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Press Release from Nirj Deva DL MEP |
25th
January 2005 |
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"Your
Man in Brussels" - January 2005
Article for Local Newspapers |
Since returning to Brussels in earlier in the month I have been in
the unique position of being not only a Member of the Overseas
Development and Foreign Affairs Committee but also the only MEP who
had the misfortune of witnessing the Tsunami first-hand, meaning
that issues relating to reconstruction, helping children orphaned by
the disaster and trying to get aid into the areas where it is needed
most have dominated my time. Thank you to all the people who sent
their kind wishes and encouraging words of support in – they were
very much appreciated.
Last week, I chaired a discussion in the European Parliament between
Ambassadors from the tsunami affected countries and charities who
have been working on the ground to administer the relief. It was
moving to hear accounts of how the donations you are giving are
being transferring into solid actions on the ground and I do urge
you to continue to support the aid organisations involved as there
is still a lot of painstaking work to be done.
At the Strasbourg session of Parliament last week, my colleagues and
I tabled a resolution on the tsunami disaster which aims to prevent
the further exploitation of vulnerable orphans and export the much
needed technology for early warning systems to prevent the repeat of
such a disaster. MEPs, for the first time in living memory, stepped
off the gravy train and voted to donate a days wages to help the
victims. I have to say that I was very disappointed by UKIP's
failure to vote in favour of this motion which is far removed from
the day-to-day politics of the Parliament and which underlines a
genuine attempt to alleviate the suffering of those who have already
lost so much.
As many of you are aware, last Wednesday, the European Parliament
voted to approve a very one-sided report welcoming the draft EU
Constitution. The vote was won by 500 votes to 137 and the
euro-federalist President of the Parliament urged the public to
support the result. With public opinion running at 70% against the
Constitution, I am still positive we can defeat this farcical
document that has so far only been ratified by one nation state.
The celebration party which the Parliament threw the following day
cost the taxpayer a quarter of a million pounds, which to my
colleagues and I seemed outrageous when thousands of people in Asia
are suffering from the results of the tsunami. Chris Heaton-Harris
MEP, my colleague from the East Midlands, had written to the
President of the European Parliament, prior to the event, suggesting
that the event be cancelled and the money sent to the disaster
appeal. Unsurprisingly, this did not happen. Therefore, we
campaigned outside the Parliament at Strasbourg, borrowing the "Not
In My Name" anti-war slogan, which I felt would represent the mood
of my constituents in the South East of England! |
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