Why our elected represenatives love the EU?

Well the short answer is that is where the money is for them. Also, as the EU discourages elections and referendums it provides the political class with secure employment, little risk of redundancy and huge pensions.However in the unlikely event these pensions are not adequate an EU career also provides a host of lucrative quango type appointments to keep our former EU politicians in the style to which they have become adjustment post retirement. In short getting into and supporting the EU is a great career move for politicians who would struggle to earn a crust outside.

Surely by now the UK electorate will have noticed how quickly our elected representatives go native when they arrive in Brussels. Chauffeur driven limos, fact finding trips to such unpleasant places as the West Indies in winter plus a huge amount of flattery which is always very acceptable to a mediocre politicians ego and can turn even hardened Euro sceptics a bit like Karla turned Bill Haydon in Tinker Taylor.

This also affects how national politicians see the EU. After all they might graduate themselves to the gravy train one day! Thus Dr Frau Merkel was able to get through the Bundestag her incredible yet still inadequate 440 bn € Greek rescue package despite opinion polls showing 80% of her electorate were opposed. Surely the Dr Frau deserves the Charlemagne prize for this effort! I remember E Heath treated himself to his yacht Morning Cloud with his Charlemagne prize money. What will the Dr Frau buy herself I wonder?

I was away from home in Oxford until 10:30 last night. On the way down the A303 I listened to Question time on Radio 4 from Liverpool which had Burnham (Lab), Duncan (Tory), Polly Tonybee (Silver spoon in mouth party) and UKIP's scouser Paul Nuttall. Nuttall was introduced as a history lecturer and former professional football player although it later emerged that amounted to being on the books of 4th division (in ranking order) Tranmere Rovers. I would also like to know at which University in Liverpool Nuttall lectured, the premier league Liverpool, the Championship John Moores outfit or a first/second division former teacher training college. There are Universities and Universities!

(It so happens that I was at Oxford many years ago with a historian who was also on Tranmere's books. He never got his blue for soccer something which getting the best first in his year for history never made up for. He considered his University career a failure!)

The audience in Wigan was clearly overwhelmingly opposed to the EU but Nuttall with this home crowd backing did poorly in comparison to the 3 Oxbridge types. He may have been one these  UK footballers who could not put the ball into an open goal. He certainly gave that impression.

When I returned I switched on my recording of Question Time. from Liverpool. The audience again was overwhelmingly anti EU. I suppose  UKIP's spokesman on QT was Mr Oborne famous for his Mr Idiot description of an EU crat Newsnight this week incurring the wrath of  Paxo and Richard Lambert. Again despite the favourable audience Mr Oborne, whose style reminds me of Mr Farage, was out flanked and then proceeded to finish the job himself by praising Mrs Thatcher, a totemic hate figure in Liverpool. Collapse of stout party! It reminded me when Mrs T was PM Patrick Minford, later one of the 'wise' men with Tim Congdon for Norman Lamont  stood for the Tories in Birkenhead and was almost lynched when he went canvassing there.

Well with inadequates like Nuttall and Oborne articulating the anti-EU cause its little wonder that despite I opine an 80% anti EU feeling in the UK electorate boy Dave has no problem in getting his MPs to vote through any EU requests. Which MP in his right mind would wish to be identified with Nuttall or Oborne?

In fairness to UKIP members in the North West I must point out Nuttall was not their choice as MEP. Mr Beaman won the ballot but quickly resigned thereafter in Mr Nuttall's favour. I heard Mr Farage was very pleased  with, and even encouraged, this outcome.

Until UKIP gets some serious intellects representing their views who can hold their own with the Polly Toynbees (silver spoon in mouth party) of this world then the EU will continue to walk all over us. To be fair UKIP did try and recruit a member of the silver spoon in mouth party, William Legge son of Acid Raine, the step mum of Diana Spencer. But like Universities I guess there are silver spoons and silver spoons!