Gleanings

Here’s some of what I’ve been reading today, and I wonder why my braincells keep going on strike!

Toerags steal from a Church
Conservatives burn their Party membership cards

Mr Cameron’s government is wimpy on Europe, nannying on social policy and thieving with the voters’ cash. Why should any genuine conservative support its re-election?

Last night’s meeting of so-called ‘eurosceptics’ in the Thatcher Room

Firstly, that some of the more Eurosceptic elements of the party have in the past done themselves no favours when it comes to winning followers. Fellow MPs, and members of the public, have been alienated by harsh rhetoric and strong passions.

The second is that progress will only made if the party is united across its more Europhile and eurosceptic elements, and reaches out to other political parties which hold a similar range of opinions – not least Labour. Otherwise, it just turns into an old “Conservatives split on Europe” story.

Thirdly, the Conservatives are not alone in government – but in coalition with the Liberal Democrats, the most Europhile of parties, and nothing will be achieved unless we reach agreement with them.

Finally, we will only get what we want in Brussels if we form meaningful alliances with other European countries, and we won’t get that if we sound like we’re trying to pull the whole house down. Rather, we have to show it is about making the EU work better.

A charity that relies on UK, EU & UN funding says overseas aid can “end poverty for good”
US’s Geithner joins eurozone finance ministers in Brussels
Obama: ‘Hey EU! Get your finger out’
Max Hastings recants & jumps ship to join the ‘eurosceptics’
Homeless shelters, soup kitchens, suicide rates – all going up in Greece
EU’s Director of Food Research (!) says Europeans must re-think what they eat
Handbags at dawn
Tax havens: Cayman Islands legislates for business as usual
Full text & video of Sarah Palin’s Iowa speech
Ron Paul 2012: CNN debate snub