This morning.
Strasbourg, France.
“We won’t become a third country, as I’ve been hearing this morning, we’re going to become an independent, self-governing nation.
“You can delude yourselves this morning inside this cathedral that all is well, but it isn’t.
“People do not want to be run and governed by faceless bureaucrats like Michel and Von der Leyen.
“Did you hear them earlier? Dull as dishwater.”
Nigel Farage (top) says goodbye to his European Parliament colleagues.
FIGHT!
Meanwhile…
This afternoon.
European Parliament, Strasbourg, France
Emily O’Reilly has secured a second term as the European Ombudsman following a vote in the European Parliament…
The former Irish Ombudsman, who secured 320 votes in the secret ballot, faced a tough battle to retain her position with a strong challenge from Estonian Judge Julia Laffranque.
O’Reilly secures second term as European Ombudsman (RTÉ)
Getty
The EU suits us because we like being told what to do.
It doesn’t suit the UK because they don’t like being told what to do.
Simple really.
i thought it was because we’re all daw jaws?
Also we’re inept at governing ourselves*
*no citation required
100% agree. If you look at it, the best government we had over the last 20 years was when the troika were in town telling us what to do.
I think due to the size of our country, we need some external oversight on how we do things.
Nope, austerity was awful and prolonged the crisis.
Austerity was reducing State outgoings in response to the huge cut in the tax take.
Austerity was cutting top civil service wages by 15%
were these wrong?
Or are there specific instances of austerity you oppose? (if so which ones)
trying to take irish water off the balance of payments
10 year public sector recruitment embargo
no investment in infrastucture or housing
– Irish Water was a fiasco. But I’m not sure how you can blame ‘austerity’
– The public sector recruitment embargo made some sense at the time. And if finished in 2014 – unless it started in 2004 it wasn’t 10 years.
– there has been investment in infrastructure albeit at a lower level. Off the top of my head: The Luas was extended. There was substantial investment in courthouses and schools. The Childrens hospital.
– I don’t know when ‘austerity’ kicked off, but there were over 6000 units completed by Local Authorities between 2009 and 2016 (I don’t have data since)
‘Top’ Civil Service wages. Salaries, not wages. And ‘Top’. Sure they suffered a great deal, those top people with their salaries between €200k and €300k. And supposedly going to get €60k to €105k of a rise. Sure Cian. That was austerity alright. Unlike the cutting of benefits to single mothers, the unemployed etc.
Get off the stage
Irish water was a fiasco because it was driven by an austerity agenda to get it self financing too quickly.
Embargo lifted in 2014 means staffing levels only started being replaced in 2016. They’re still not at adequate levels.
6000 units is derisory given the demand.
He obviously didn’t understand the concept of ‘third country’ in trade terms. He’s not very clever is he?
The exceptionalism is *very* strong with this one.
Equivalent to saying “I’m not going to be the ‘third person’, I’m going to be me.”
Hmmm… is he going to refuse to take his MEP pension?
…if Boris doesn’t pony up the UK debt to the EU there mightn’t be any pension…
they should offer it to him fixed in either Euro or GBP – and let him publically declare which he thinks will be stronger!
LOL Cian, great comment.