LME has been busy making the case why progressives in the UK need to engage better with policy making and governance on the EU level to Compass Conference delegates on June 12. Supporting PES, PES activists and Europeans for Financial Reform’s campaign to REGULATE GLOBAL FINANCE and introduce a FINANCIAL TRANSACTION TAX (if not globally then at least within the Single European Market.)
www.pes.org
www.europeansforfinancialreform.org

I am appalled by this facebook group which has 228,840 members.  Just search for …It’s funny how our flag offends you but our benefits don’t!!!… and get as angry as I am.

I am an Austrian living in London. I will support England in this World Cup as I have supported England in 2006. However, with co-fans like these I have to seriously consider. I look forward to Londoners from where ever they are originally (USA, Germany, Portugal, South Africa, Italy, France, Brazil, Ghana,….) to support their teams, wave their flags and sing their songs and so should the English where ever they are in the world during the world cup. Let’s be proud of exceptional players which ever country they are from. Let’s celebrate teams that work well together. Celebrate excellence in the game. But let’s promise us one thing: Don’t let the racists, the xenophobes and the bigots of this world divide us and pitch us against each other. Don’t let them spoil our World Cup!

This facebook group links to the website of the FA (http://www.thefa.com/england)

The FA should distance itself immediately from this website.

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What became clear was that Cameron and the Tories are more focused on structure and prefer to keep talking about treaties and referenda and that their view of foreign policy remains stuck in the 19th century. Everybody (like Cameron) who says with a straight face “in Europe and not run by Europe” knows nothing about how decision making on the EU level works. If the other 26 partners would follow Camerons advice and say in Brussels what they are saying in Brest, to say in Brussels what they are saying in Brindisi, to say in Brussels what they say in Braunschweig or Bratislava, … or as Cameron wants to say the same in Brussels what he is saying Bristol  (well in Brussels he can say it to the Kaminsky’s of this world and the other extreme right-wingers the Tories chose to ally themselves with in the European Parliament after snubbing Merkel and Sarkozy) – Europe will cease to work. The common challenges we face are more important than petty squabbles about where best decisions to solve them are made. Climate Change and post crisis recovery needs cooperation on a global stage. European people can have a stronger voice on shaping global outcomes when working together.

Cameron repeated his nonsense on what’s needed is political will not institutions. Firstly, its him who was talking about institutions and Brown and Clegg were talking about content on Europe. Secondly, it required immense political will post WW2 and subsequently to build common institutions to facilitate co-operation and more efficient decision making.

The Tories seem to believe that European integration and cooperation is a zero-sum game. If Germany benefits from a specific measure, does everybody else suffer for it? No, we are all interconnected and if a members-state on the continent would suffer economically, the UK would be effected and vice-versa. As EU-citizens we share a multitude of values and interests. Insisting on dividing each other along national lines does not make sense anymore in an increasingly interdependent and globally interconnected world.

What also became clear during the debate is that the differences between Labour and LibDems on Europe are minimal compared with the gulf that divides both form the Tories.

On April 24 right across Europe, progressives and activists from the Party of European Socialists (PES) will be participating in a day of action to call for an international financial transaction tax. Play your part in the London event of this Pan-European Campaign Day.

We’ll meet at 10am at 11 Market Way, E14 6AH next to Chrisp Street Market.
[It's close to All Saints and Langdon Park DLR stations - the Bus Number 15 also goes there.]
The financial crisis has already cost 7 million Europeans their jobs. The cost of the bail outs and intervention measures has been estimated by the PES to have cost each European €6,000 in extra public debt by the end of 2011.
Over the last 15 years, the number of financial transactions has increased by 450%. We are therefore calling for a financial transaction tax, (sometimes known as a ‘Robin Hood’ or ‘Tobin’ tax) of 0.05%, so that this massive flow of money, produces more social good.
A small tax on these transactions could help fund public services and help the world meet the UN Millennium Development Goals, to ensure that as we re-build our economy, we all benefit from this growth.

You can find further information on the European campaign is at: http://europeansforfinancialreform.org/

Please watch ‘The Vandal Banker’ and see where else in Europe FTT activities will take place. http://www.pes.org/en/financial-transaction-tax/pes-european-day-of-action

10:30 – 11:30 Event:

leaf letting passersby, taking pictures and recording short clips to upload to the PES Action Day website. Play your local part in a Pan-Eurpean event with a global goal.
We will be joined by Jim Fitzpatrick MP and Claude Moraes MEP and are expecting considerable media interest in the event.

To RSVP and to request further information on the social, environmental and macro-economic benefits of a financial transaction tax please email lme.lse@hotmail.co.uk or call David Schoibl on 07976 252 768.