Talk:Left-wing EU parliament candidates debate in Cardiff

original research notes
Candidates from no2eu, plaid, lavour. Katrin Williams, trades council president. Tory & ld not invited (why?) Rob griffiths, no2eu (#1 no2eu) Derek vaughan, (#1 labour) --introduced equal pay on pt talbot council. Member of pcs and unite. Addressed euroskepticism -- now more social legislation from Brussels. 1997: adoption of social chapter of eu by blair gov't.funding wales gets from europe £1.5 billion, another 1.5 available. Make sre wales qualifies for more funding in 2013. Bnp: labour ill not share hustings with any bnp candidate. Sees bnp mep likelw from nw england. Compared bnp tonazis, says left fights itself too much. Jill evans mep, plaid mep for 10 years. Opposes privatization. Official status for welsh language. Learn from dutch model of cooperation between workers and managers. British opt-out generally negative.5-point pledge (on card). Invest in public services. End trident. Rob griffiths: oppose eu constitution/lisbon treaty. Irreversible ("at least by any constitutional means"). Civil service initiaing legislation. Oppose european defense agency to build "military industrial complex". Toward militarist, big business "united states of europe". Wants a "social europe". Labour has failed its mandate to the working class. Ecj undermining rights of trade unions wrt imported labor.eu fundingto wales is "recycked" -- ukk contributes 2 billion per year.

Expenses scandal: lab -- will boost fringeparties. Problem fixed, system reformed. "we will publish our expenses and claims every year". Pc: will boost turnout. Mep expenses system changing. End brussels-strasbourg move. Lisbon introduces citizen's initiatives. Only labour has not published expenses. No2eu: fundamental corruption of political system by big business. Money makes mps compliant. Bnp is criminal and fascist. Posted workers directive. Pc: strengthen new directive. Pwd is not immigration"it's not about immigration. It's about workers moving to different countries." no2eu: pwd can't be amended into something good in light of ecj. What's the point? Lab: eu is "there whether you like it or not". Tie economies so they don't go to war-- point of eu. Pc: european parliament rubber-stamps european round table. "the fix is already in" before gets to parl.

Role of media? No2eu: hard for small parties to break through. Discrimination against small parties --- he must rerecord parts of no2eu party political broadcast. Eu allows berlusconi's monopoly over italian media. Europe is not under threat. Force would be used in places like afghanistan, africa -- not in Europe proper. Goal is to develop european defense industry. "this is milrtatism

If that they intend to put into place. Would have dragged us into war over Georgia. oppose european defense agency, what collective defense?

Pc: euro defense: against militarization, but role for eu in conflict resolution. Create "civil force". Develop joint force for e.g france/germany. Eu parliament should mandate any action carrying out. Nato shouls be abolished. Media: it's interesting how other countries cover eu parl more than uk parl does. Message of low turnout depresses turnout. "strengthen and amend" postal workers directive.

Lab: media: unhappy with how bnp handled. Meps must improve own communications. Confident posted workers can be overtrned. Defense: should be an alternative tonato, which is usdominated. I am from "left ofhe labour party". How can New Labour work for workers with current positions?

Gatt: eu actively deregulating in gatt (water).

Who would keep worker's wage? Pc: set salary is too high. Voted for new salary package. £63000 going to 73. Won't commit to worker's wage. Should work toward joint agreement on wages.

Labour: "i have never been motivated by money". Not fair to ask for a commitment. Need to get socialist meps elected on june the 4th.

No2eu: eu has always been backed by monopoly capital. Eu has free market principles. Social europe with current structure is a fantasy. Wage: no2eu irst inclination wasno money from eu. Lawyers say it is almost impossible to refuse eu salary without endangering status as mep. Money will go to organization, who will pay reasobnable living wage (no precise definitional detail) to mep.

On record: ld not here because we wanted to have candidates more representative of trade unions.

Greens weren't here as it was an oversight. Not so much of green tradition in Wales.

Review
--Brian McNeil / talk 09:11, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Posted Workers Directive
Something has me wondering, should this be "Postal Workers Directive"? --Brian McNeil / talk 19:12, 27 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Spotted it in the notes and fixed article. --Brian McNeil / talk 19:44, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

CPB general secretary Robert Griffiths did not argue for a "Social Europe" at this meeting or any other. The CPB rejects the idea that the EU can produce a "Social Europe", which it regards as a social-democratic illusion. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.11.239.20 (talk) 23:38, 2 June 2009 (UTC)