Mary Honeyball MEP

LAST PRAYERS FOR COUNCIL MEETINGS

2009-01-29T12:26:00.004Z

How sad that Independent Councillor and Mayor of Dartmouth Debbie Morris thinks that councillors who do not share her own Anglicism should be excluded from parts of Council meetings. In the 21st century I would have hoped that the saying of prayers would be a thing of the past. The story of Atheist Brian Boughton being discriminated against is surely wrong. he quite rightly argues for a period of silence so that Jew, methodist and Agnostic can ponder their own civic responsibilities in their own way. Suppose a Council with a majority of Atheists had insisted upon a Humanist ceremony before the meeting? What if Tower Hamlets where I am pretty sure the majority of councillors are Muslim had insisted on having an imam in before each council meeting? Would Debbie say it was right for Catholics to be told they should stand outside a Council Meeting as second class councillors before the proceedings began?

We can imagine the Daily Mail and the Telegraph fulminating and formenting at the very thought. In my experience quite rightly the majority of London Councils no longer have prayers.

In the European Parliament we are secular and do not have religious ervices, quite rightly. Can you imagine the bureaucarcy trying to calculate and appropriately apportion slots between Catholics, Lutherans, Muslims, Atheists etc. It would make the Lisbon Treaty seem simple.

Sadly Parliament sets a poor example, still saying Anglican prayers. The sooner we have the disestablishment of the Church of England and a secular political life throughout the country the better.

ZIMBABWE

2009-01-28T10:40:00.002Z

Yet another plus for human dynamo, President Obama. Tackling Zimbabwe really should have been higher on the West's political agenda. Thankfully the new President of the United States understands that something needs to be done and has wasted no time in taking up the cudgels.

I am constantly amazed that the people of Zimbabwe are managing to survive. How does a country manage to exist when an economy has collapsed? How do people cope with the outbreaks of virulent disease suffered by Zimbabweans? Zimbabwe is not just another failed state. It is a disaster of truly massive proportions.

This disaster has been caused by one man. Robert Mugabe has allowed his own megalomania to destroy his country and reduce his people to inhumane levels of suffering, the like of which we can hardly imagine.

This article from yesterday's "Times" provides a harrowing report of just one small part of what is going on.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5600621.ece

According a report in today's "Times" from Tim Reid in Washington and Jonathan Clayton in Johannesburg, President Obama wants a fresh approach to toppling Robert Mugabe and is discussing with aides an unprecedented, US-led diplomatic push to get tough new UN sanctions imposed against the Zimbabwe regime.

The idea is to take the issue of Zimbabwe before the UN Security Council, having prepared the ground with Russia and China to persuade them to support the initiative. Neither country has supported previous moves against Zimbabwe, and both have significant financial interests in the country. The goal of taking Zimbabwe to the Security Council will be to pass strong sanctions, including a ban on arms sales.

In addition, the US and Britain are apparently anxious that Mr Tsvangirai does not sign up to a power-sharing deal. Failure to reach an accord would help clear the way to take the issue back to the UN.

All of this sounds very good. I for one have no faith in another attempt at any kind of deal with Mugabe. Tsvangirai has already tried that one and Mugabe would have none of it.

I wish Obama and his allies all success in their attempts to restore civilisation to Zimbabwe and end the appalling suffering across the whole of that unfortunate country, a country in thrall to one of the worst dictators we have seen for a long time.

DOES ANYONE EVER GET AN ANSWER TO A PRIORITY WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION?

2009-01-27T15:12:00.003Z

You may have seen the blog which I have copied at the end of this post which went up on 5 December.

You will see that I put down a priority Written Question to the European Commission. This was, in fact, sent to the Commission on 3 December 2008. To date I have not heard anything back from either the relevant Commissioner or any Commission official.

I have therefore sent the following letter to Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, the Cyprus Commissioner with responsibility for public health, feed and food safety and animal health and welfare (and incidentally a woman).

Dear Mrs Vassiliou,
WRITTEN QUESTION - ANSWER P-6662/08
You will recall that I submitted a priority Written Question to the Commission on 3 December 2008 about the website
http://www.farmland-thegame.eu/home_en.html.

I have not yet received a reply.

As you know from reading my Question, I am extremely concerned that a website developed and funded by the European Commission to teach children about farming in Europe uses an inappropriate image of a young female. The image in question shows an unhealthily thin and provocatively dressed girl who is used to guide visitors through the site.

Such an image is both an horrific gender stereotype and an unhealthy example to the very children for whom the site is intended. You will be aware that the European Parliament recently passed a report seeking to end the use of obvious gender stereotyping. Given this, I find the Commission's seeming disregard for the views of the Parliament both worrying and insulting.

I have to say, the neglect of my Question has only added injury to the aforementioned insult.
I trust you will reply as a matter of urgency.

Yours sincerely,
Mary Honeyball MEP

Earlier blog posted on 5 December 2008

COMMISSION WEBSITES
This new website, developed and funded by the European Commission, came to my attention this week:http://www.farmland-thegame.eu/home_en.htmlThe site aims to teach children about farming in the Europe. Sadly it completely ruins any good work it does by using an image of an unhealthily thin and provocatively dressed young girl to guide users through the site.I find it both shocking and depressing that the Commission’s Department for Health and Consumer Protection finds it acceptable to promote their work by using this image. Not only is it a horrific gender stereotype but it is also an extremely unhealthy image to promote to children. In the recent gender stereotyping report passed by Parliament, my colleagues and I noted that children are particularly impressionable audiences and that promoting unhealthy and unrealistic body images can negatively affect young viewers’ self-perception.The DG Health evidently was not listening.I have written a priority question to the Commission asking them what they were thinking of when they made this site and how much it cost to develop. I am also currently rallying support in the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee to take further action.

IGNOBLE LORDS

2009-01-26T18:43:00.002Z

Woe indeed is the Labour Party when our members of the Upper House sell their integrity for money. If the allegations against Lords Taylor, Truscott, Moonie and Snape turn out to be true, they will all have breached House of Lords rules. But it goes further than that. In an interview on the Andrew Marr show yesterday morning, Tory returnee Kenneth Clarke, Cameron’s newly appointed Shadow on the BERR portfolio, called the allegations against the four tantamount to corruption. I agree with this. Peers, MPs and MEPs are not to be bought.

There is little appreciation in the UK about the extent of lobbying which takes place in the European Parliament. The EU system resembles the set up in the United States and other European countries, including France, in that the European Parliament is the legislative body, scrutinising and amending legislative proposals put forward by the European Commission. Given that there needs to be agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers (Member State Governments) before the proposals pass into legislation, MEPs have considerable power. Those affected by European legislation, particularly the big business interests, are only too aware of this. Hence the lobbying. I have been contacted by all kinds of organisations from the Ford Motor Company to the Women’s Institute regarding every piece of legislation on which I have worked.

When I do meet lobbyists I do so in my offices in Brussels and Strasbourg. Very occasionally I accept a free lunch or dinner, though usually for rather matters such as the one I recently blogged on when I heard a speech by Mr Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey. Sadly not all my colleagues, especially some Tories and UKIP MEPs, do not take the same view.

Every MEP has had the same experience. We therefore know what we are talking about. I am absolutely clear that it is totally wrong to accept payment from lobbyists. It is even worse to ask for money for facilitating the submitting of amendments. Elected representatives and legislators in the House of Lords are not, and never should be, up for sale.Baroness Jan Royall has handled this sad and sorry matter quickly and decisively. It is to be looked at by the Sub-Committee on the Committee on Privileges, whose verdict I hope will be known sooner rather than later.

PROGRESSIVE LONDON CONFERENCE

2009-01-25T16:35:00.004Z

I have to say the idea of a conference with Ken Livingstone monopolising the front of the programme sponsored by the GMB, UNITE and ASLEF filled me with some dread. What could possibly be progressive about that was my initial reaction. On further investigation this was not even a Labour conference. Greens and even Liberal Democrats were there in force. This confused me even more. As a pluralist use to the European spirit of discussion and compromise, I heartily approve of cross party working. But is this what our trade union comrades see as the way forward?

In actual fact, it proved a good day, an event which included a number of imaginative workshops. I attended “Blogging London – The New Media and London Politics” chaired by Ivor Gaber, Research Professor in Media and Politics at the University of Bedfordshire, with Adam Bienkov from Tory Troll blog, Martin Hoscik, editor of MayorWatch and Tom Barry from Boriswatch.co.uk. It was a shame about the all male top table and the overwhelmingly male attendance. However, it was a good hour and a half and very good indeed to meet other bloggers. Given that I get concerned about the disembodied nature of the blogosphere, the workshop provided a welcome opportunity to meet people and discuss issues face to face.
Ivor introduced the session with the idea that the online environment had been significantly enhanced by the Obama campaign. They had collected 10 million e-mail addresses. Staggering though this achievement was, information needs to be used in the right way. Left of centre blogging appears weak on the whole (except perhaps for Liberal Conspiracy) in contrast to the more vibrant work done by the Right. Moreover, left blogs in London did not appear to have any impact on the mayoral elections.

Adam Bienkov from Tory Troll said that as newspaper readership declines more people are turning to blogs which are now read by a number of people engaged in politics, including activists, journalists, civil servants. A blog needs to be distinctive to get noticed. Local newspapers are very stretched so there is often scope to follow local authorities. Adam was convinced that the main impact of blogs was on the politicians themselves.

The editor of the MayorWatch website, Martin Hoscik, pointed out that during the Mayoral election all the candidates were keen to harness some blogs. The smaller parties, especially, found blogs useful for getting their message across. However, bloggers need to make sure their content is attractive. Left politicians should also engage more with blogs; sometimes there is a feeling that it is beneath them. MayorWatch has, in fact, been rebuffed by every Minister of London since it was set up.

Martin predicted that by the next GLA elections there will be much more audio and video content on blogs. YouTube is becoming more popular, and politicians will be increasingly do interviews to be put on the internet.

Tom Barry from Boriswatch.co.uk gave an amusing talk, concentrating on how blogs can be used for reporting. He had found out where Boris Johnson wanted to site the new London airport by plotting a dredger Boris had taken down the Thames Estuary and noting where it stopped.

It won’t surprise you to hear that these presentations were followed by a lively discussion. I am particularly grateful to LabourList who not only provided a blog from the whole conference, but gave me the following mention when I made a contribution at the blogging workshop:

Mary Honeyball MEP makes the point that Labour bloggers need to be linked up far better. She also goes on to illustrate how driving more people to blogs like her own could show up just how fringe and nutty European Tories actually are. All fair points, in our view.

APRIL COOL

2009-01-24T15:41:00.000Z

I am at the Progressive London Conference and have just heard Harriet Harman announce that Barack Obama will be visiting Gordon Brown on 1st April.

2009-01-23T17:18:00.006Z

Feminist in Chief or will Obama keep ladies waiting?

“I am a feminist” exclaimed the man pinned with the world’s hopes, Barack Obama, when he met two eminent experts on women’s rights last year.

One of these women, editor of America’s leading feminist magazine Ms. seems to have been convinced by this statement. The front cover of this month’s magazine has the President ripping off his inaugural day red tie and white shirt to reveal a t-shirt emblazoned with “This is what a feminist looks like”.

However, as the President sits down this week to an in-tray, of economic despair and two wars, will women’s issues be in the forefront of his mind?

Let’s hope so. In his first week, which incidentally shares the 36th anniversary of US women’s abortion rights, the President has pledged to rescind the Global Gag Rule that stops UN family planning programs receiving US federal funds. This rule has been the subject of political ping-pong for the past 25 years, initially put in by Reagan, rescinded by Clinton then reinstated by Bush. A telling example of how presidential powers set the lifelong agendas of women across the world.

Obama’s next planned move, in what is fast looking like a full set of political ping-pong, is to overturn the shameful decision, by the Supreme Court in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire Rubber, with a new Fair Pay Act. This will re-empower American women workers to sue for wage discrimination. In a country where parking attendants still make more than childcare workers, and there’s only one woman on the Supreme Court, this is some much needed equality legislation.

However, as we know from over 30 years of equality legislation in the UK and a widening pay gap, legislation can only go so far. American economist, Randy Albelda, points out in a recent article “The Macho Stimulus Plan” that in order to effect any real change government rhetoric must match the statute books. And so far, for all Obama’s oratory heights, in my opinion his triplets don’t look far enough past alliteration to make any great cause for feminisation. In Obama's speech on stimulating the economy he spoke of “building roads, bridges and schools, developing eco friendly technologies”. But as these are construction based industries that are dominated by men (just 2.7 per cent of US construction workers are women) such fiscal stimulation is almost to the sole benefit of male workers. To rectify this Albelda proposes an additional stimulus plan for the female side of the economy: “caring for those who cannot care for themselves, healthcare and primary education are the very foundation of a civil society. Investing in these outcomes is as vital to our long-term economic health as airports, highways, wind turbines, and energy retrofitted buildings.” She points out that not only do these jobs disproportionately employ women, but “investments in direct care, education, and healthcare would also go a long way in alleviating poverty.”

Taking it a little closer to home let’s examine Obama the boss. How is the new president shaping up as a pro-female employer? Disappointingly, just five out of the 20 cabinet-level posts in his administration have gone to women. A number comparable to cabinets of the last previous presidents, which has earned the scorn of one journalist who claimed Obama’s feminist credentials as no more “impressive than any previous president”.

A measly one in four ratio in no way gives the voices of American women equal representation in the room where all the big decisions are being made. But it can be argued that Obama’s cabinet does not just have the responsibility of being representative in terms of gender, but also ethically, politically and in terms of people’s life experience.

According to the Fawcett Society ethnic minority women face double discrimination on the grounds of their gender and race. So Obama’s appointment of six black women as his closest aides and ambassadors pushes back barriers of discrimination beyond that of gender.

Nonetheless, rumbles of discontent amongst many women’s groups are already audible in the media. Co-founder of non-partisan women’s group New Agenda has accused the new president of taking “shocking steps backwards”.

The President’s choice of pastor Rick Warren to lead the invocation at his inauguration ceremony was also felt to be an affront by many liberal women’s groups who had previously backed Obama in his campaign. On this issue, I think people’s upset and confusion is justified. Choosing a pastor who preaches socially conservative views on abortion rights and gay marriage does not shout “I am a feminist” to me.

But President Obama got to his position and an approval rating of 80 percent, dramatically higher than either Clinton or Bush, not by making enemies but by finding common ground with people with whom he disagreed with on some issues. This is most certainly an outstanding skill to have as a diplomat and even as a politician, world leader and president. But will it will make for an outstanding feminist? We don't have time to wait and see. Feminists of all political colours across the world need to put pressure on Obama to set about making concrete feminist policies and include the needs of women in all of his globally inspiring oratories. As one thing you can be sure of, is that pretty much every other interest group is doing that, right now.

LABOUR MISSED

2009-01-23T07:50:00.002Z

It was meant to challenge ConservativeHome. We hoped it would be the activists' arena. Instead LabourList is top heavy, dominated by people centred around Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Ken Livingstone. These three may make interesting bedfellows, but where is the authentic voice of the Labour Party? Where are the grassroots members who make Tory blogging so appealing?
By no means an expert, I have nevertheless been blogging for almost two years, often but not exclusively, on issues and events in the EU. As a MEP I am extremely concerned that there appear to be no European references on LabourList. Foreign policy in general fares little better. I know from my post bag that Labour Party members care passionately about foreign affairs, as my massive inbox on Gaza amply demonstrated.

I am immensely proud of the Labour Government's achievements over the last ten years in more than doubling overseas aid, writing off millions of pounds of debt and leading the world in campaigning for the millennium goals. Labour Party people are international people - it’s one of our defining characteristics. Conservative Home can’t beat us on this. The Tories stand isolated in the European Union with economic policies no other right wing party in America, France or Germany shares. Let them be Little Englanders, but let LabourList be a Labour InternationaList.

However, my biggest LabourList bugbear is its casual sexism. I expect it from ConservativeHome but not a Labour product. The Labour Party has striven to increase women’s political representation with all women shortlists and equal gender representation on closed lists. But frighteningly LabourList is taking us a step backwards by appointing just six women out of 34 as contributors on the site. Making up just 17 per cent of contributors, women are better represented in the Commons than they are on this Labour blogsite!

This gender bias is not just a loss to women in politics, but it’s a distinct loss to the quality of the site. In a recent discussion on blogs on women’s hour, media historian Professor Jean Seaton argued that political blogs run by men tend to be gossipy, aggressive and partisan, whereas those run by women are more often issue-led and constructive, with wider cross-party appeal.
On the same show, Iain Dale said that he is disappointed that women only make up 15 per cent of visitors to his site. This is not because women do not engage with blogging. Women fuel internet traffic with lively and amusing debates, for example campaigning on domestic violence on Nerys Evan’s blog and discussing women’s rights on the F-Word. The difference between these sites and Iain Dale’s, or some of the other overtly political sites, is that they open up blogging to real social problems, away from the arguments of Westminster, and into the day-to-day issues that affect people beyond the Village.

There’s an election coming. We have won the last three because we have taken record shares of women’s votes. New media should take us forward, not back. Sadly once again women must battle for their share of the political arena.

LabourList is also far too London centred. I say this as a London MEP. I truly believe London is the greatest city in the world, but LabourList needs more voices from the regions. Let’s have Bob Piper from the West Midlands or Grimmerupnorth, rather than yet another former minister or adviser from the London dinner party circuit.

LabourList should also make cleverer political judgments by, for example, remembering that the majority of Labour representatives, including myself, are in opposition rather than power. Someone like Stephen Cowan reporting from the frontline fighting the Tory Taliban in Hammersmith merits a slot. For a Trade union voice active in the Party, LabourList should perhaps include John Gray.

As a former member of the Labour Party in the South West region, I was especially pleased when Jim Knight won South Dorset. Up until university I spent my life in Tory areas. At times it was a little lonely as a socialist. One of the great things about the internet is the way it can bring people with the same views and interests together whatever the geography. So for the campaigner in a safe Tory seat, coming home and clicking on LabourList should feel like the embrace of solidarity from virtual comrades.

There is no doubt that a cohesive community has developed around Conservative Home. The feeling of working with like minded souls motivates Tory activists. Let’s reach out through the web to all Labour Party members in all parts of the country.

Labour Party activists frequently tell me how much they appreciate National Executive Committee member Ann Black’s reports on meetings. Why not sign Ann up to provide a forum where Labour Party supporters can discuss events after every meeting of the Party’s governing committee? She’s a voice from outside London too.

LabourList could also put the informative campaigning work done across the Party online. Someone like Mary Southcott in Bristol who sits on the National Policy Forum and the South West Convention, writes for Chartist and campaigns on Electoral Reform and Cyprus would be an ideal contributor. Such Party stalwarts are one of the strengths of ConservativeHome.

I know LabourList will not have much in the way of resources, let alone the Ashcroft untaxed millions, but I question whether the money is being used to the best advantage. Why only a weekday operation? Why the fixed deadline of the lunchtime list? Many Labour people will only be able to surf in the evening or at weekends. Most people can’t surf the web for long in working/childcare hours, and if they can very few will have LabourList as a priority ahead of Facebooking friends or making online purchases.

Too many of the initial LabourList bulletins contain large chunks of press reviews. If people want that they will sign up for a press summary service, a newspaper email service or get text alerts. It is not sensible to spend resources on such duplication. References to other media are fine; a Labour press list is not.

I think there is a real need for a blog space for Labour Party members and I very much want LabourList to succeed. I hope these comments will be taken in the spirit in which they are intended - to do the very best for the Party and the Government.

UKIP MEP GOES UP IN SMOKE

2009-01-22T17:01:00.006Z

This diatribe comes to you courtesy of a Ms Brenda Orsler, a delegate to the conference against prohibition who apparently paid to attend out of her own resources.

As far as I can make out, it is a pro-smoking event. What is even more interesting is that has been sponsored by the appalling Godfrey Bloom, UKIP MEP.

Press release:
The 1st international conference against prohibition which was scheduled for the 27/28th January in the EU parliament, Brussels, was blocked on the 15th January following a letter to the EU president from the anti smoking organisation, The Smokefree Partnership. The conference had gathered a great deal of interest and support due to the fact that eminent scientists from around the world, including some from within tobacco control, were attending to give speeches regarding the passive smoke fraud. Fortunately the organisers of the event, TICAP, anticipated underhand tactics by the anti smoking industry to prevent the conference from happening, and a contingency within a separate venue right opposite the EU parliament has now been put into place. All scientists and other participants along with live satellite links for
those unable to attend in person are available in the alternate building.

In the letter that resulted in the EU venue being withdrawn Florence Berteletti Kemp, Director of the Smoke Free Partnership, falsely claims a commercial interest for financial sponsors of the conference offering no factual evidence to back up her allegation. She also states that –
the event goes “against all of Parliament’s adopted reports and the European Community’s legislation and commitments on this topic”, and that “it violates the spirit of the International
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.” This is clearly a demand to prevent the freedom of speech of some of the most highly recognised scientists in the field; a demand that was upheld by the EU Bureau and hidden from the parliamentary sponsor of the conference,
Godfrey Bloom MEP. Kemp also stated that – “The TICAP conference purports to develop methods and strategies to end “the use of pseudo-science” in relation to tobacco control, in contrast the WHO FCTC recognizes “that scientific evidence has unequivocally established that tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke cause death, disease and disability”. In other words, no debate will be allowed, no scientist will be allowed a platform to disagree, only those who do agree with the policies have the right to freedom of speech on this subject in the EU building. In an unprecedented move, the EU Bureau cancelled the conference with no record on their meeting agenda and without communication or right of reply to the sponsoring MEP, who was left to discover the truth by rumours almost a week later. These astonishingly undemocratic revelations were based upon unsubstantiated false claims and a demand that no debate should be allowed, and were submitted by an anti smoking group opposed to the content of the event. For decades the anti smoking industry has grossly perverted science for their own ideology; it comes as no surprise to us whatsoever that they are now perverting democracy and freedom in the very heart of the EU.

ANOTHER TAKE ON BLOGGING

2009-01-22T10:42:00.003Z

This article from today's "Financial Times" makes some interesting points.

The new corporate firefighters
By David Gelles

Published: January 22 2009 02:00

When advertisers launched a campaign last September for the pain reliever Motrin, they hoped to attract the attention of mothers whose backs might be sore from wearing baby-carriers. The advertisements implied that while baby-carriers might be fashionable, hauling a child around could be painful.

Mothers were not amused. Soon after the ads were released, anti-Motrin campaigns appeared on Facebook and blogs. Outraged mums, furious at the suggestion that their babies were a hassle, posted rebuttal videos on YouTube. Through Twitter, the microblogging service, thousands of people attacked the company.

Motrin was caught off-guard. For days, no company representative replied. Critics accused the company of being not only insensitive but also unresponsive.

Eventually a marketing executive at McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson that markets Motrin, e-mailed individual bloggers to apologise for the campaign. But the damage was done.

The "Motrin moms" episode illustrates the power of social media - the expanding network of websites that allow users to interact with each other and, increasingly, with companies. It also demonstrates the perils for enterprises that are unprepared to interact with social media.
But now a growing number of companies, including Ford Motor, PepsiCo, Wells Fargo and Dell, are creating new high-level jobs to ready themselves for engagement with social media, with titles such as director of social media, head of communities and conversation, vice-president of experiential marketing and digital communications manager. The role of these new executives is to monitor and influence what is being said about their companies on the internet.

Johnson & Johnson made its own appointment in the wake of the Motrin debacle. Having already dabbled in social media, in December the company promoted Marc Monseau, a 10-year company veteran and former director of media relations, to director of social media. "My responsibility is to work with the corporate office and the individual companies to better interact online," Mr Monseau says. "It underscores the fact that we realise this is an important audience and one that we need to develop relationships with."

These new jobs represent a broad shift in media relations strategy at large companies. "Corporate communications has radically changed," says Andy Sernovitz, chief executive of the Blog Council, an organisation for heads of social media at big companies. "It's no longer just companies talking to the press, and customer service talking to customers. All these other people showed up in the -middle. They may not be press and they may not be customers, but suddenly their collective voice is bigger than the traditional channels."

The essence of social media is conversation. Rather than a one-way stream of information, where companies make announcements to the press and customers, social media enables a great deal of interaction, where companies are in constant dialogue with the public. "We've seen a shift from doing things the old way to now having conversations with our customers," says Jeanette Gibson, director of new media for Cisco Systems.

Ms Gibson, who began her job in 2007, says there is now a mandate at Cisco that all staff be attuned to what is being said about Cisco online. "It has definitely shifted how we've done communications," she says. "Our executives are video blogging every day. Everybody's job is now social media."

Dell, the computer maker, has one of the most robust corporate social media programmes. Bob Pearson, former senior vicepresident of corporate communications, became vice-president of communities and conversation for Dell in 2007.

He now has 45 people working for him. The core team works on "blog resolution" - trawling the web for dissatisfied customers, then attempting to contact them to make amends. Others on Dell's social media team manage the company's 80 Twitter accounts and 20 Facebook pages. Still others manage IdeaStorm, Dell's forum for customer feedback.

Dell is taking its customer feedback seriously. When the company launched the Latitude laptop last summer, six of the features, including backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader, were ideas that came from IdeaStorm. "It's always worth talking directly with your customers. It's always worth listening to them," says Mr Pearson. "It's the wisdom of crowds."

Peter Shankman, a social media expert and founder of Help a Reporter Out, a service that broadcasts reporters' requests to a network of experts, says many companies are still reluctant to get involved: "Companies are slow to adapt because they're still not 100 per cent sure they can make money with social media," he says.

Yet Dell, for one, has made a business of it. By broadcasting discount alerts on Twitter, it says, it has generated more than $1m in sales. And in the US, 59 of the 100 leading retailers, including Best Buy and Wal-Mart, now have a fan page on Facebook, according to Rosetta, an interactive marketing agency.

Other savings can be realised through the Web's ability to reach many people at once. "If you solve someone's problem on the phone, nobody knows," says Mr Sernovitz. "If you solve that same problem in writing on a blog, it costs you no more, but thousands of people are satisfied. And then, if 100 people never call because they found the answer, you very, very quickly get to multimillion-dollar savings."

Other companies are using Twitter to douse public relations fires before they erupt. Scott Monty, head of social media for Ford Motors, used Twitter to appease users who were angry after the carmaker sued an enthusiast website that was selling unauthorised Ford merchandise. When fans of the enthusiast site posted angry messages, Mr Monty "tweeted back" to explain the company's position.

Bonin Bough, who was appointed director of social media for PepsiCo last year, also used Twitter to defuse a brewing crisis after the company released a series of advertisements depicting a cartoon calorie character committing suicide.

"Social media is much more than getting out there and having conversations," says Mr Pearson of Dell. "It transforms a business if you use it correctly."

LABOURSPACE.COM

2009-01-21T16:25:00.000Z

The Labour Party has just launched a unique campaigning site Labourspace.com.

The Labourspace.com site gives organisations and individuals the opportunity to set up campaigns they want to bring to the attention of Labour politicians.

Ed Miliband, who is compiling the next Labour election manifesto, launched the site today. Speaking about the importance of working with campaigning organisations and individuals to build our manifesto, he explained how the website can help achieve that:

"LabourSpace is the Labour Party's campaign social networking site. I hope it will provide a unique home for organisations and people to host and promote their campaigns - and to bring their ideas to the attention of Labour ministers and the wider party.

"The idea behind Labourspace.com is really simple. You get your own webpage within the Labourspace network where you can tell us why you think Labour should be implementing your campaign ideas.

"I will be regularly checking out the site which I expect will become a lively forum for discussion and debate. I hope people will use it to let us know what their priorities are for a better, fairer Britain under Labour in the future."

OBAMA - MY TWO HOPES

2009-01-21T11:52:00.001Z

Well, who could fail to be inspired. The hope (to use Obama's own word) and excitement reminded me of May 2 1997. I was one of the many lining Whitehall that balmy summer's morning cheering our new Prime Minister, Tony Blair, being completely carried away by the optimism he was bringing to Britain. It was, indeed, a glorious day, just as it was yesterday.

I have two dreams of my own:

Obama's statement in his inaugural address that "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers" bodes well for those of us who are humanists and secularists. While it may not be a massive move away from faith (and Obama is himself is a committed Christian), it did at least put down a marker that the 44th President may be moving away from the religiosity of the Bush years. I can only hope that freethinking, ie not possessing a religion, will again become acceptable in America. My dream will be well on the way if we see non-believer candidates for the 2012 presidential contest.

Obama has shown some willingness to carry forward the equalities agenda. Yet it is not enough for him to quote his personal experience as "a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant (who) can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath" and leave it at that. He must deliver on equalities. I was pleased to see three women among the 14 names so far announced for his Cabinet. Yet appointing Janet Napolitano, Susan Rice and Lisa Jackson is not enough. I want a complete change in attitude to abortion in America and equal pay across the United States, and that's just for starters.

TURKEY CONSIDERING NUCLEAR POWER

2009-01-20T11:34:00.003Z

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last night spoke of Turkey's intention to build nuclear power stations to meet its growing energy needs. Addressing a dinner organised by the European think tank, Friends of Europe, Mr Erdogan described how Turkey will soon be making its final decision about the nuclear power he claimed it now required.

I must say I find this an uncomfortable thought. Although I have no objection to nuclear power in the UK and other countries with an established nuclear capablity, the idea of a non-nuclear power developing the potential, albeit for peaceful, civil use fills me with dread. Since Turkey is a member of NATO, my misgivings may be misplaced. However, we only have to think of Iran to see where this could go.

Much of the reminder of Erdogan's speech at the elegant Cercle Royal Gaulois Artistique et Litteraire in Brussels, was, as you may have expected, taken up with Turkey and the European Union. The EU, he claimed, will not be served by a fortress Europe mentality, and such an attitude will not help solve the present economic crisis. As far as Turkey joining the EU was concerned, the Turkish PM pointed out that a number of countries had once been considered inadmissible for EU membership. As well as mentioning Spain and Portugal, he cited the twice vetoed application from the United Kingdom. Turkey, which has had a successful customs union with the EU since 1996, is also negotiating for EU membership. Ten chapters of the accession process have already been opened and one is practically closed.

Mr Erdogan stressed that Turkey's goal is full membership of the EU. Privileged partnership is not acceptable and has never been raised in connection with any other country. Turkey will benefit the EU. It is the 17th largest economy in the world and the sixth largest in Europe while also being a member of the G20. Turkey's economy has consistently improved. Six years ago the GDP was 259 billion US dollars; it is now $750 billion. Inflation has been reduced from a high of 30 per cent to 10 percent and interest rates now stand at three per cent. All this means that Turkey is in line with the economic criteria in the Maastricht Treaty for EU accession.

As I have indicated before on this blog, I am a strong supporter of Turkey joining the EU. I think all of us involved in the EU now have a responsibility to make it happen.

On the question of Cyprus, Mr Erdogan expressed his displeasure that the Greek Cypriots had rejected in a referendum the plan put forward by former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. He also took the view that the north of Cyprus is not in the EU and told the audience that the Turks would always be one step ahead of the Greeks. This was not, I fear, a very helpful response. I only hope those participating in the current peace talks take a more enlightened view.

KEN CLARKE - MONEY BEFORE COUNTRY?

2009-01-19T11:33:00.004Z

In today's Independent, Jeremy Hunt Shadow Secretary of State for Culture says

“David Cameron rightly expects all members of his Shadow Cabinet to put every ounce of energy they can into defeating this disastrous government, so no one should have any interests that deflect them from this.”

So will William Hague be giving up his directorships and make more speeches in the House of Commons than he does at dinners?

Will Oliver Letwin stop going to work in the City in the mornings for a merchant bank and make his work in the Shadow Cabinet what he puts “every ounce of energy into”?

Nothing released to the press to say that Ken Clarke will be dropping his directorships to focus his energies fully. I have always found puzzling the media view that Ken Clarke is a “nicer” Tory. As Deputy Chairman of British American Tobacco he has promoted a habit smoking that kills millions prematurely and puts vast unnecessary costs on health services, ultimately paid for by us as taxpayers.

Come on Jeremy, weren’t you being a little economical with the truth?

How can David Cameron ask to run the country when he can't even get his Shadow Cabinet to do what he asks?

HOW LONDON'S BUSES COULD GRIND TO A HALT

2009-01-17T20:44:00.005Z

I have seen adverts for churches on London buses for decades and never heard of a Muslim, Buddhist, Jew or Atheist refusing to drive our iconic red London buses. London is the great cosmopolitan city of the world and we tolerate each others faith and those of us who are sceptical readily.

Now a bus driver is being allowed to drive only buses which do not have the "There's probably no God" advert. This is wrong. London buses would grind to a halt if the drivers all had to check whether they agreed with the religious adverts on them. Rightly they keep on driving.

I hope bus driver Ron Heather will show more tolerance and understanding, qualities which I consider to be part of Christianity, and changes his mind and drives buses whatever their adverts.

DISCUSSING GAZA WITH THE ISRAELI EMBASSY

2009-01-17T09:21:00.001Z

At the moment sadly Gaza is the subject I am blogging on most. I appreciate the comments that constituents have made on my previous postings here and here.

Letters/emails on Gaza continue to dominate my mailbag/inbox and I am responding to every single one of them as soon as I can.

This week I arranged a meeting with a senior member of the Israeli embassy to press my view that there should be an immediate ceasefire. I took the opportunity to provide him with copies of my blogs and all the comments that have submitted on them. They demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of Londoners writing to me support me in calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Please continue to let me know your views. I will continue to do all I can to work for an immediate ceasefire.

VICTORY IN HARINGEY

2009-01-16T11:02:00.002Z

The coldest I have been leafletting in a very long time was last week for the 7 Sisters by-election in Haringey. Great to hear about the victory and my congratulations to Joe Goldberg. For details of the result and some analysis see Luke Akehurst.

TORIES ABSTAIN ON EQUAL TREATMENT AT WORK

2009-01-15T16:03:00.001Z

MEPs today voted on a Report on the implementation of Directive 2002/73/EC, a Directive on putting into practice the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions.

Written by Spanish Socialist Teresa Riera Madurell, the report concerns the implementation of the Directive rather than any policy change. The UK has, in fact, done all it should and fully implemented the terms of the Directive.

Strange indeed then that nearly all Tories voted as a bloc and abstained on the final vote to accept the Report. Those who abstained were:

Ashworth, Bowis, Bradbourn, Bushill-Matthews, Callanan, Chichester, Deva, Elles, Evans, Harbour, Heaton-Harris, Kamall, Karim, Kirkhope, Nicholson, Parish, Stevenson, Sturdy, Tannock, Van Orden

Only Beazley and Dover voted for the Report

By abstaining, the Tories have again broken with the EPP (the centre-right group in the European Parliament to which the Tories loosely belong). The first draft of Theresa Madurell's Report was objected to by the EPP who tabled many amendments which watered it down. However, in the end, true to the spirit of European compromise the EPP, PSE (Socialists), ALDE (Liberals) and the Greens came together to propose a jointly amended text. All of these parties therefore voted in favour of the report - with the not so honourable exception of the British Tories.

It will, of course, come as no surprise that UKIP Members Bloom, Clark and Farage together with the far right, including father and daughter Le Pen, voted against the Madurell Report. The Tories are certainly keeping interesting company these days.

TORIES VOTE AGAINST FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS

2009-01-15T09:26:00.000Z

You will have seen that I blogged yesterday on the Tories anti-women votes on two paragraphs on the report by Giusto Catania dealing with fundamental rights in the EU.

You may be interested to know that on the final resolution on the report on fundamental rights in the European Union the Tories mainly abstained. Nicholson, Sumberg, Sturdy, Beazley and Bradbourn actually voted against the report.

This means they voted against or abstained on calls for greater equality measures for women (in equal pay, direct and non-direct discrimination, right to return to same job after childbirth etc), cross-border rights for same sex partners, improved rights for immigrants (particularly the Roma) - just to name a few.

TORIES VOTE ANTI-WOMEN AGAIN

2009-01-14T18:15:00.008Z

The Tories are at it again, abstaining on votes in the European Parliament which will have a profoundly beneficial impact on women's lives.

A report went through today on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union 2004 - 2007. Written by Italian Communist, Giusto Catania, the report looked at all aspects of the European Declaration of Fundamental Rights.

Yet this was not good enough for the British Tories, some of whom abstained on two crucial votes on women.

Beazley, Bushill-Matthews, Deva, Kirkhope, McMillan-Scott, Stevenson, Sturdy and Tannock would only accept the paragraph below if all references to sexual and reproductive health (the italicised section) were deleted:

"Stresses the need to raise public awareness of the right to reproductive and sexual health, and calls on the Member States to ensure that women can fully enjoy these rights, to put in place appropriate sex education, information and confidential advisory services,
and to facilitate access to contraception in order to prevent all unwanted pregnancies and illegal and high-risk abortions, and to combat the practice of female genital mutilation"

The other Tories abstained, with only Atkins, Karim and Purvis accepting the complete paragraph.

The other significant paragraph was:

"Stresses that ethnic minority women should be ensured access to public funds, irrespective of their legal status, to enable them to access safe, equal, culturally sensitive health services and rights, in particular sexual and reproductive health and rights; a European legal framework to ensure the physical integrity of young girls from Female Genital Mutilation should be adopted "

Only Purvis accepted this complete paragraph. All other Tories either abstained or voted against the complete text, objecting to the section highlighted above.

Interesting that this week it was only men who were representing the Conservative Party in Europe.

GLENIS WILLMOTT MEP

2009-01-14T13:43:00.004Z

My congratulations to Glenis Willmott - the new leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party!

ABORTION BAN IN NICARAGUA

2009-01-14T13:02:00.004Z

I heard a discussion on Women's Hour today about this important issue. It reinforced to me the cruelty of a blanket ban on abortion.

Click here to listen to the segment or the whole programme.

LABOURLIST GAINS COVERAGE

2009-01-13T10:32:00.005Z

Let's hope this is just the start for www.labourlist.org!

GAZA

2009-01-12T18:55:00.003Z

You may like to read the following article which has just appeared in the European weekly newspaper, "New Europe":

Will women be excluded from Gaza peace process?

Author: Mary Honeyball, MEP from the United Kingdom

Mary Honeyball is a Member of the European Parliament from the United Kingdom, the Socialist Party, and a member of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

12 January 2009 Issue 816

“We ........ demand an end to the bombing and other tools of death and call for the immediate start of deliberations to talk peace and not make war......”

A broad spectrum of 23 women’s organisations in Israel have issued a statement demanding that war no longer be an option and that the dance of death and destruction in Gaza be brought to an end. Released on January 2, it reminds us that it is so often the women caught up in war who seek to spread the message of peace.

“The society we want is one in which every individual can lead a life of security - personal, economic and social. It is clear that the highest price is paid by women … .who now, as always, are excluded from the public eye and dominant discourse.” On the other side, thousands of Yemini and Palestinian women took to the streets in Sana at the end of December. They too condemned the violence in Gaza and demanded an end to the war. Women have a long and honourable tradition as peacemakers. The Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition played a crucial role in the peace process, occupying a position beyond the reach of other participants.

During the 1980s the women’s peace camp at the United States airbase at Greenham Common in the UK did much to alert the world to the dangers of nuclear war. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom still does sterling work with the United Nations. In a different way, Women in Black alerts the world to conflict in many parts of the world through public vigils and disseminating information. Perhaps women will one day be able to forge alliances, and perhaps friendships, across the Israeli/Palestinian divide.

Tragically this seems a long way off. The Hamas-controlled parliament in the Gaza Strip has recently voted to introduce Sharia law. The bill, which has passed its second reading but not yet been signed by Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, will allow the courts to condemn offenders to a number of violent punitive measures.

Sharia law has the potential to be used in the most cruel and barbaric way against women. Last year a 13-year-old rape victim in Somalia, Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, was convicted of adultery under Sharia law. She was then buried up to her neck and stoned to death by 50 men. Over 1000 spectators watched this indescribable act. Religious fundamentalism is rarely good for women. On a parliamentary visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories three years ago I met a number of leading politicians on both sides. Business was conducted in the usual way with the usual greetings, including the handshake, the universally recognised greeting symbol in such circumstances. The one exception was a high-ranking Muslim man who refused to shake my hand for religious reasons. Since I was the only woman on our delegation, I was the only person subjected to this treatment. Needless to say, this man’s attitude does not fill me with confidence about the future for women under those who hold such views.

I join my colleagues in demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The Palestinians should receive humanitarian aid and Israel needs certain assurances including an end to the firing of rockets across its borders. The kind of warfare being waged in Gaza disproportionately hits civilians, children and their mothers. Diplomatic efforts must concentrate on a lasting, two state solution providing a homeland for the Palestinians. I believe women could, and should, play an important role in future peace negotiations. May this be sooner not later.

LABOUR LIST

2009-01-12T13:23:00.002Z

I am excited by the arrival of Labour List onto the blogosphere. I hope the site will be a place where views can be exchanged and a place where debate is sparked. There is already a diverse selection of contributors and I am sure this will only increase as the site gains momentum. I look forward to Labour List's progression.

THE FUTURE FOR SOCIAL EUROPE

2009-01-09T12:17:00.003Z

Following my blog yesterday on Europe's achievements on rights for parents and pregnant women, I have found this excellent article on workers' rights in a Social Europe.

http://clients.squareeye.com/uploads/compass/documents/CTP42CorbettSocialEurope.pdf

It is written by my colleague Richard Corbett, Labour MEP for Yorkshire and Humber, and shows the vital importance of voting Labour in the coming European elections.

On a different note, it is great to see my fellow blogger Jon Worth out supporting the excellent atheist bus campaign:

http://www.jonworth.eu/lifes-ambition-achieved-on-tv-in-a-foreign-language/#more-1899

RIGHTS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND NEW MOTHERS

2009-01-08T11:09:00.005Z

In October the European Commission announced a work-life legislative package that will review existing EC legislation on the rights of parents, pregnant women and new mothers at work. Reports are now being drafted by the European Parliament Women's Committee. This legislation will have a very positive impact on the lives of women across Europe and I am very pleased to have the opportunity of being involved in this important work.

You may be interested to read a summary of the current legislation regarding the rights of pregnant women and new mothers in Europe. I am proud that the EU has always led the way on this equality legislation.

Pregnant workers’ directive (1992/85/EEC)

This legislation gives women:

Right to minimum 14 weeks maternity leave
Right to guaranteed income during at least 14 week maternity leave
Rights to specialised health and safety laws in the workplace whilst pregnant and breastfeeding
Protection meaning they cannot be dismissed whilst on maternity leave
Rights to employment contract ensured whilst on maternity leave

The Commission's new proposals for this legislation include:

Increase in the minimum maternity leave from 14 to 18 weeks (as suggested by the ILO)
Increase flexibility regarding when leave is taken (i.e. before or after the birth)
Improved employment protection on return to work. Woman will have right to return to same / equivalent job and right to benefit from any improvement in working conditions to which she would have been entitled in her absence.

The Parliament is also revisiting the Self-employed workers' directive (1986/613/EEC) to ensure that self-employed parents are entitled to the same parental leave rights as other workers.

Equal treatment (employment) directive (2002/73/EC)

This fairly recent legislation is not currently being updated by the Commission. But it already:

Prohibits discrimination against pregnant women and women on maternity leave
Ensures the right to return to same / equivalent post after maternity leave. Denying this right is defined as discrimination.
Allows women to take their cases to employment tribunal because this unfair practice is defined as discrimination.

The Women's Committee has just written a review of the implementation of this directive which we will be voting on next week in Strasbourg. I will blog on how this goes.

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 4 JUNE 2009

2009-01-07T14:29:00.001Z

This is my first blog in 2009 about the elections to the European Parliament which will take place on 4 June 2009.

You may like to see my quotes in this article recently published in "Total Politics" magazine.

http://www.totalpolitics.com/magazine_detail.php?id=218

GAZA

2009-01-06T16:07:00.002Z

The tragedy of the Middle East is once again making news, demonstrating the seemingly intractable nature of the Israel-Palestine conflict. I would hope that everyone wants peace in this troubled part of the world. To this end I support the calls for an immediate ceasefire. I also agree with Gordon Brown that the Palestinians need humanitarian aid while at the same time Israel requires certain assurances, including stopping the rockets being fired across its border and a resolution of arms trafficking into Gaza.

The State of Israel has existed since 1948. It is an internationally recognised sovereign country and must continue as such. This is not to say I agree with the occupation of parts of the West Bank or the Israeli security barrier and checkpoints. Neither do I agree with Hamas terrorism, and certainly not with suicide bombings. I do, however, hope that sooner rather than later it will be possible to agree a two state solution providing a homeland for the Palestinians.

By using its military strength in Gaza Israel has killed children and elderly people in its quest to stamp out Hamas terrorism. On the other hand, Hamas has constantly fired rockets into Israel, often aiming their missiles at Israeli schools, and sustained a grinding campaign of suicide bombing. Moreover, Hamas's stated aim is to get rid of the State of Israel. It is shunned by the EU and the USA as a terrorist organisation. Hamas is also a fundamentalist group and is in regular contact with Iran.

It is not easy to take sides in this unending war which seems to defy resolution. Unfortunately at present both sides are acting in an extreme manner. Israel has an election looming and each political party is seeking votes. Hamas gained power due in large part to corruption and lack of effectiveness in Fatah, Yasser Arafat's organisation which led the Palestinians for many years. The result has been continuing conflict, fighting which causes each side to take up more and more entrenched positions.

I visited Israel and the West Bank about three years ago on a parliamentary delegation, meeting both Israeli and Palestinian leaders as well as seeing the West Bank for myself. Although basic human rights are being violated on both sides, it is true to say that Israel is a functioning democracy, a rarity in the wider Middle East.

However, there is an additional matter which concerns me very much - the position of women under the Islamic fundamentalist Hamas. Personal issues such as marriage and divorce are adjudicated under Sharia law, which discriminates against women; a Muslim man can marry more than one woman and a son receives double the inheritance given to a daughter. My own experience of Sharia law came a few years ago when I was involved in the case of Amina Lawal, a Nigerian Muslim woman who was sentenced to death under Sharia law for committing adultery.

As Labour Spokesperson on women's rights in the European Parliament, I believe I have to speak up for women. Fundamentalist religious organisations are by their nature anti-women. This, I am afraid, includes Hamas.

PROSTITUTION AND THE METROPOLITAN POLICE

2009-01-05T20:25:00.006Z

Season's geetings and good wishes for 2009.

This article appeared in the London Evening Standard on 31 December while I was on my Christmas/New Year break. As you will see, I am quoted in the last paragraph.

I thought I would put it up today to get back into blogging following my short absence.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23609917-details/We+turn+a+blind+eye+to+many+brothels%2C+admits+Yard+chief/article.do

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS PRESENT

2008-12-24T12:42:00.002Z

Some anonymous soul has arranged for me to rceive a free subscription to Evangelical Times http://www.evangelical-times.org/

Thank you for your kindness. Please don't be shy, if you let me know who you are I will return the compliment by subscribing you to my email bulletin if you do not get it already. Just email me at helen@maryhoneyball.net

I will now be taking a break from blogging until the New Year. I hope you have a good Christmas.

Best wishes

Mary

I SUPPORT SAME SEX MARRIAGE

2008-12-21T18:46:00.002Z

I have not got the titled T-shirt but now the reaction of right-wing Christian evangelical groups means I could not buy it if I wanted to from over 100 shops. This is simply wrong.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/cuttingedge-clothes-chain-faces-a-boycott-and-all-because-of-one-little-progay-tshirt-1206392.html

ADVENT PODCASTS

2008-12-19T21:08:00.002Z

I have been enjoying the New Humanist magazine's seasonal podcasts with Eddie Izzard, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry and more to come have a listen...

http://newhumanist.org.uk/1924

LEYLA ZANA

2008-12-18T15:06:00.001Z

Today I co-signed a letter in support of my fellow female activist Leyla Zana. Leyla was the first Kurdish woman to win a seat in the Turkish Parliament but in 1994 she was imprisoned by the Turkish authorities for speaking Kurdish in the Parliament. The European Parliament recognised that Leyla was a prisoner of conscience and awarded her the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1995. She collected this prize after her release in 2004.

Given that Turkey is striving to make changes, to promote human rights and to ensure freedom of expression as it attempts to join the EU, it is with regret that I have found out that Leyla Zana has once again been imprisoned. Below is the text of the letter that European MPs have written to the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

On 4th of December a Turkish court sentenced the politician and Sakharov Prize Laureate Leyla Zana to ten years in prison for "violating" the Turkish penal code and the Turkish anti-terror law in nine different speeches. We as Members of the European Parliament strongly condemn this court decision which is a major set back for the democracy process in Turkey. We believe that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right which has to be ensured in a democracy. But unfortunately we witnessed in the past that freedom of expression and also freedom of the press are still not fully protected in Turkey. It is not acceptable that people in Turkey are prosecuted for expressing non-violent opinions. We fear that this court decision, which also revoked Ms Zana's right to vote and run for political office was a political decision as regional elections will be held in Turkey on 29th of March 2009.

Therefore we urge you to make sure that the judgement against Leyla Zana will be annuled and ensure that freedom of expression in Turkey is fully in line with the International Human Rights Standards.

WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE

2008-12-17T11:34:00.005Z

I have just voted in favour of ending the UK opt-out from the Working Time Directive. Since the Working Time Directive improves the balance between work and home life, thereby helping women, as Labour's European Spokesperson on Women, I felt I really had to vote against the British opt out.

This opt-out allowed workers to agree to work longer, subject to certain limits. It specified no more than 60 hours a week on average when calculated over a period of three months or 65 hours where there is no collective agreement and "when the inactive period of on-call time is considered as working time."

The European Parliament decided by a small majority today that the opt out should go and that European workers should therefore be limited to a 48 hour week. However, as this may be calculated over a twelve month period, the net effect will not be as great as some feared. In addition, since the Directive will not come into force for some considerable while, there will be no immediate change, allowing time for new arrangements to be put in place.

There were two votes in the European Parliament on the opt out, both of which required a qualified majority of 393 votes. The first, on the opt out itself, was carried by 421 votes for to 273 against with 11 abstentions. The second vote was on the opt out plus calculating 48 hours a week over a period of 12 months (annualisation). The voting was 544 in favour, against 160 and 12 abstentions.

TASSOS PAPADOPOULOS

2008-12-16T17:47:00.002Z

With Tassos and Cypriots in Brussels

It is with great sadness that I report the untimely death of Tassos Papadopoulos, the former President of the Republic of Cyprus. Tassos passed away on Friday 12th December, having been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Nicosia General Hospital on November 22nd, suffering from lung cancer.

Tassos served as the Fifth President of the Republic of Cyprus from February 2003 to February 2008. His greatest achievement was Cyprus's entry to the European Union on May 1st, 2004. In January 2008, during his presidency, Cyprus also adopted the Euro currency.

Tassos was President at the time of the Annan Plan and its rejection by the Greek Cypriots in a referendum in 2004.

Tassos Papadopoulos was born on January 7, 1934 in Nicosia. He is survived by his wife Fotini and their four children. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

WOMEN MAKING PROGRESS IN ALBANIA

2008-12-15T17:08:00.002Z

Recently I co-signed a letter with my colleagues in the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee to the Albanian Parliament. We congratulated the Parliament for passing a new Gender Equality Law which included gender quotas of 30% for women. We wrote at the request of women's organisations in Albania and asked the Parliament to maintain the gender quotas in the upcoming reform of the Albanian Electoral Code.

The Committee has recently heard back from one of the women's organisations. I have copied the letter below. It is great to hear that our work has helped the situation of women in the Balkans.

'I am writing to say a HUGE thank you for your support to women’s organisations in Albania. The letter you sent to the Albanian Parliament was distributed shortly before the vote took place on the revised Electoral Code and greatly contributed to the outcome. On 20th November, the Committee voted in favour of a 30% gender quota. This is truly a historical moment in Albanian history for women’s rights and gender equality.

Thank you so much for your support and for the great difference you have made.'

MORE PRESSURE ON THE ASAI

2008-12-12T11:26:00.002Z

Following my complaint to the Irish Advertising Standards Authority, I have received a preliminary response from them. I find it rather shocking.

First they state that they are prepared to investigate complaints about commercial advertisements which have appeared in one of the advertising media that may be in breach of their Code. They then said that Ryanair's product is outside the Code.

I agree the calendar itself is outside the Code. It is up to us as campaigners to complain to Ryanair about this. But the marketing email Ryanair sent advertising the calendar is not exempt from the Code. It is this email that I complained about. This email featured all the same images of un-unionised female workers being 'pimped out' by Ryanair. I have written again to the ASAI to make sure that they realise this.

Is it me or are the ASAI trying to avoid dealing with Ryanair again? They have agreed to discuss the matter but I think we need to put pressure on them not to overlook it.

I urge you to write to the ASAI. More complaints may encourage them to act. Their email address is: standards@asai.ie

The text of the original letter of complaint that I sent to the ASAI is still available on the campaign site:

http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.phpt=43648631921&mbox_pos=0#/group.php?gid=34407854790

PAY GAP STATISTICS

2008-12-11T15:43:00.003Z

Recently I wrote an article in Tribune on the persistence of the gender pay gap. I worked with the Office of National Statistics to produce data on the gender pay gap in the London boroughs.

You can find this data here:

http://www.maryhoneyball.net/pay-gap-work-areas.xls
http://www.maryhoneyball.net/pay-gap-home-areas.xls

The first table shows the pay gap in a place of work, the second shows the pay gap in the place of residence.

I hope that this data will be useful in continuing the campaign for equal pay for women and men.

MY RESPONSE TO RYANAIR

2008-12-10T14:35:00.001Z

OPENING UP FAITH BASED SCHOOLS

2008-12-09T09:21:00.000Z

I am a member of Holborn and St.Pancras Constituency Labour Party. This motion for General Committee (GC) caught my eye and I give it my full support!

This GC notes that the Government has re-affirmed its commitment to the role of faith based schools within our education system.This GC believes that, in the first instance, education should be entirely secular.

However, this GC also recognises that over a third of schools within the maintained sector (and academies and city technology colleges) are faith schools, and that the vast majority of these are either Church of England or Roman Catholic. GC notes that faith schools are allowed, when over-subscribed, to offer a preference to pupils following their designated faith.

GC further notes the recent Government research, which discovered widespread non-compliance with the statutory admissions code. Most of the non-complying schools were faith schools. This GC believes that, especially in places like Camden with a highly diverse community and where schools are regularly over-subscribed, faith schools admission arrangements are damaging to community cohesion and social mobility. GC supports Frank Dobson MP's proposal that faith schools, which receive state subsidy, should accept at least 25% of their intake from
outside the faith to which the school subscribes.

We believe that faith schools could still offer education within a faith ethos without needing to discriminate via a form of covert selection.

Camden Town with Primrose Hill Branch Labour Parties.

GC to send this motion to Ed Balls MP, Frank Dobson MP and the Labour Party National Policy Forum

COMMISSION WEBSITES

2008-12-05T11:13:00.002Z

This new website, developed and funded by the European Commission, came to my attention this week:

http://www.farmland-thegame.eu/home_en.html

The site aims to teach children about farming in the Europe. Sadly it completely ruins any good work it does by using an image of an unhealthily thin and provocatively dressed young girl to guide users through the site.

I find it both shocking and depressing that the Commission’s Department for Health and Consumer Protection finds it acceptable to promote their work by using this image. Not only is it a horrific gender stereotype but it is also an extremely unhealthy image to promote to children. In the recent gender stereotyping report passed by Parliament, my colleagues and I noted that children are particularly impressionable audiences and that promoting unhealthy and unrealistic body images can negatively affect young viewers’ self-perception.

The DG Health evidently was not listening.

I have written a priority question to the Commission asking them what they were thinking of when they made this site and how much it cost to develop. I am also currently rallying support in the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee to take further action.

SURPRISE RESHUFFLE

2008-12-04T13:53:00.003Z

News broke yesterday that the European Commission President Barroso has announced a reshuffle of senior officials, without warning and apparently without consultation with his commissioners.

http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/barroso-springs-reshuffle-on-angry-commissioners/63279.aspx

Cathy Ashton and Margot Wallström were among those who objected to the move. And rightly so. As well as being an undemocratic move, this reshuffle does nothing to redress the appalling gender balance in the executive branch of the EU. The reshuffle means there will now be just four female heads of the 31 administrative departments. This will reduce to three when Claire Durand, the new head of the legal service, retires in July.

BUILDING EUROPE

2008-12-03T15:29:00.008Z

Ever since the enlargement of the European Union in 2004, many of our meeting rooms in Brussels have become increasingly full. With Romania and Bulgaria joining the EU in 2007 and growing interest in our meetings from lobbyists, many rooms were simply over crowded. This extra space will allow for more interested citizens to attend our public meetings.

At the end of last week a new building opened in Brussels to provide us with more meeting rooms and more space for the public to follow what goes on here.

Today I finally found time to have a look around the new building. Here are a few photos of the building, which is named after József Antall.

You can see more of my photos on my Flickr account

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maryhoneyballmep/

ADVERTISING CODES

2008-12-02T10:39:00.009Z

Yesterday I heard back from the British Advertising Standards Authority regarding the complaint I lodged against Ryanair's latest bout of sexist advertising. Because Ryanair's publicity emails were sent out from the company's headquarters, it is the Irish ASA that I need to contact with my complaint.

What is exciting is that the Irish ASA has a clause in its code of advertising standards stating:

'Marketing communications should respect the principle of the equality of men and women. They should avoid sex stereotyping and any exploitation or demeaning of men and women. '

The UK code does not have this, despite the calls earlier this year from the parliamentary Gender Equality committee for all European advertising monitors to address gender stereotyping. In fact, the British ASA contacted me in July to say that a clause on gender stereotyping would not be necessary. They argued the ASA code already provides sufficient regulation to ensure that advertising is not discriminatory or harmful to women.

Ryanair's recent advertising proves the British ASA wrong. Adverts containing harmful stereotypes persist. I have written to the Irish ASA to complain against the adverts. But I shall also find out whether Ryanair used the same publicity in Ireland as in the UK. I want to know why Irish women are protected from this advertising, but not British women.

If you would like to see the text of my letter to the ASAI, please join the facebook group below:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=602192398#/group.php?gid=34407854790&ref=mf

BREAKING GENDER STEREOTYPES

2008-11-28T16:49:00.002Z

Yesterday the Parliament hosted a conference on breaking gender stereotypes in small and medium-sized businesses. It brought together female and male entrepreneurs from across Europe to debate and share best practice on how to overcome sexist stereotypes in business.

Such discussions are vital for several reasons. They aim to make the work place fairer for all employees, encouraging people to be recognised for the skills they bring to a business rather than just for their gender. But this conference was also organised in order to help SMEs increase their productivity. It is essential that, especially during an economic downturn, the EU supports its smaller businesses. And smaller businesses can only truly maximise their resources if they allow their staff to flourish with supportive work-life measures for women and men and with equal opportunities for all.

For me, this conference is what Europe is all about: bringing together different national experiences to forge progress across the continent. Notions of ‘intercultural dialogue’ and other EU projects can sometimes seem unconnected with the everyday life of Europe’s citizens. But here is an example of exactly that dialogue in action. It will have a dramatic impact on citizens if it means that work places become fairer and more flexible for both men and women.

Of course, I can never understand why the Tories are so dogmatically eurosceptic. Perhaps if they had attended this excellent meeting they would have seen just how much Britain stands to lose if the Tories take us further away from Europe.

You can find out more about this EU programme here:
http://www.businessandgender.eu/

RYANAIR RETURNS

2008-11-27T16:53:00.004Z

You might be interested in this comment piece about Ryanair's Calendar on the Daily Telegraph's blog site:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/tracy_corrigan/blog/2008/11/27/girly_calendars_dont_offend_me_but_ryanair_does

LETTER TO ASA

2008-11-26T14:01:00.003Z

Yesterday I sent a letter to the Advertising Standards Authority, complaining about Ryanair's latest derogatory ad campaign. Please feel free to use this letter as a template if you would also like to write to the ASA and to register your complaint.

Advertising Standards Authority
Mid City Place
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6QT
24 September 2008
Dear Sir / Madam

RE: Ryanair's Charity Calendar Advertisements

I recently received a publicity email from Ryanair, which included a large advertisement for their 2009 charity calendar featuring semi-naked female cabin crew. The advert also included a link to a 'soft-porn' style video on the making of the Ryanair calendar.

This advertising appears to contravene paragraphs 2.2 (social responsibility) and 5.1 (decency) of the non-broadcast CAP code.

I have highlighted some issues below that are of particular concern:

o Have Ryanair checked that the recipients of this mass email are not minors? If not then they are ignoring their social responsibility to consumers and the wider public.

o Have all of Ryanair's staff consented to this calendar being made? This calendar clearly sexualises Ryanair's female cabin crew and may undermine them professionally. The calendar will, I hope, have been made with the consent of the staff appearing in it. But such advertising will have ramifications for the wider body of staff. It may contravene paragraph 13 of the CAP (protection of privacy). Ryanair does not recognise trade unions, making it vital that their advertising does not adversely affect a body of workers who must remain voiceless.

Ryanair's advertising has caused wide concern, as can be seen in the facebook campaign group that has been set up to raise awareness of the issue.

I ask you to take up these issues with Ryanair.

Yours faithfully

Mary Honeyball MEP

ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

2008-11-25T14:29:00.003Z

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The day was established by the UN in 1999 and was chosen to be on 25th November as it was on this day in 1960 that three Dominican sisters were murdered for campaigning against the dictator Rafael Trujillo.

Women's rights have progressed in the Dominican Republic and countless other countries since 1960. This is thanks to the leadership of the UN and other international organisations, not to mention the thousands of women - and men - on the ground who selflessly devote their lives to standing up for the rights of their sisters. But there is still a long way to go.

Just last week I co-signed a letter to the Nicaraguan ambassador to Brussels, written by my colleague on the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee, urging him to respect the human rights of women's rights activists in Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, a country where abortion is illegal in every instance, including when the life of the mother is at risk, women's rights defenders have faced physical harassment and intimidation by the government.

This is just one example of women still facing violence and harassment purely because they are women. It is clear that, on this day especially, we must ensure that we all continue to work to eliminate the horror of gender-based violence.

CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES STILL MOST LIKELY TO BE MALE

2008-11-24T18:41:00.004Z

As someone thoroughly committed to Electoral Reform, I'd like to recommend the following briefing. It's certainly worth subscribing to.

http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/downloads/wpe27.pdf

Stories in this bulletin include: Conservative Candidates still most likely to be male - no surprise there then!

AND

Global Gender Gap 2008 showing there's plenty more work and campaigning for me to do.... have a read.

BOOZE CRUISES ON BBC1 POLITICS SHOW TODAY

2008-11-23T10:06:00.005Z

I will be on the Politics Show (South West region only) today being interviewed on booze cruises. It is at 12 noon today (Sunday)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/7735297.stm

Or watch again via the BBC iPlayer:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fscnd/The_Politics_Show_South_West_23112008/

ABORTION PETITION

2008-11-22T17:26:00.004Z

I have signed this petition on changing the abortion laws in Northern Ireland. Abortion is still illegal in most cases in Northern Ireland. This means many women are forced to travel to the mainland UK or go to illegal and dangerous backstreet clinics. It is terrible that women in Northern Ireland do not have the same access to reproductive healthcare, and therefore the same freedom over their bodies, as women in the rest of the UK.

I would urge you to sign this petition too.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/abortionNI/

PLANE SEXIST

2008-11-21T11:01:00.004Z

Just a year on from its Britney Spears style ad of a scantily clad school girl was formally reprimanded, Ryanair has again done the dirty in a desperate bid for profits and pimped out its "sexiest" airline stewards in a "bare all" calendar.

You might like to read my Guardian Comment is Free article on Ryanair's advertising, or vote in the poll on the left.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/21/ryanair-advertising

The sexy calendar features Ryanair's staff posing in skimpy bikinis wielding hoses and sprawling across aircrafts. But worse still the links I received in a promotional email took me to a YouTube soft porn-style video of Ryanair staff being stroked by greased-up men and scintillating camera close-ups. I received this depressing advert in a spam email, with no age limit, to titillate its customers to "click on the video link to bare all". Be warned!

On a serious note, these women have no access to trade union representation. Ryanair does not recognise any worker organisation and accordingly no trade union has been able to establish itself in Ryanair to defend cabin crew. Even though some of these women could be happy to take part, who do they turn to if they're not?

PROSTITUTION DEBATE CONTINUED

2008-11-20T14:05:00.007Z

I have been following the debate in the media on Jacqui Smith's proposed changes to the prostitution laws and noticed this excellent article by my Labour Party colleague Fiona MacTaggart:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/19/prostitution-home-office

I posted a reply on the Guardian website which I have put below:

Fiona MacTaggart has hit the nail on the head by asking 'who chooses?' when it comes to prostitution. It was exactly this question that caused so much discomfort in recent meetings of the European Parliament's Women's Rights Committee.

This committee, which normally strives to overcome differences to promote the rights and welfare of women, could not unite behind a single position on prostitution. And it was not due to partisan differences but to fundamental disagreements over the issue of who chooses.

My German, Dutch and Austrian colleagues in the European Socialist Party refused to support a report written by a Swedish MEP about the health consequences of prostitution. The report pointed out that 'prostituted women are considerably more at risk of physical and psychological injuries related, not to extraordinary violence, but to the everyday practice of prostitution'. My colleagues' objection to the report was that it portrayed prostituted women as victims. They argued that instead prostitutes are women who have made a choice to work in the sex industry and ought to be supported in their choice. For these MEPs, the question 'who chooses' is a simple one.

But, as Fiona and my Swedish colleague note, the question is not simple. Even in countries where prostitution is legalised, such as Germany, Holland and Austria, women do not make a free or simple choice to enter prostitution. Figures showing the number of trafficked women and drug addicts who enter this trade are just one of many proofs of this.

The Swedish report on prostitution and health was rejected by the Parliament's Women's Committee. Speaking to the committee after the vote, the report's draftswoman condemned those voting against it for gagging the parliament on this important issue. By refusing to compromise on their views regarding the choice that these prostituted women make, the committee killed the report so it could not be debated by the wider Parliament. It is a great shame that we feminists, in our quest to support women and equality, cannot step aside from the emotive arguments regarding personal choice and let the facts on the violence and abuse suffered by too many prostitutes speak for themselves. Prostitution is, as my Swedish colleague said, the last great feminist taboo.

PROSECUTION FOR BUYING SEX

2008-11-20T10:49:00.002Z

Men may now be prosecuted if they pay for sex with women who are trafficked or controlled, eg by a pimp or drug dealer. Ignorance that the woman was being controlled will not be a defence and men who knowingly pay for sex with trafficked women may face rape charges.

The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has been courageous in introducing this legislation which also includes prosecution for first-time kerb crawlers. Despite criticisms from the likes of former Tory Leader Michael Howard, these measures will, I believe, help bring down the numbers of women trafficked into prostitution.

Never underestimate the numbers of women involved. The Metropolitan Police have estimated that 70 percent of the 88,000 women in prostitution in England and Wales are under the control of traffickers. Trafficking is a brutal and inhuman crime. Men who use prostitutes who have been trafficked are feeding this crime.

Since nearly three quarters of prostitutes in this country have been trafficked there is a very strong chance that those men who visit prostitutes will have sex with a trafficked woman. Studies show that use generates demand. This means that without action such as that taken by the Home Secretary the number of women trafficked into the UK will only go up.

The new legislation has come about following a six month consultation so it is well thought through and not a knee jerk reaction. Yes, I would have liked to see paying for sex outlawed all together as in Sweden, but it was clear the public in this country would not accept such a radical measure all in one go. I do, however, hope we may come back to this in the future and that the present position will not be set in stone for all time.

I think it is telling that the police support the Home Secretary's proposed new laws. The legislation is based in part on evidence from Pentameter, the police operation in London which did much to tackle trafficking in the capital. Her proposals have also been welcomed by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

TORIES ABSTAIN ON EQUAL PAY REPORT

2008-11-19T15:45:00.004Z

The Tories in the European Parliament yesterday abstained from voting to reduce the gender pay gap across Europe.

The gender pay gap report was written by German centre-right MEP Edit Bauer. Calling for a review and analysis of all member states' existing legislation on the application of equal pay and establishing best practice on the issue, it was ratified by the European Parliament with a large majority.

But Tories voted against a number of amendments on the report that gave weight to the recommendations, including one to name and shame employers who are guilty of pay discrimination. They also rejected recommending that equality bodies should have legal powers to bring wage discrimination to court.

As happens so often, the Tories have said one thing in the UK but done the exact opposite in Europe.

The report also recommended the introduction of obligatory regular pay audits and the publication of their results. This own initiative report has similar leverage in the European Parliament as a House of Commons Select Committee Report.

MP LOSES ALLOWANCE BECAUSE OF "RUDE" BLOG

2008-11-19T15:30:00.004Z

Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West, has recently had part of his House of Commons parliamentary allowance taken away because his blog, allegedly paid for out of the public purse, ws deemed "rude" as well as disseminating political propaganda.

You can read the full story on the link below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7736245.stm

I think this an unnecessarily harsh punishment by the House of Commons authorities. Communicating with their electorates is one of the main jobs of MPs and other representatives including MEPs. We should not be shackled by unelected bureaucrats.

GARY TITLEY, LEADER EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY LABOUR PARTY

2008-11-19T13:28:00.005Z

BREAKING NEWS.

Gary Titley, Labour MEP for the North West Region and current Leader of the European Labour Party (EPLP), is to stand down as EPLP Leader on 14 January next year.

This means that the EPLP will have to elect a new leader to take Labour into the European Elections in June 2009.

We could have an intersting contest on our hands. Watch this space.

WATERSTONES CAVES INTO EXTREMISM

2008-11-18T14:58:00.005Z

I saw this disturbing story...

http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/2008/11/stephen-green-makes-late-bid-for-bad.html

RYANAIR'S ADVERTISING

2008-11-18T09:25:00.008Z

Last year Ryanair were reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority for using sexually provocative photos of women dressed up as school girls along with the headline "Hottest Back to School Fares".

Last night I received an email from Ryanair advertising their latest sale and 2009 calendar of scantily clad staff who "bare all".

Do you think this is an acceptable way to portray your female cabin crew? Why not take part in the poll I've added to this blog?

FAIR REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENT

2008-11-17T16:45:00.004Z

Congratulations to Harriet Harman on the Speakers’ Conference on women and members of ethnic minority groups in Parliament. If Parliament is ever going to be a fully representative body for all sections of our society, women, black people and people with disabilities all have to be there.

The current situation where less than 20 percent of MPs are women is really not tenable. It’s one third in the European Parliament, which, though much better, is still not good enough. According to the “Guardian” today, it will take 400 years for the Conservatives to reach gender balance in the House of Commons. There should also be four times as many minority ethnic MPs as at present.

Sadly, our legislature is not at all representative. The political class, from which more and more of our MPs are drawn, to which Hazel Blears referred over the weekend, is growing apace. It is a grouping which is almost all white and middle class. This is not good news for democracy.
The number of MPs from outside the middle class, i.e. from manual worker backgrounds, is falling rapidly. While I think this is more difficult to define than race or sex in that people born into such circumstances can become middle class through education and life experience, we still need to bear this matter in mind.

As something close to my heart, I would like the Speaker’s Conference to look at our voting system. No other country in Europe uses first past the post for elections to their parliament. In this country the narrowing political class concentrates on the 20 or so percent of marginal seats which will decide the next general election. These seats are by their nature particular and unlike the remaining 80 percent.

Any system which sees only 20 percent of the country as electorally significant will never be fully representative. As someone who is elected by a proportional system, I believe it is much fairer in that every vote counts. Electoral reform would be a real challenge for the Speaker’s Conference and one they should take on board.

EU WORKING FOR WOMEN

2008-11-17T13:11:00.005Z

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

2008-11-14T10:50:00.005Z

This week I was invited to give a speech on Women in Business at this year's GCC Euro Expo in London. I thought you might be interested to see what I said:

First may I thank the organisers for inviting me to speak at such an exciting and important event as this Gulf Cooperation Council European Expo. With the recent shake-ups in global financial sectors it is clear that now is a crucially important time to support businesses and to promote trade between Britain and the rest of the world.

But a key way for enterprises to grow and to prosper is by having more women working in business. The European Union is currently working towards its Lisbon policy objective of creating more growth and jobs across the continent by achieving 60% employment for women across the EU by 2010. Since Labour came into power in Britain more women are in work than ever before. But while improvements have been made all over Europe there is still not a single EU country in which the percentage of women in the labour force reaches even 50%. Moreover, studies show that of those women who are employed, business is still a minority occupation with men far more likely to be working as business managers, entrepreneurs or to be self-employed. Business remains an unpopular choice for the women of Europe.

What is holding women back from entering into business? And how can the European Union help to address the discrepancy between the genders and so ensure that businesses profit from having the best and the brightest working for them, no matter what their sex?

There are undoubtedly many issues that could be discussed here and that I hope will be discussed during this session. But I will focus on just three factors I consider to be crucial in preventing more women from working in business: education, work / life balance and the inhospitable climate in the business world.

Firstly, whist women consistently perform better than men both at school and at university, they are still underrepresented in the fields of science and mathematics. It is the study of these subjects that often leads to a career in enterprise. The EU is working to increase the overall number of graduates in science and mathematics by at least 15% by 2010 and MEPs on the women's committee have called for further measures specifically to encourage women into these subjects. Universities need to engage in more schemes that promote the study of maths and science to women and so break down some of the gender stereotypes that exist in education. And the EU needs to continue to support them in this.

Secondly, balancing the commitments of domestic life with a career has long been a factor in keeping women out of work. Motivated and educated women are more likely to be either unemployed or stuck in temporary or part-time work in their 20s and 30s than men are at the same age. This is often because they are held back as they are unable to find affordable childcare. Moreover, self-employed women, many of whom work in the business sector, have been particularly vulnerable to work / life clashes because they are not entitled to the same maternity provisions as colleagues.

But in an exciting recent move, the European Commission has announced an overhaul of existing legislation as part of a package to help working mothers. Whilst still in its infancy, this package will give self-employed women the right to paid maternity leave through their country's social security plan. It will also urge European states to live up to their commitments to provide affordable childcare. Only five EU countries, including the UK, have surpassed the childcare provision target for children under three years old despite the EU providing €500m to enable them to reach this goal. Who knows how many talented women are held back from entering and energising the business sector because they cannot find affordable healthcare? Who knows how many entrepreneurial women have been put off from starting their own businesses because of the lack of state maternity provision? Let us hope that this package will start to remove some of these barriers to women in business.

Finally, and perhaps the most difficult barrier to overcome, certainly through regulation alone, is the inhospitable climate facing women that is present in businesses around the globe. Women are still hugely underrepresented in business boardrooms. The gender pay gap in the private sector is 25% - far above the public sector figure of 15%. And women face subtle discrimination in recruitment practices around Europe. The European Union is doing what it can to tackle these problems, from supporting womens' business networks at a local level to passing legislation to outlaw gender discrimination at the international level. But ultimately, change must come from within the business community. Businesses must realise the vast amounts of talent that they are missing by remaining dominated by men. They must realise that their productivity could increase vastly if women, as well as men, were able to fulfill their potential in business.

2009 is the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. I hope that in this year we can increase our level of creativity and innovation in Europe's trade with the rest of the world. But I hope that we do this by allowing women to play their vital role in business.

TORY WHIP WITHDRAWN FROM DEN DOVER

2008-11-13T13:33:00.005Z

Den Dover, a North West MEP and former Tory Chief Whip in the European Parliament, has had the Conservative Whip removed. You may remember he was accused of employing his wife and daughter via a family-owned company in explicit defiance of Parliament regulations. The official inquiry undertaken by the European Parliament has now found Den Dover guilty and he has agreed to pay back over £500,000 of "unaccountable expenditure".

The "Guardian" link below gives the full story:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/13/conservatives-david-cameron

According to today's "Daily Telegraph" Den Dover, who was, incidentally, unavailable for comment yesterday, had earlier said:

"They (the wife and daughter) get market rates, but they put in two or three times the number of hours - they just never stop, and I pray tribute to their hard work. Therefore I am totally innocent of any charges."

NORWAY ON TOP

2008-11-12T15:23:00.002Z

You might be interested in this article on the BBC News website about closing the gender gap. The Nordic countries come out well in terms of equality, as does New Zealand.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7722389.stm

THE WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE

2008-11-11T10:39:00.006Z

The article below appeared in the "Guardian" Comment is Free section on Saturday. The Working Time Directive has proved very controversial. Despite what you may have read, agreement has not yet been reached.

Mary Honeyball

guardian.co.uk, Saturday November 8 2008 18.00 GMT

Labour MEPs voted this week to end Britain's opt-out from the working time directive – which limits the working week to 48 hours – in 2011. Ignore the sceptics: the directive would be a good piece of legislation. It seeks to improve the work-life balance that it recognises is necessary to increase women's employment. It looks at creating a more satisfactory working environment to respond better to workers' demands, particularly from those with family responsibilities. In addition, it tries to protect the health and safety of workers.
Although the European Parliament's employment and social affairs committee voted to abolish the opt-out, the decision is not yet law: the matter still needs to go before the full European parliament, scheduled for the week beginning December 15.
The European Council (the employment ministers of the member states, in this instance) took a different view: they wanted to preseve the right to opt out. Differences of view between the Parliament and the council are not that uncommon in EU land. But both must agree if the legislation is to go through. There will no doubt be lengthy and difficult negotiations right up to the crucial European parliament vote. The whole package is genuinely up for grabs, and your guess on the final outcome is as good as mine.
So it is really too soon to lambast Labour MEPs for voting against the wishes of the British government. Yes, the Labour MEPs on the employment committee did vote to end the opt-out after three years. But the full European parliamentary Labour party has yet to vote in the plenary session of the European parliament in December. I can honestly say that we have not yet decided what to do, and we are unlikely to be able to take an informed view until the negotiations between parliament and council are concluded.
I agree that the EU has a long drawn out and not very user-friendly way of creating laws. Interestingly, the UK opposition parties have not complained about the bureaucracy this time, as is their wont on many matters before the EU. Both Philip Bushill-Matthews for the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrat spokesperson Liz Lynne have instead chosen to focus on the alleged disagreement between Labour MEPs and the PM.
Many of the objections raised at the start of the directive's journey through the EU labyrinth have already been ironed out. Were it to go through, it would be exactly the kind of law thart does credit to the EU. What is more, treating workers the same across the EU is very welcome for the single market, one of the few EU agreements accepted by all the major political parties in Britain.

ROBERT EVANS MEP

2008-11-10T14:45:00.002Z

My colleague and good friend Robert Evans has just announced that he will not be standing as an MEP again. Robert will therefore continue in the European Parliament until the European elections in June next year.

Robert will be missed by his many friends. He has been a hard working and conscientious MEP, serving as Chair of the European delegation to South Asia and as a member of the Transport Committee. He is also a former Vice-Chair of the Civil Liberties Committee. Robert has been an outstanding constituency MEP as his regard in London amply demonstrates.

London in Europe will not be the same without Robert. May I, along with many others I am sure, wish him all the very best for the future.

A PATRIOTIC WEEKEND

2008-11-09T13:20:00.003Z

Maybe by accident rather than design, I feel as if I have had a patriotic and possible celebratory couple of days. The Lord Mayor’s Show yesterday and now Remembrance Sunday have made this a fairly untypical couple of days.

Of course we should remember those who gave their lives in both World Wars and all the other conflicts where men and women have been sent to fight. There is no question about this, and it is a tribute to our armed services, veterans’ organisations and everyone else involved both nationally and locally that we have the level and seriousness of remembrance we have experienced today.

Yet I always feel uncomfortable watching the spectacle at the Cenotaph, especially now when Britain is involved in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq and has troops stationed in other parts of the world. Our country is still sending young men all over the globe to be slaughtered in some foreign field.

Only this morning the Chief of Defence Staff, Sir Jock Stirrup, made the case for the war in Afghanistan on the Andrew Marr programme. It boiled down to this: since there is a vacuum is a dangerous part of the world, someone needs to make sure things do not get out of hand.

While I would not disagree with this, I would have thought Stirrups’s argument is grounds for full international co-operation. Even I, a Labour MEP with a history of anti-war activity, would concede that it is sometimes necessary to send troops to troubled parts of the world, especially when such action would help reduce terrorism and curtail the drugs trade. However, I do think the pain and suffering should be equally shared by all the countries who stand to gain.

Notwithstanding the fact that the City of London is not at all integrated into the rest of London government, the Lord Mayor’s Show is a great spectacle. I was fortunate to be invited to watch it by the Stationers and Papermakers Livery Company.

There has been a Lord Mayor of London since 1189, though it wasn't until 1215, when King John granted a Charter allowing the City's citizens to elect their own mayor, that the Lord Mayor's Show actually came into being. The Charter stipulated that the new Mayor must be presented to the Sovereign for approval and to swear fealty to the Crown, so each year the newly elected Mayor had to travel from the City to Westminster to pledge allegiance.

The Lord Mayor has been making that yearly journey for 784 years. The modern Lord Mayor's procession is a direct descendant of that first journey to Westminster.

On a weekend when war in Europe is on our minds it was interesting to reflect on the unbroken nature of British history and tradition. Never really having suffered invasion and revolution like most EU countries, events such as the Lord Mayor’s Show have survived more or less in their original form. The same applies to many of our organs of state and institutions of government. This can sometimes be a weakness rather than a strength.

While the current financial crisis is not the time to introduce constitutional reform, I would urge the Prime Minister to return to this sooner rather than later. While I would always wish to maintain the helpful parts of history and tradition, Gordon Brown would do us all good by dragging those elements in Britain which require it into the twentieth century.

GLENROTHES

2008-11-08T10:35:00.003Z

What an amazing victory. There is no doubt now that the Labour Party and our Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, are back in the race. Even more so as both the Tories and Lib Dems lost their deposits. Although Glenrothes was always going to be a contest between Labour and the SNP, the exceptionally poor showing by the two major opposition parties may be significant for a general election.

Gordon took a brave decision to campaign in the constituency which clearly paid off. Sarah was, as ever, a tremendous asset. It’s good to see her taking a higher profile role, and the great thing about Sarah is that she invariably makes the right judgement about what her role should be.

Congratulations to Lindsay Roy, obviously a well known and popular local head teacher and community stalwart. This by-election pressed all the right buttons. I’m even more confident now that we, the Labour Party can, and will, keep it up.

WOMAN'S HOUR POLITICAL BLOGS

2008-11-07T10:01:00.004Z

This blog had a honourable mention on "Woman's Hour" yesterday during a discussion on political blogs. The item featured ace blogger, Tory Iain Dale, and Professor Jean Seaton. It arose out of Hazel Blears's widely reported comments that political blogs were nasty, brutish but not very short. (The last of those descriptions is my own - I just think many blogs are too long).

At the end of the piece, both Iain and Jean were asked to name blogs they like and Jean mentioned this very one. Thank you Jean. It's great to know you, and hopefully others, like my blog.

You can listen to the Woman's Hour discussion by clicking on the picture below.

SOMALIAN WOMAN STONED TO DEATH

2008-11-06T12:57:00.002Z

A copy of this important and shocking letter addressed to Frank Dobson, MP for Holborn and St Pancras, was copied to me. The writer lives in Frank's consituency and, as you can see, speaks very much from the heart.

Some years ago I took up the case of a Nigerian woman, Amina Lawal, who was convicted of adultery by a sharia court and sentenced to death by stoning. Thanks to pressure from around the world, including Amnesty International, she was repreieved, unlike this poor woman.

I would ask everyone who reads this to do whatever they can to stop this kind of behaviour which really should not be happening anywhere in the world in the 21st century.

"I was shocked and incredibly moved when I heard of the 13 year old Somalian rape victim, Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, who was convicted of adultery and then stoned to death by 50 men, with over a thousand spectators. This is absolutely horrific and barbaric and I, personally, cannot help but feel distressed at the prospect of what she and her family must have gone through. Not only did the authorities fail to protect her and bring about justice concerning the gang-rape, but they again failed her when they did not prevent this unspeakable act of violence and cruelty from happening. I implore you to investigate this further and do everything in your power to prevent such brutality from occurring again, as well as fighting to bring these people to justice. If the matter is outof your hands, I ask for you to please forward this on to the relevant parties."

OBAMA'S LANDMARK VICTORY

2008-11-06T10:45:00.001Z

The excitement surrounding Obama's victory reminds me of Tony Blair's landslide in 1997. I was there on 2 May when Whitehall was besieged by exuberant well-wishers. The mood stayed that way for some years and Tony Blair never lost an election. His government invested in the National Health Service, raised educational standards to the extent that upward social mobility is now improving and virtually eradicated unemployment.

Blair's landslide was, of course, due in large part to his belief in a better future and his personal charisma. It was also caused by the country being sick of Thatcher and Major and Tory sleaze. People desperately wanted a new dawn.

The same is very true of the Obama victory. The big themes of the Republican Party - tax cutting, outlawing abortion and supporting marriage - are no longer what Americans want. The Republicans were forced to select John McCain, a maverick with unorthodox views, because there was no electable mainstream candidate. McCain then chose Sarah Palin to appease the Republican base, and look where that got him.

America is also becoming less white. US Census Bureau figures indicate that by 2042 white Americans will be in a minority. Some cannier Republicans, notably Karl Rove, understood the electoral implications of this demographic change, which is why President G W Bush supported a liberal policy on immigration, almost certainly much against his instincts.

Even more significant is that not only is segregation dead, but an African-American had succeeded to the highest office in the land. I'm not sure whether this has really yet sunk in. It will transform politics not only in America, but across the world.

Barack Obama is an amazing individual. Bill Clinton was often referred to as an extraordinary American. Mr Obama is ahead even of Mr Clinton. I have a new feeling of optimism which has been lacking for some long time.

THE NEXT AMERICAN PRESIDENT

2008-11-05T07:37:00.002Z

So Obama has won. Indeed we have won. I think we’ve known for some time what the result would be and it’s now confirmed.

Americans have at last faced up to the racism in their past and voted to draw that terrible era to a close.

Americans have also demonstrated just how fed up they were with the stupid white men who governed them for the past eight years.

I have just one word to say to Barack Obama: women. Hillary gained a great deal of support from working class women. If he is to be a true bringer of change, Obama needs to work for the female half of the population and for women across the world.

Barack – we will be watching you.

THE MISOGYNY OF ROSS AND BRAND

2008-11-04T11:54:00.003Z

I am going to make one last comment on the Ross/Brand saga and then leave it behind which is where the whole messy tale deserves to be.

The following extract from an article by India Knight in the Sunday Times at the week-end (2 November) puts it very well. Congratulations to India for exposing the attitudes of both Ross and Brand to women.

"......what lies at the centre of this sorry saga is misogyny. None of it would have happened if Ross and Brand displayed - or were asked to display - even an iota of respect for women. Instead, both men have made part of their living out of treating women - wives and mothers excluded - as though they were pieces of meat. This can be very funny but it sticks in the craw.
Ross has an Achilles’ heel: he is a marvellous interviewer of men, but reduces every single female interviewee to meat status. Basically, his whole shtick boils down to “I’d do you”. Unless the woman in question is ancient or deformed, Ross crushes any spark of opinion until said woman can be squashed back into the box labelled “totty”.

Brand, whose issues with sex addiction are well documented, has a similar problem. I interviewed him last summer. He was, shall we say, attentive, rather distractingly so as I sat trying to take notes and keep the conversation on track. My interview appeared in due course.
Three weeks ago I got an e-mail from a friend suggesting that I listen to that week’s radio show podcast. Now, I didn’t go to Brand’s house batting my eyelashes or bandying killer chat-up lines (“My grandpa was Coco the Clown”, maybe); I went to do my job. I was therefore taken aback to find myself named on air as a prelude to Brand discussing my bosoms with, surreally, Noel Gallagher from Oasis, who insistently asked: “Did you sleep with her?”, a question that caused Brand to speculate in some detail about what sleeping with me might have been like. None of this was mean or cruel, but it was out of order and reductive: woman, ergo piece of meat, fair game, punchline, nonperson.

In Ross’s and Brand’s world, it is assumed that all women are gagging for a bit of the old trouser goodness. I don’t necessarily blame them for this: many male celebrities do indeed find it to be so and this assumption happens to be shared by most men - it's just that most men are more discreet about airing their misogyny, because they have normal lives and engage with normal women in normal places, such as offices. Ross, Brand and others operate from ivory towers, no matter how populist their appeal.

The BBC’s failure was in not identifying the alarming propensity of its two presenters for galloping, off-the-scale sexism and in making no attempt to rein it in".

KILLER HEELS AGAIN

2008-11-03T19:50:00.001Z

I am returning to this subject as I read a very good piece in the Guardian G2 today by Hadley Freeman, the generally sensible fashion editor. Come to think of it a Guardian fashion editor who was anything other than sensible would be a contradiction in terms.

Hadley likens five inch heels to Victorian corsets, the kind which shrank women's waists to half the circumference of their hips and broke ribs into the bargain. Thankfully such barbarity died out after the First World War when a wave of women's emancipation flooded across Europe. The corset faded away, though vestiges of the idea reappeared in the 1950s when constricting underwear made a fairly brief appearance. Nowadays, while some underwear claims to improve the silhouette, it's very rare for it to hurt or cause harm.

So why the killer heels, which actually do hurt and cause damage to the feet and back? Why are these terrible things being promoted and why are serious newspapers, with the honourable exception of the Guardian, running articles taking the view that women should actually indulge in this form of self-torture?

Hadley thinks women in killer heels look like "small children make believing at being grown up". I think it's more to do with incapacitating women. "Sexy" is all too often construed as pliant, malleable and ultimately weak. After all there is not much power in being skinny, ie underfed, and dressed in such a way that it's impossible to move freely. In this sense five and six inch heels are the modern corset. I also believe the pressure to diet and be thin can be seen in the same way.

The 64,000 dollar question is, of course, why do so many women go along with what others, society if you prefer that terminology, want for them even when it is manifestly not in their own interests? Women obviously feel pressured to conform to a certain image and behave in certain ways. Some of this image and some of these behaviours are positively detrimental. It would, I believe, be better for all of us if women, and men as well, felt less need to look and act in certain ways and felt freer to pursue their own destinies, as long as they did not harm others in the process.

SCANDAL OF MOTHERS HELD IN PRISON

2008-11-03T17:45:00.002Z

I had the following letter printed in the Independent on Saturday 1 November.
The letter deals with a very important topic. I therefore thank the Independent for being bold enough to publish it, including my direct criticism of Tory MEPs.

Scandal of mothers held in prison

Your report on the devastatingly high numbers of mothers imprisoned in the UK for non-violent offences (front page, 27 October) raises an important issue for those of us in front-line politics. In Brussels this year, my colleagues and I made recommendations to EU governments stating that pregnant women and mothers of young children should be jailed only as a last resort.
The report's recommendations, to alleviate the mental and physical dangers posed to mothers and children by a prison environment, were voted through by most MEPs across all countries and parties. But, embarrassingly for the UK, our Conservative MEPs abstained from voting. The Tory MEP Chris Heaton-Harris said the findings of the report "are more coherent with somebody who watched too much Prisoner: Cell Block H as a child than the actual situation of women in prisons".
I hope that your reporting of the realities of numbers of mothers in prison will wake politicians who deny what life is like for a mother raising her child behind bars and spur immediate action to redress this rising birth rate in jails.

Mary Honeyball MEP
Labour Spokesperson in the European Parliament, Women's Rights Committee, London W9

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SHOULD BE LOCATED IN BRUSSELS

2008-10-31T15:06:00.003Z

Yes, I am returning to the Strasbourg question. My British colleagues from all parties , as far as know without exception, want the European Parliament to meet in one place. That place should obviously be Brussels.

There is at present a Written Declaration (similar to an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons) before the European Parliament as follows::

1. Calls on the Member States to amend the Protocol on the location of the seat of the institution, in order to allow the Parliament to hold all its sessions in Brussels
2. Instructs its President to forward this declaration, together with the names of the signatories, to the other EU institutions and to Member States and to actively promote this solution.

Written declarations have to be submitted by five MEPs. This one was put forward by Catherine Stihler, my Labour colleague from Scotland, Alexander Alvaro and Frederique Ries, Liberals from Germany and Belgium respectively, Finnish MEP Pia-Noora Kauppi who is a member of the EPP centre-right group and Helga Trupel, a Green also from Germany.

If you would like to know more about this and related issues, please go to: http://www.ep-reform.eu/

I’s high time we ended the Strasbourg nonsense. It would be very helpful if you would sign the online petition to have the European Parliament located in Brussels: http://www.oneseat.eu

CYPRUS INDEPENDENCE DAY DINNER

2008-10-30T18:36:00.000Z

The National Federation of Cypriots in the UK and the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood held their annual dinner to celebrate Cyprus Independence Day yesterday. In the delightful Atrium Restaurant in Westminster we were privileged to hear Cyprus Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou tell us about the current position in the Cyprus talks.

He was cautiously optimistic, as we all are, but felt that Mehmet Ali Talat, the Leader in the north was far less positive that Mr Christofias, the President of the Republic of Cyprus. He briefed us all on the main issues: property rights, missing persons and foreign troops, and said that the discussions so far had been only preliminary talks. The real meat has yet to come to the table .

It was very good to hear from a member of the government in the Republic. It was also a good event in that I was able to catch up with many friends in the Cypriot community in London whom I haven’t seen for a while. My thanks to all those involved in organising the evening.

GOOD RIDDANCE

2008-10-30T18:09:00.001Z

Good riddance to both Russell Brand, who at least had the good grace to resign, and Jonathan Ross who has not, though it looks as if his contract is in serious danger

While I am totally on the side of Andrew Sachs and his grand-daughter, I am deeply troubled that this story has become so all-consuming. Two overpaid, naff “comedians”, one aged though thoroughly decent actor and a his showbiz grand-daughter have relegated everything else to the shadows.

Where are we going? What does this show about Britain in the 21st century.

KILLER HEELS

2008-10-30T11:12:00.001Z

During the past week I have seen half a dozen articles in serious publications about high heels , for women that is. And not just two – three inches, but five to six inches. Celebs such as the absurd Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow, a talented actress who seems to be going off the rails, have been photographed in ridiculously silly shoes. Publicity seeking fashion designers, notably Christian Louboutin, intend to bring out five to six inch heel shoes for general consumption, if you can afford £300 upwards for a pair of shoes, that is.

The trend to uncomfortable shoes which are almost impossible to walk in is worrying on at least two levels. Health is one of them. Even moderately high heels cause any number of feet and back problems; five to six inches shouldn’t be contemplated. High heels also restrict women’s mobility. Being six feet tall isn’t much good if you can’t do anything very much.

I do wonder if we are seeing another move to “keep women in their place”. If you feel the need to spend hard earned cash on very silly footwear which you can’t walk in, it’s surely bound to have an effect on your general effectiveness. Killer heels should be strongly resisted by all women (other than mad celebs, of course).

THE TORIES' PRETTY LITTLE HEAD

2008-10-28T17:08:00.000Z

Did you know that the Tories have hired a marketing firm called "Pretty Little Head" to advise Cameron and Co on how to relate to women?

Obviously the Old Etonian Bullingdonites feel women are a bit beyond them. The evidence bears this out. A recent Ipsos Mori poll for the Fawcett Society found that 44 percent of women are satisfied with David Cameron's performance as Tory leader compared with 52 percent of men.

The question is, will "Pretty Little Head" crack it for them? I really don't think an outfit with a name like "Pretty Little Head" stands much chance with the majority of women voters. Patronising or what?

FRIDAY IN LONDON

2008-10-28T09:29:00.000Z

I don't usually write about my days in London as they are generally taken up with going through work with my staff based in the Region and similar activities.

However, last Friday I met up with Glenys Thornton (Baroness Thornton) who is an old and close friend. She also happens to be a Whip in the Lords with responsibility for health.

She was, in fact, off to Luxembourg for a meeting of European Health Ministers who were to discuss the pharmaceutical industry and social care - all in a weekend's work I guess.

Quite by chance, I had met John Carr, Glenys's husband, or should I say Glenys is John's wife, earlier in the week in Strasbourg. As just about the world leader in combating child abuse on the internet, John was in Strasbourg to attend the Council of Europe who were looking at this issue.

It was good to see both of them. One of the great things about politics is the way you make longstanding friendships.

CANVASSING

2008-10-28T09:20:00.002Z

Yes we still do it, and more often than many of you may think.

I was out in Kentish Town on Sunday where there is a Council by-election this coming Thursday. As a Camden resident and a member of Holborn and St Pancras Labour Party, which includes Kentish Town, I wanted to make a contribution to the by-election. Added to which, the local campaign is being organised by Hilary Lowe, a long standing friend and stalwart Party activist.

We have an excellent candidate in Awale Olad, a local youth worker who lives in the ward, is a member of Kentish Town's Safer Neighbourhood Panel and is passionate about his area.

The by-election was caused as the sitting Liberal Democrat Councillor, Philip Thompson, secretly moved to Arizona. Unbelievably, the Lib Dem leadership in Camden tried to cover this up while Cllr Thompson continued to claim his £700 month allowance. He only owned up and resigned when he was exposed in the newspapers.

Given this controversy you may have expected the Lib Dems to select a real Kentish Town person. Not a bit of it. Nick Russell, the by-election candidate, lives in West Hampstead. What is more, he only moved there in 2005, following a tour of the United States. What is it about Camden Lib Dems and the USA?

Kentish Town deserves a campaigning local person who will put the interests of the ward and its people first. Awale is the only choice.

THE PEER, THE BANKER AND THE OLIGARCH

2008-10-27T19:26:00.002Z

Jonathan Dimbleby on the "Daily Politics" this morning quoted a former Tory grandee as telling aspiring politicians to avoid invitations to cavort on yachts. What a wise man (they were all men in those days).

The tangled saga of the peer, the oligarch, the banker and the Rt Hon Tory seems set to run and run. I have to say I dislike these kinds of stories. This one, in particular, attempts to tell of some kind of scandal, or even scandals, on the back of tales of the super rich designed, I imagine, to add flavour and spice to what, as far as I can make out, is essentially something of nothing.

Having said that, I do think the Rt Hon Tory George Osborne's judgement was suspect for two things - leaking his purported conversation with the peer (Baron Mandelson of Foy and Hartlepool as he now is) about the alleged shortcomings of our Prime Minister and seeking money from the oligarch, the richest man in Russia, Oleg Deripaska. It's the second of these which is important in that Osborne was apparently looking to if not circumvent, then at least stretch, British law regarding political donations.

We are told that the banker, Nat Rotschild, didn't much like Osborne's behaviour, which he seemed to view as abusing his hospitality. Fair enough if you ask me. Now, just to add another layer of speculation, we learn that certain shadowy EU officials are having a go at Peter Mandelson because they don't seem to approve of his relationship with the Deripaska. (We never said this story was easy).

The "Times" ran an article today quoting the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, saying that Lord Mandelson's actions as Trade Commissioner had all been above board. However, this has not stopped concern being expressed about the impact of Peter Mandelson's refusal to give a full breakdown of his activities, which surfaced in Brussels during a top-level conversation late last week, according to EU sources.

Perhaps this slight disagreement between the PM and Brussels bureaucrats is understandable. What is completely mystifying is that the European Commission has also announced that Lord Mandelson's diary is not a public document but a management tool and is therefore exempt from freedom of information rules. It seems that the EU wants to have it both ways by attacking Mandy than refusing to release something which could have provided evidence to back up their case. The end result is confusion all round, which may have been the desired effect.

It is, however, true that standards of transparency are more exacting in the UK that in the EU. This goes for MEPs as well as Commissioners. The strange behaviour on the part of leading figures in Brussels regarding disclosure of information relating to a Commissioner only goes to underline this unfortunate fact. I believe if the EU is to ever become a serious player it needs to put its own house in order by introducing clear rules of behaviour which are fully open to public scrutiny. Such action should be taken sooner rather than later.

THIS BATTY BLOG

2008-10-24T18:20:00.002+01:00

I, your very own batty blogger, returned from Strasbourg yesterday evening. I must say I am glad to be back in London. The Strasbourg circus takes its toll and it’s always good to get home.

I thought I’d go in for a bit of light relief today. Please see Martin Meenagh’s comments on my blog. I’m glad he is developing a bizarre affection for it, and there are probably worse things to be than batty.

Thank you Martin.

Martin Meenagh said about the Atheist Bus Campaign...

This bus campaign sounds like a bit of fun. When Florence on the Magic roundabout completely lost it, she turned into a 'number 13 to the strand' as I recall. What bus will you be when caricatures of catholicism finally make you pop a vessel Mary?

I completely apologise. It was Ermintrude who went mental, and decided that she was a number 12. My bad.I am developing a bizarre affection for this batty blog. Please do not reciprocate.

22 October 2008 08:23

EXTENDING EDUCATION IN EUROPE

2008-10-23T16:11:00.001+01:00

On Tuesday we voted on a report by French Liberal Marielle de Sarnez seeking more participation in the new Erasmus Mundus programme.

As a member of the Culture and Education Committee and Labour Spokesperson on the Committee, I watched the fate of this report with great interest. The EU is well placed to extend learning across Europe and further afield. The Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus programmes are an excellent way of doing this. I have first hand experience of the worth of these programmes, having had assistants in my office who have benefited from Erasmus.

Erasmus Mundus is an excellent programme well known to university students. The original Erasmus programme provides scholarships to students allowing them to study in another European country as part of their degree. Students who study abroad gain improved language skills and become more employable both at national and international level.

The Erasmus Mundus programme is similar (if slightly less well known) than the original Erasmus. Erasmus Mundus extends cooperation in the field of higher education to 'third countries' outside the EU. It also helps stimulate intercultural dialogue with these countries.

The Erasmus Mundus programme is used to promote the EU as a worldwide centre of excellence in learning. It helps to attract the best post-graduate students to EU universities - top foreign students have traditionally gone to the USA. This has a big impact on improving research and innovation in the EU.

Erasmus Mundus acts under three areas, providing financial support for:
1) joint masters and doctoral programmes between institutions in different countries - including scholarships to allow students to follow these programmes
2) partnerships and enhanced structural cooperation between institutions - including developing human resources
3) promoting EU higher education throughout the world

Mme de Sarnez's report proposed extending the existing scheme from 2009 - 2013.

I thoroughly agreed with Mme de Sarnez when she said "It is a good programme, and considering the difficult times we are going through this is giving a positive image of Europe in the rest of the world." The new Erasmus Mundus Programme has a budget of about €950. 424 scholarships were granted from 2004-2008 to students from third countries in the previous programme. 323 universities took part, 265 of them in Europe.

What could be wrong with any of this, you may ask? Well British Tory and UKIP MEPs found reasons to vote against the report, which was incidentally passed by 623 votes for, 56 against and 5 abstentions. Once again the Tories are way off beam.

Voting against were Tories:
Ashworth, Atkins, Bradbourn, Bushill-Mathews, Callanan, Chichester, Dover, Harbour, Heaton-Harris, Kamall, Kirkhope, McMillan-Scott, Nicholson (Ulster Unionist) Parish, Stevenson, Sturdy, Tannock and Van Orden
and UKIP: Batten, Bloom, Clark, Farage, Titford and Whittaker.

THE RESULTS IN PLENARY

2008-10-23T12:10:00.003+01:00

During this week in Strasbourg we debated measures to clarify the status and rights of temporary workers in the EU, which covers paid leave and rights for pregnant women, amongst other things.

We also discussed steps that will clarify which court has jurisdiction when people of different nationalities divorce.

MEPS BACK TEMPORARY WORKERS
The number of temporary workers is on the increase, but national legislation differs across the EU. A new directive, which received its final vote in favour yesterday, includes guarantees from "day 1" for temporary workers, covering areas like resting times, paid leave and non-discrimination towards pregnant women. French Socialist Harlem Désir, the rapporteur on the proposals to regulate the status and conditions of temporary workers, welcomed the positive vote by saying:

"Adopting this directive will send a signal that Europe's social heart is still beating.."

I couldn't agree more. The Temporary Agency Workers Directive has taken a long time to get through the arcane processes of the European Union, but it will now pass into law in all Member States. It will of special benefit to women and those who may find it more difficult to get permanent jobs. It's a good piece of legislation which Labour MEPs supported all the way through.

FOREIGN DIVORCE MADE FAIRER
A report written by German Socialist Evelyne Gebhardt to set out Europe-wide guidelines making it clearer which country's courts have jurisdiction when couples of different nationalities divorce was voted on Tuesday. The report could help clarify who would get custody of children and property following the 170,000 plus divorces a year across Europe.

Jacques Barrot, Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security was keen to get as many member states as possible on board for this significant report.

The voting on Monday demonstrated he had achieved this, at least as far as most of the European Parliament was concerned. There were 522 votes in favour, 89 against and 35 abstentions.

Sadly 19 of the 89 who voted against were British Tories: Ashworth, Bradbourn, Bushill-Mathews, Callanan, Chichester, Deva, Dover, Elles, Jonathan Evans, Harbour, Heaton-Harris, Kamall, Nicholson (Ulster Unionist), Parish, Stevenson, Sturdy, Sumberg, Tannock and Van Orden.

It is quite incredible how often the Tories are out on a limb and unable to support even the most helpful reports which come before the European Parliament. They are still basically a bunch of head-bangers. Don't let anyone try and convince you otherwise.

TORIES VOTE AGAINST THE NEW BRITISH COMMISSIONER

2008-10-22T18:17:00.003+01:00

The following British MEPs voted against Baroness Ashton when her nomination was put to the vote in the plenary session of the European Parliament today:

Deva and Callanan (Tory)

Batten, Clark, Farage, Nattrass (UKIP)

Allister (ex-DUP)

Kilroy-Silk, Knapman, Mote, Wise (ex-UKIP)

These abstained:

Hannan, Helmer, Ashworth, Atkins, Beazley, Bowis, Bradbourn, Bushill-Matthews, Chichester, Dover, Elles, Harbour, Kamall, Kirkhope, McMillan-Scott, Parish, Purvis, Stevenson, Sturdy, Sumberg, Van Orden (Tory)

Newton-Dunn (Lib Dems)

For the record the votes cast were as follows:

For Cathy Ashton 538
Against 40
Abstain 63

This means that of the 103 who either voted against or abstained 23 were British Tories.

This is absolutely shameful bahaviour by a Party that claims to have British interests at heart. The Tories in Europe have once again shown their true colours.

MEREDITH KERCHER

2008-10-22T11:19:00.000+01:00

You may have seen newspaper reports today about the British student Meredith Kercher who was murdered in Italy last November.
I worked hard on getting compensation for her family as this article in the "Guardian" on 21 April 2008 shows.

Kercher family in compensation limbo

Haroon Siddique
guardian.co.uk,
Monday April 21 2008 16.00 BST

The family of the murdered British exchange student Meredith Kercher may be denied compensation because Italy has not implemented an EU-wide scheme to help victims of violent crime, it was revealed today.

Kercher, 21, was found dead last November in the house she shared in Perugia.
In April 2004, the EU introduced a system "to facilitate access to compensation in cases where the crime was committed in a member state other than that of the victim's residence". All states were due to implement the directive by January 1 2006.

The UK has done so, but Italy and at least one other EU country have not, and the London MEP Mary Honeyball has tabled a question in the European parliament asking what can be done. The question is expected to be heard next month.

Meredith's family, who live in Croydon, have not received any compensation. "It all seems grossly unfair," Honeyball said. "They have been through such a lot. If it happened the other way round, an Italian victim would get compensation.

"The thing the EU has got to get to grips with is although there are timetables for disposition, it doesn't always happen."

Jan Downs, the deputy manager of Victim Support Croydon, alerted Honeyball to the Kerchers' case.

"It's a difficult time for them," Downs said. "They've got the added complication that the crime happened abroad and it's a different legal system. They've got all that to deal with apart from the emotional issues."

The European commission can enforce a directive where a member state fails to comply.
In the UK, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority pays cash to victims of violent crime in England, Scotland and Wales, whether they are British or from elsewhere in the EU. It aims to pay compensation within nine months, although in complex cases it can take longer.

An American student, Amanda Knox, 20, her Italian former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 24, and an Ivorian, Rudy Hermann Guede, 20, are being held on suspicion of Kercher's sexual assault and murder.

ACROSS EUROPE THERE IS A RISK THAT ABORTION LAWS WILL BECOME LESS, NOT MORE FOCUSED ON WOMEN'S HEALTH AND THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE

2008-10-22T08:19:00.004+01:00

The Guardian's Comment is Free section has just run this piece by me on abortion in Europe. It is women who are the real losers following the decision to give into those in Northern Ireland who do not want the same abortion rights there as in the rest of the UK.

TURNING BACK THE CLOCK

Today's votes on abortion make the case for a Europe-wide push to decriminalise abortion stronger than ever. It is shameful that the UK government announced yesterday that it was not able to table three amendments to liberalise Britain's abortion laws. One of these amendments sought to extend the rights of abortion to all UK citizens; women in Northern Ireland still face prosecution for aborting even in cases of incest or rape.

Access to abortion services across Europe is at best varied, at worst oppressive, misogynist and life-threatening. Abortion is in theory available in all of the EU member states except Andorra, Malta, Ireland and Poland. Yet the reality is often tempered by an absence of health facilities, lack of doctors willing to carry out abortions, repeated unnecessary medical consultations and lengthy waiting time for the procedure, all of which make access more difficult, or even impossible.

Abortion in Europe falls under health provision, which is left to member states and something that the EU does not wish to rule on. However, access to healthcare when complications arise from a termination without fear of prosecution of either the patient or the clinician is an issue of European human rights. Women surely enjoy the fundamental freedom to be free from fear, threat and coercion as they deal with the consequences of rape and other grave human rights violations?

These are not only my opinions but also those of the UN, the World Health Organisation, Amnesty International, the Council of Europe and the European parliament women's committee, all of whom have in recent years called for protections on a women's right to an abortion.
This is an issue too important to be continually batted about across Europe in the never-ending game of left versus right, conservative versus liberal and religion versus secularism. Over the past 20 years countries across Europe have reversed, reinstated, liberalised and restricted abortions over and over again, often as a result of changes in government and religious influence, not as a result of scientific analysis.

Poland reinstated some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe in 1993, following the collapse of communism and the resurgence of the powers of the Catholic and Lutheran churches. As a result of this, Polish NGOs estimate some 200,000 women endure backstreet abortions every year.
Meanwhile, under the political radar of many, the government of Lithuania is now seeking to create one of the most restrictive bans in all Europe. This is a country where abortion laws have changed little since independence and which has one of the lowest abortion rates amongst the Baltic nations. But if socially conservative parties win the upcoming election as predicted, Lithuanian women's access to abortion will be limited to only the most extreme cases of threat to life, criminality or severe disability.

On the flip side, the centre-left Portuguese prime minister Jóse Sócrates has recently made moves to liberalise his country's abortion laws, which were previously some of the most restrictive in Europe. But this ruling is only dependent on his political status and could be reversed under a change in government.

Where governments legislate to legalise abortion, women's rights to it are protected under European law. In a test case in March last year, the European court of human rights ruled to oblige all 46 member states of the Council of Europe to ensure that abortions are available where they are legal. An almost blind single mother of three from Warsaw, Alicia Tysiac, was awarded damages by the Strasbourg-based court for being denied an abortion in 2000 when medical testimony said her pregnancy would seriously damage her failing eyesight.

But important and helpful though this ruling is, it only protects European women who live in countries where abortion is legal. It does not apply in member states where abortion is outlawed. Pressure needs to be put on rulers of those countries by the EU to end these discriminatory laws which, incidentally, drive abortion dangerously underground.

Previously, one of the best ways of putting pressure of EU member states' governments to change their laws on abortion was through the women's rights and gender equality committee of the European parliament, a committee on which I have sat since 2000. In 2002, this committee passed a report written by the Belgian Socialist MEP Anne Van Lancker, recommending that in order to safeguard women's health, abortion should be made legal, safe and accessible to all. It also called on member state governments to refrain from prosecuting women who have undergone illegal abortions.

Van Lancker produced a landmark report, which influenced many others, including the parliamentary assembly for the Council of Europe, which earlier this year recommended the decriminalisation of abortion across Europe.

However, the face of the European parliament women's committee changed in 2004 with the election of rightwing, Catholic MEP Anna Záborská to the chair of the committee. Now even small amendments calling for female prisoners to have the same access to abortions as their non-captive counterparts cannot get passed. Gone are the days when the women's committee could give active help to Women on Waves, the floating abortion ship which provides abortion services at sea to women from countries where abortion is not allowed.

While abortion is generally a free vote in the UK, in Europe, parties vote fairly unanimously along party lines. All the rightwing parties in the European parliament, including the UK Conservatives, voted against section 13 of the van Lancker report, which called for the decriminalisation of women who have illegal abortions. They effectively voted to allow women to suffer from prosecution on top of the suffering they may have endured in having an illegal abortion.

I hope those shouting for the rights of women outside the Palace of Westminster will also turn their faces and chants to Europe. Women across the continent are in desperate need of them to shout, protest and vote for their rights in the elections next year.

THE ATHEIST BUS CAMPAIGN

2008-10-21T14:54:00.004+01:00

The following piece recently appeared on the Guardian "Comment is Free" site. I love the idea of the Atheist Bus Campaign. It's good to see those of us who are rationalists and humanists taking positive action.
I hope as many of you who can will donate to this excellent campaign.

Comment is free
All aboard the Atheist Bus Campaign
It's real, it's happening: you can sponsor the first atheist advert on a bus – and Richard Dawkins will match your money
Comments (537)

Ariane Sherine
guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday October 21 2008 07.00 BST

The Atheist Bus Campaign launches today thanks to Comment is free readers. Because of your enthusiastic response to the idea of a reassuring God-free advert being used to counter religious advertising, the slogan "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" could now become an ad campaign on London buses – and leading secularists have jumped on board to help us raise the money.
The British Humanist Association will be administering all donations to the campaign, and Professor Richard Dawkins, bestselling author of The God Delusion, has generously agreed to match all contributions up to a maximum of £5,500, giving us a total of £11,000 if we raise the full amount. This will be enough to fund two sets of atheist adverts on 30 London buses for four weeks.
If the buses hit the road, this will be the UK's first ever atheist advertising campaign. It's an exciting development, which I never expected when I first proposed the idea on Cif in June. Back then, I was just keen to counter the religious ads running on public transport, which featured a URL to a website telling non-Christians they would spend "all eternity in torment in hell", burning in "a lake of fire". When I suggested the atheist counter-slogan (now shortened for readability), the response was extremely positive, and hundreds of you pledged your support after the follow-up article.
As you read this, a new advertising campaign for Alpha Courses is running on London buses. If you attend an Alpha Course, you will again be told that failing to believe in Jesus will condemn you to hell. There's no doubt that advertising can be effective, and religious advertising works particularly well on those who are vulnerable, frightening them into believing. Religious organisations' jobs are made easier because there's no publicly visible counter-view to refute their threats of eternal damnation.
The Atheist Bus Campaign aims to change this. In addition to the slogan, the adverts will feature the URLs of secular, humanist and atheist websites, so that readers can find out more about atheism as a positive and liberating alternative to religion. We've also set up an interactive campaign website and Facebook group, so that questions raised by the adverts can be publicly debated.
CBS Outdoor, the bus advertising company, will run the atheist adverts in January if the funds are raised – but we need your help to make this happen.
Your donations will give atheism a more visible presence in the UK, generate debate, brighten people's day on the way to work, and hopefully encourage more people to come out as atheists. As Richard Dawkins says: "This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think – and thinking is anathema to religion."
To donate to the Atheist Bus Campaign, please visit here.

BARONESS ASHTON ARRIVES IN EUROPE

2008-10-21T10:55:00.003+01:00

A very warm welcome to Cathy Ashton who was confirmed as Commissioner by the Trade Committee yesterday evening, subject to a vote in the European Parliament plenary session today.

It's very good to have Cathy on board, though no thanks are due to the British Tories who have consistently undermined her. It has recently become clear that the Tories worked within their own political group, the centre right EPP-ED, to stop Cathy Ashton being confirmed as Commissioner. Apparently the decision to support Baroness Ashton in the EPP Group on the Trade Committee prior to the hearing was won by only one vote. My source tells me that Martin Schulz, Leader of the Socialist Group, threatened Joseph Daul, EPP Leader, with outright war if his Group voted against Baroness Ashton.

Cathy performed well at the Committee meeting, as we knew she would, being competent, self assured and, contrary to Tory propaganda, knowledgeable about her subject. You may have read Daniel Hannan's vitriolic blog in the "Daily Telegraph". Perhaps it was only to be expected, though you may have thought that those who claim to be so patriotic and keen to maintain British sovereignty would support a British Commission nominee.

It is a very good to have another woman Commissioner and for that woman to be British. Despite a larger proportion of female MEPs than MPs in Westminster (33 percent compared to fewer than 20 percent) women are severely under represented in the EU institutions. Angela Merkel is the only female head of state while there are no women heading up a Commission Department (D-G).

Yet you cannot help thinking that a male Commissioner nominee would not have faced the allegations of inexperience and not being up to the job that Cathy Ashton has so roundly seen off. All in all we still have a long way to go.

HOW I HATE STRASBOURG

2008-10-20T23:03:00.003+01:00

That title isn’t quite correct. I don’t hate Strasbourg the place at all. I do, however, hate being here as I am now.

In point of fact Strasbourg is a very beautiful medieval city with a centre dating back hundreds of years largely because the canny burghers of this border town sided with the victors in the many conflicts which raged in this area.

What I and my British colleagues object to is the European Parliament travelling circus. It feels worse this time as we have had the last two plenary sessions originally scheduled for Strasbourg in Brussels thanks to the roof of the Hemicycle (Chamber) falling in, interestingly over the seats reserved for UKIP.

We might have known it wouldn’t last. A little thing like the state of the Parliament building could never overcome French pride, the real reason why £30 million is spent every year to allow the European Parliament to come to Strasbourg.

I heard my Labour yet Eurosceptic colleague Austin Mitchell on the Daily Politics programme earlier today talking about the proposed refurbishment to the House of Commons and specifically where to house MPs while the work is carried out. He suggested holding House of Commons sessions around Britain in “the same way as the European Parliament”.

Ignoring the fact that Austin Mitchell does not seem to understand that the European Parliament only meets in two places – Brussels and Strasbourg – I would not wish our dual site system on anyone, let alone those who have serious and responsible jobs to do.

NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER

2008-10-17T13:28:00.000+01:00

I was very pleased to see that Baroness Catherine Ashton has been appointed as Britain's new EU Commissioner.

I have known Cathy Ashton for a number of years. She has excellent credentials for her new position, being an experienced EU negotiator with the Rome I and Rome II civil law regulations in her repertoire. Prior to her nomination as Commissioner designate (her hearing before the Trade Committee is on 20 October) she was Leader of the House of Lords where she piloted 18 Bills through the Upper House.

Sadly, though predictably, the British Tories and UKIP are waging a campaign against Baroness Ashton. Their agenda is twofold: a) to do anything they can to disrupt the functioning of the European Union and b) to undermine Gordon Brown's government. Their game plan seems to consist of unfounded and disagreeable attacks Cathy Ashton, which are unpleasant to say the least. Baroness Ashton is well qualified for the job with far more relevant experience than those Tories who are leading the campaign against her such as the arch Eurosceptic MEP Daniel Hannan.

Baroness Ashton deserves the support of all British MEPs. Commissioners of whatever Party have always received cross Party backing. I very much hope the same will be true this time. Don't let a few diehards ruin it for the majority who understand how Europe works and wish our Commissioner well.

ICELAND APPOINTS TWO WOMEN BANK CHIEF EXECUTIVES

2008-10-16T08:44:00.001+01:00

You may like to read this link. It gives another interesting point of view on the financial crisis.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6107e59c-9988-11dd-9d48-000077b07658.html

HONOURED WITH STAMPS

2008-10-15T20:06:00.003+01:00

The first stamp issue devoted to women has just been issued honouring Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Eleanor Rathbone, Claudia Jones, Marie Stopes and Barbara Castle.

For photos of the stamps, please see

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/14/women-post

This is a wonderful thing to do. Marking the achievements of pioneering women in this way provides us all with inspiration.

Well done to the Royal Mail.

THE ABSENCE OF WOMEN IN THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY

2008-10-15T09:16:00.004+01:00

You may like to read this article by Alice Miles in this week's "New Statesman". She makes some telling points about the way the financial system is run.

http://www.newstatesman.com/business/2008/10/male-dominated-women-woman

THE ABORTION PILL

2008-10-14T14:46:00.001+01:00

Most pro-lifers and pro-choice people agree on one thing; that if a woman decides to have a termination then the earlier it is carried out in the pregnancy the better for all involved.

But current government legislation on the abortion pill, taken in the first four to nine weeks of gestation, is forcing some women to terminate later in the pregnancy. And others, to suffer traumatic and unnecessary inconveniences such as bleeding on public transport on the way home and being forced to find childcare for two days.

The abortion pill is taken in two parts, two to three days apart from each other. The law insists that both parts are taken in a clinic and then the woman is free to leave. The pills are not fast acting and take a while to effect; therefore there is no perceivable benefit to the woman to take the second part in the clinic.

Forcing women to come into the clinic twice is clinically unnecessary. Women in full time jobs, with full time caring commitments, or who live in rural areas far away from clinics, may be forced to wait until they are past the 9 week gestation stage, when an abortion requires just one clinic visit. As the induced miscarriage can start an hour or so after the second pill, those with a long journey home could suffer the pain and public humiliation of bleeding whilst travelling home.

This is one of the only laws in health that works against the interests of the patient and is yet a further example of how abortion regulations severely patronise women.

Chris McCafferty MP is tabling an amendment that will remove the requirement for two clinic visits. This will have a two-fold benefit of increasing capacity for early abortion treatment appointments and helping to reduce distressing delays for women.

Please email or write to your MP today to ask them to support this amendment.

Letter to Marie Claire Magazine

2008-10-13T14:56:00.004+01:00

Why are teenage girls becoming so violent?

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/advertisers/275710/why-are-teenage-girls-becoming-so-violent.html

You may be interested in this letter I wrote to the editor of Marie Claire Magazine, as well as the editor's reply.

Dear Editor,

You raised a very troubling and loaded issue in your article ‘Why are teenage girls becoming so violent’. Disturbingly, when this story was first reported many tabloid papers waded into the debate blaming the feminist revolution for the changes in young women's behaviour.
Whilst there is no doubt that there has been a convergence between male and female behaviour over recent years, with young women now outperforming young men at school, it is grossly misleading to portray female violence as a downside of this.
Thank you for your article, which explored the issue much deeper. I hope the catalysts for violence that you drew out; family breakdown; increasing availability of alcohol and drugs; and ‘happy slapping’ internet displays, will help women become more aware of the idiocy of chucking the blame on feminism next time such an issue is reported.
Yours sincerely,

Mary Honeyball MEP
Labour representative for women’s rights in Europe

---

Dear Ms Honeyball,
Thank you for your email. It is very gratifying when someone in power such as yourself, takes the time to support those who are sincerely trying to raise the level of debate from sensationalist reporting to something more considered. We shall continue in our endeavours to bring clarity to such complex issues in the hope that they will eventually contribute to more mainstream intelligent debate.
Thanks again for your time and support.
Yours sincerely,
Marie O’Riordan

ABORTION IN NORTHERN IRELAND

2008-10-10T16:14:00.004+01:00

The government’s official line on the abortion vote on 22 October is that it is neutral on all of the amendments; they think that the law is working as intended and they have no proposals to change the law themselves.

But it will advise members to vote against the amendment to extend safe, legal abortion to women in Northern Ireland.

The government’s position on the New Clause 30, tabled under the amendments to the Embryology Bill, was first bought to my attention at the Abortion Rights meeting this week.
The Government is arguing that this is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly to deal with. They have reached this view mainly as a result of strong lobbying from NI assembly members who have threatened that if legislation is passed on abortion in NI it will upset the peace process.

Obviously no one wishes to do this, but as Annie Campbell from the NI Alliance for Choice so passionately put it at Tuesday's Abortion Rights meeting, “What about the women who put blood sweat and tears into this process. How long do we have to wait for our basic human rights?”

She went on to compare the threat waged by the Assembly, that an extension of abortion rights to NI will threaten the peace process, as a “bold lie” and likened it to "chicken liken" saying the “sky is going to fall in”.

In three years 80,000 women have travelled from NI to England for an abortion. A massive amount when you take into account the whole population of NI only totals 1.7 million and if you include all the families, friends and colleagues who have supported those women in making that choice.

To make the journey from NI to the UK each of those women has to really suffer. Women who have been raped, suffered incest, whose pregnancy puts their health at risk or whose baby may be predicted to suffer from a painful disability are all denied an abortion on their home territory. The only route these women have to a termination is to travel to the UK, where they have no choice but to pay privately from £600 to £2000, depending on the stage of their pregnancy.

This is where abortion becomes a class issue in Ireland. To go on a plane or to England women have to have either a driving licence or a passport, not something that a large number of women living in poverty in NI have.

Frightened and concerned Northern Irish women who seek out advice on how to access abortion services currently meet a barrage of abuse. At Tuesday's meeting Dr Audrey Simpson from the Family Planning Association in NI described how her offices are picketed every minute that they are open. Women seeking advice have to first pass through protestors shouting “Murderer!” And “Whore!” Those that make it past this barrage of abuse into the clinic are then followed out, to the bus stop or taxi or their walk home and shown pictures of dead foetuses and publicly jeered at in the street.

Dr Simpson was very clear in her advice to those English MPs who fear they may be overstepping their line of rule in voting for an extension of abortion rights to NI:

“ In the 1967 vote on abortion, all 17 Northern Irish MPs turned up to vote. Despite the fact it was on a Friday, when they would usually be home, and despite the fact it had absolutely nothing to do with Northern Ireland.”

Dr Simpson reasoned that Northern Irish MPs are more than happy to legislate against abortion in England, so English MPs should have no qualms in doing the reverse. Especially on such a fundamental position of human rights, in a country where it is still enshrined in legislation, that the punishment for a women who takes control of her own body and has an abortion is a lifetime in prison.

As opportunities to purchase the abortion pill over the internet increase and more women self medicate, the threat of this penal system is seriously jeopardising women’s health. Many women are taking this pill then not seeking help when things go wrong, as they fear legal reprisal.

I will discuss the details of this on my next blog.