Comments on: Newspaper roundup: New EU foreign affairs chief Cathy Ashton has strong gay rights record

By: Harvey

Harvey — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:40:26 +0000

Yes Will thats right Ireland did get what they wanted. It’s called the carrot and the stick. Yes they are more democratic as per the referendum but the fact it wasn’t allowed to stay at a ‘No’ vote speaks volumes.

By: Harkowz

Harkowz — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:40:19 +0000

Will, the electorate was bamboozled by a slick multimillion Euro funded advertising campaign to vote Yes, and the electorate told in no uncertain terms that you’ll keep getting asked till you vote Yes, you’re holding up the rest of Europe, you’re a small nation and here’s a few million Euros to buy some jobs in a few factories.

The only democracy is that Brussels couldn’t stomp over the soverign No vote like Holland and France, so you had to be asked repeatedly, but that’s not the same as claiming it’s democratic to be asked again and agian until the “right” decision has been made.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

By: Will

Will — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:02:16 +0000

“Ireland had to carry on having a referendum til they got the answer right”

This statement is patronising and incorrect. The Irish just have a more democratic constitution than the UK and indeed most of Europe, and the Irish got the guarantees they needs to protect that very constitution, hence we accepted it second time around. We’re just not as Euro-paranoid as our UK cousins, I’m afraid.

By: Harvey

Harvey — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:50:14 +0000

Ash:- we joined the EU for easier trade not to create a new power state. Non of us has had a choice in our UK powers being taken away and the countries that did? France and the Netherland ‘no’ vote was ignored and Ireland had to carry on having a referendum til they got the answer right, clearly no Wasn’t good enough (naughty country!)! Slowly Europe is turning into a socalist/communist state and it seems non of us has the power to stop it because our ministers don’t have the backbone (or balls) to ask us.

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:59:57 +0000

But the Foreign Secretary of the US is Hillary Clinton.

The new EU Foreign Secretary is this unelected nobody.

That’s quite pathetic.

By: Ash Nazg

Ash Nazg — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:59:31 +0000

Since when do people elect foreign ministers? and she’s not even that.

If there was a popular election for the presidency europhobes would whinge as loud as a jet engine about centralism. It would be inspiring though, the entire continent voting!

Our democratically elected government came to an agreement with the other democratically elected governments of the EU about who to appoint for a position, and there is nothing especially undemocratic or even particularly special about that.

By: Jukpli

Jukpli — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:06:38 +0000

So her biggest political role was when she ran the Hertfordshire Health Authority, and now she’s Foreign Affairs minister for Europe.

No one does nepotism quite like Labour and the EU.

Out of Europe ASAP I say

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:26:34 +0000

I know Valerio.

But at least the president was elected as a politician in Belgium (not elected as president of the EU)

Ashton has not been elected to either her role as EU Foreign Affairs Chief or to her previous role in the House of Lords.

By: valerio

valerio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:56:11 +0000

Simon, both politicians have been selected (not elected) for the roles.

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:43:05 +0000

Indeed – I suppose the EU foreign secretary should be democratically elected. At least the EU president has been democratically elected in Belgium.

Whereas Ashton has not been elected. She is part of the House of Lords is she not? She’s used to being appointed to government positions where people don’t vote for her.

By: Harvey

Harvey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:15:46 +0000

Don’t change the fact that there was nothing democratic about these appointments!!

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:52:36 +0000

“She will also have to put up with her new boss, the Belgian catholic, who can be expected to be an active anti-gay bigot.”

Where do you get that from?

He is the PM of a country (which unlike Britain) has introduced full marriage and legal equality for LGBT people – no religious opt-outs allowed regarding equality legislation in Belgium either you know.

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:49:16 +0000

“The gay lobby group Stonewall voted her politician of the year in 2006″

That’s HARDLY a ringing endorsement of her pro-gay credentials in my view.

Who are Stonewall except a bunch of self-serving; self-interested, professional gays? They pretend to the government that they are the voice of LGB people but their antics surrounding their refusal to actually represent LGB people fully shows they are just another worthless, time-wasting, money-wasting quango.

By: harry

harry — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:47:47 +0000

She will also have to put up with her new boss, the Belgian catholic, who can be expected to be an active anti-gay bigot.

By: Brian Burton

Brian Burton — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:47:49 +0000

Cathy Ashton, Stonewall politicion of the year. No wonder the so-called streight community has not heard of her. She will be up against a lot of eastern-block bigiotry in the European community so progress will be slow on Gay rights, lets hope I’m wrong!