Many constituents, as well as others further afield who enjoy the Chilterns, set in their area of outstanding natural beauty, feel that the proposal to build HS2 – a high-speed rail link between London and East Birmingham – is unacceptable on both environmental and financial grounds.
It is significant that no ...
Nov
05
Now that the new European Commission has been endorsed by the European Parliament, let's go back to its policy agenda for the next five years which this blog has been covering since last summer.
Following the blog through the autumn, Barroso's attraction to a long-term vision has gradually evolved from the ...
While some in the press like to portray the European Commission as fundamentally undemocratic, they would do well to pay more attention to the European Parliament's hearings for proposed Commissioners which have taken place over the last month, with the final vote coming on Tuesday next week. How has the ...
In 1899, a confident Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, claimed "Everything that can be invented has been invented". It just goes to show that it is never easy to predict the future!
Nevertheless, as I have often argued in this blog, it is vital that ...
Over the past week, there has been, to say the least, a mixed reaction over the appointments of Herman Van Rompuy as President of the European Council and Baroness Ashton as High Representative for Foreign Affairs by the 27 Heads of the EU's Member States. Some people, such as William ...
In recent weeks, I have been running blogs on documents which should help shape Mr Barroso's five year programme for the new Commission (see references made in my blogs of 24 July and 18 September). There is certainly a profusion of documents providing elements for his EU 2020 vision, but ...
After a brief summer pause, which has given us all the time to relax a moment and collect our thoughts, I happily resume this blog's weekly focus on major long-term trends of concern to both the UK and Europe.
Welcome back - not least to the European Parliament's newly elected Parliamentarians, ...
This blog entry completes a cycle of twelve blog posts which I have written since 8 May 2009 and will be the last before we head into the summer break and recess. It is an ideal moment to reflect on what has passed and what is to come.
You will see ...
