKIPs Honiton candidate in St Paul’s ward, for the forthcoming Devon County Council elections.

After manning her Bridport shop on Thursday she was off to The Knowle, Sidmouth, to collect a pack of information on standing as a candidate, and has the backing of UKIP’s Tiverton and Honiton branch chairman, Tony McIntyre. “Things have snowballed quite a bit. I want to get to the bottom of it,” said Liz, 47, of RKL Tools, High Street Honiton.

“I’ve done nothing political at all,” she says, but describes herself as “gobby” and well able to put across her views. She claims, during a recent radio interview, she got Plymouth MP Alison Seabeck to admit energy saving lightbulbs cost more to run than 100 watt bulbs.

Her lightbulb campaign began after an elderly customer complained she needed three energy saving bulbs on in place of one 100 watt one, to see her way to the bathroom at night. “That seems wrong in this day and age that an 80-year-old can’t switch a light on and get instant light. Are we saving the planet?

As a retailer she has seen many EU regulations come in relating to what people can and cannot buy, including creosote. “It is health and safety gone crazy. I can’t even put a plug on an appliance for people, and it all stems back to Europe.“It is ridiculous and the public just roll their eyes at you, they know it is because of the EU and they are fed up with it.”

Having voted for the Green Party in the past, Liz says many people say they don’t bother to vote “because they [parties] are all as bad as each other”. Now that she is standing for election, Liz hopes customers will support her.

Mr McIntyre said: “She is deeply upset by the EU legislation which is going through. ” He confirmed suggesting she stand as a county councillor “to make the issue public” and said UKIP was fed up with EU regulations being “foisted on us” in Britain.

Yesterday in Parliament

Tucked away in prime ministers' questions yesterday (held by Harperson deputising) was a question from the redoubtable Ann Winterton . She asked for confirmation that:

… the real reason for part-privatising Royal Mail stems directly from European Union postal legislation, which forced Royal Mail to divest itself of its most profitable business, thereby handing it over lock, stock and barrel to European competitors.

According to Ann, there was a sudden hush in the House - an embarrassed silence – almost as if someone had done something unmentionable in church. Then Harperson, dutifully briefed by her gifted civil servants, delivered her "non-answer". The "real reason", she said, was "the analysis in the Hooper report, which we commissioned as long ago as December 2007."

Now, this is an interesting response, as the Hooper Report tells us that the real reason for part-privatising Royal Mail is ... er ... European Union postal legislation, and also EU state aid rules.

Basically, says Hooper, Royal Mail needs to modernise, which requires considerable investment. But "that transformation would have to be carried out under European rules on restructuring aid." That in turn would "impose considerable restraints" and thus take time. But, unless Royal Mail can modernise faster than EU rules would allow, "a forced restructuring under European rules is highly likely."

That, concludes Hooper, "would be a costly and poor outcome for the taxpayer, for consumers, for Royal Mail and its employees." By contrast, he adds, "private capital is generally more flexible and more tolerant of necessary risk. It can be raised more easily, faster and for a wider range of purposes and does not come at the cost of competing public priorities."

Thus does Hooper recommend that "there should be a strategic partnership between Royal Mail and one or more private sector partners." And, while the precise nature of such a partnership is a matter for the Government to negotiate, at its core, "will be Royal Mail's obligations under the universal service, as required under EU and UK law." The UK law, incidentally, largely transposes EU law.

Why Royal Mail cannot fund its modernisation programme from its own resources is explained by Booker in his column . Here, the problem is Britain's keenness to comply with three EU postal services directives, designed to end national postal monopolies by 2010 and to promote "cross-border" integration of the EU's postal services.

Because of these, Royal Mail had to surrender the most profitable part of its operations, when bulk business mailing was opened up to rival firms. It still has to deliver business mail, for a knock-down price of 14p an item, while the 19 companies that bid successfully for the business of collecting and sorting them cream off all the profits. This was a major factor turning Royal Mail's profits into a £179 million annual loss, which means it has no money for its modernisation programme.

As to why other European postal services have not been similarly affected, Hooper himself notes that "the UK has been amongst the first countries in Europe to open the postal sector to competition." In other words, this is exactly the situation described by Booker.

So why was there such a deathly hush in the House? Well … the Conservatives are supporting the Government, against the Labour back benches, to get the legislation passed.

The last thing the Tories want is for it to be known that the privatisation programme is entirely driven by the EU, thus putting the party in a position of supporting EU rules. This, with the euro-elections coming up, would not conform with their new-found (and temporary) image as a eurosceptic party.

Thus we had the hush of anticipation, bolstered by a frisson of fear, in case Harperson gave the game away. When she did not – and, of course, she was not going to – there was a collective sigh of relief. Business continued as usual – in Europe and ruled by Europe … but this must never be admitted.

Words of Warning on RSA Quotas

I had been enjoying a superb autumn on Dungeness beach, catching large quantities of codling up to 8lbs. On my last trip before Christmas I packed up around 2am and couldn’t help but think how incredible it was, that from April I might have to report my catch to the authorities or risk breaking the law. This is because on December 18th 2008, with no prior warning, the European Commission announced that they intended to regulate sea angling.

Be under no illusion, this represents the biggest threat to our sport ever and we must stand up and fight!

The plan is to put sea angling on the same, discredited, quota system as used by commercial fishermen. It will mean that every private boat, yacht or kayak that wants to drop a line over the side will need a license. All fish landed will need to be reported whether caught from boat or shore.Once the quota for angling is used up, any fish taken could result in a fine of £50,000! Without an army of officials, the likelihood is that many sea anglers will just become criminals, as bad laws are always treated with contempt. The odd person will be unlucky though and face massive fines.

What is at stake here isn’t just the sport we love, but one of the last freedoms that we enjoy – It must be stopped! . Over the Christmas holidays I worried about the plan and I had plenty of time to do so as the easterly winds killed the cod fishing stone dead. On my return to Brussels I was even more alarmed to see the plans to put these measures through at breakneck speed.

We have to act now, as the final vote by the European Parliament is likely to be in April. I would strongly urge everyone in the angling community to oppose this proposal. There’s no point in writing to your local MP as all power over fisheries has been given to the European Union.

Visit the UKIP website, www.ukip,org and sign the petition to have Article 47 dropped.

Contact the MEPs for your area, they can be found at www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm

Tell them that you want Article 47 of the 'Council Regulation establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy to be deleted. Clearly tell them you will not vote for them in the June 4th European Elections if they let you down.

Contact UK Fisheries Minister Huw Irranca-Davies at www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/huw_irranca-davies/ogmore and urge him to get Article 47 dropped.

If tens of thousands take the trouble to lobby, you will be listened to. MEP’s need your votes to secure their next five year term. You can put pressure on them.

I am appealing to angling groups in France and Holland and urging them to do the same.

Don't let Brussels bureaucrats ruin our sport and our industry.

Stand up and fight!

Nigel Farage MEP, UKIP leader

Bananas. And stuff.

We all know the EU is barmy. It has been barmy for a long time, and proved it conclusively when it introduced laws saying that bananas, carrots, celery, cucumbers and a whole variety of differing fruits and vegetables had to meet an exacting set of standards before they could go on sale.

After all, with all that evidence showing that crooked carrots, bendy bananas and crinkly cucumbers can give us all the foulest of diseases, the EU was acting to protect its citizens, surely?

What's that I hear you all cry? There is no evidence that misshapen vegetables are harmful? Then why would the EU introduce such measures? A common set of standards: sprouts must be a certain diameter or shoppers will get confused? I think not: I think its more to do with the desire to constantly exercise power.

Now, given that there has been a massive food shortage courtesy of turning our farmland over to the production of bio-fuels, and that fishermen already have to dump tons of perfectly good stock back into the sea to avoid strict EU fishing quota laws, perhaps allowing these mutant fruits onto our market might not be such a bad idea?

Well, the EU has partially come to terms with this logic. In an agreement reached on Wednesday, rules covering some fruits and vegetables are being relaxed, though not repealed entirely.

If, as our government would have us believe, this is still a sovereign nation, why do they not announce that they are repealing these rules themselves? Allow produce that doesn't meet exactingly stupid EU standards to be sold on markets: having more food available can never be a bad thing, surely?

Perhaps the reason they won't is that they are telling lies to the people, and that this is not now, and has not been for some time, a truly sovereign country.