Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Angela Merkel 'didn’t want' Jean-Claude Juncker, says German press

Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine claims Angela Merkel getting a “commission president she actually didn’t want” and lists allegations made against Jean-Claude Juncker

Chancellor Angela Merkel “didn’t want” Jean-Claude Juncker to become the next European Commission President despite the repeated public backing she gave to the controversial former Luxembourg prime minister for the post, Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine has claimed

In a commentary published on the magazine’s online site Der Spiegel listed the allegations levelled against Mr Juncker in the German and British media which have cast doubt on his suitability for the top EU job.

“The man from Luxembourg quite likes drinking, we read, on top of that he is lazy and drained. He gives speeches to lobby groups for lots of money and his father was a crazy Nazi…. Even the worst and wrong rumours about him are socially acceptable in Europe,” the magazine wrote.

Despite the criticism of Mr Juncker, Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly backed him as her preferred candidate for the post. She recently dismissed speculation that she would have preferred another candidate, by publicly reiterating her support for Mr Juncker.

However Der Spiegel said that with Mr Jucker as EU Commission President, Angela Merkel was getting a “ commission president she actually didn’t want.” The magazine said that she, like other EU leaders, “knew exactly” what Mr Juncker’s weaknesses were but that they did not perturb them because they wanted a compromise candidate.

“Europe’s master female strategist has miscalculated,” Der Spiegel said of Mrs Merkel. “ Next time more capable candidates will run for the job,” it added.

OK, fair enough, it cant be done if you follow the rules.

So, bend the rules:

Propose and hold a vote to bring legislation forward, and dare the opposition to vote against it.


It would clarify matters to the general public as to where any given politician/party stands.

Nick Clegg has already signalled that he is up for a referendum.

How Sad!

Apparently, this little doozy is going through....




High heels to be cut down to size under new EU proposals forcing hairdressers to wear non-slip flat shoes


By Tim Shipman

Published: 00:04, 10 April 2012 | Updated: 18:28, 10 April 2012




Hairdressers will be banned from wearing high heels and jewellery under nanny state proposals being drawn up in Brussels.


A health and safety directive orders stylists to wear ‘non-slip soles’ when they are cutting hair and bans wedding rings and watches as unhygienic.


The plans will see hairdressers told not to let staff do too many haircuts in one day to prevent ‘emotional collapses’.


And the bizarre rules will tell salon workers to have a regular ‘social dialogue’ – code for gossipy chats – to encourage ‘mental wellbeing’ in the workplace.


The National Hairdressers’ Federation warns the plans will cost the UK industry £3million a year in wasted time and red tape.


The agreement is due to be signed this month between EU Coiffure, a group of European salon bosses, and UNI Europa Hair & Beauty, a union for European hairdressers.


Both groups are ‘social partners’ of the European Commission and will submit the deal to Brussels to become an EU-wide directive binding on all 27 states.


Employment minister Chris Grayling vowed: ‘We should be creating jobs, not killing them. This kind of stupidity has to stop. It makes no sense and I will do everything I can to stop it.’






More €U lunacy here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2127464/High-heels-cut-size-new-EU-proposals-forcing-hairdressers-wear-non-slip-flat-shoes.html

They would vote against it. They have already done that. In January there was a Bill to enable a referendum in 2017 and Labour and the Libs voted it down in the Lords. I think it was 31 January that they voted to end the committee stage. This was after the Libs/Lab tabled large numbers of amendments to kill the Bill.

Tories all over the place arguing against themselves mirrowed here aswel.

What a plonker Camoron is.

Just one other member voting with him.

Hes useless, just utter rubbish.

Face the facts lads and Hilary, youve got a leader who needs replacing. One who can reunite the party, may i suggest T MAY.

Far better and respected than Camoron.

UK - YouGov/Sun poll:

LAB 37%
CON 32%
UKIP 14%
LDEM 7%

Nick Clegg has since changed his mind, and is in favour of a referendum.

How true that is, is another matter.

But it could be tested if Cameron had any balls!

By the way, Clegg is opposed to an EU referendum dispite putting out a leaflet in favour of it



He changed his mind in 2013 and opposed a referendum.

There are now rumours that he may now support one. There is now not the parliamentary time to introduce the legislation before the election.

Max.

I would suggest that when you have an operation that you ask your surgeon to put high heels on and leave his watch on when or if he scrubs up.

I wonder why the "rules" have been suggested!

=======

But good to see the 2 spivs Dave and Nigel are trying to out do one another.

Indeed Haystack, that's why I want to call their bluff (all of them)

Fred.

If you look at the proposers of this legislation, you will get a good idea of where this type of thing is heading.

The government is planning to reintroduce the 2017 enabling bill in the coming months effectively daring the other parties to vote it down again. Clegg is still maintaining his opposition to a referendum, but is being nagged by his colleagues to support it. The plan is to leave Labour exposed and isolated. It may still get voted down in the Lords though. The government could force it through I suppose using the Parliament Act which imposes the supremacy of the Commons on the Lords. This is not really the purpose of the PA though as it was intended to force through Bills that are important regarding taxes and revenue. Tony Blair did use it in a doubtfully legal way to force the hunting ban legislation.

There is a lot more support for Cameron's view on Europe. Several key leaders are privately on his side. Several leaders, yesterday said they supported Cameron in his reform views. They included Merkel, the Dutch and Swedish PMs and a few others.

Hunt was right today when he said that many of the EU leaders were cowards not to admit their true feelings over Juncker.

It is pity that Cameron can't spend his time formulating policies for the future rather poncing around political stunting for his own party purposes and hoping for the return somed other reactionaries voters, who have deserted to UKIP or BNP.

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Max,

What has surprised me when I have come across laws, rules, regulations, or similar and been irritated by them is often when I examined them I understood the reasons for the introduction of them and what they were attempting to safeguard against.

That doesn't mean the grownups shouldn't challenge and change outdated or badly drawn up rules, or that those rules should not sometimes be ignored.

Also, remember the fuss about speed limits on motor ways, wearing crash helmets etc. rules which are now accepted by those with normal intelligence.

It is good to see Cameron stood up at the wrong time, but I wonder if he has enough back bone to stand up to Wee Alec or Nigel in a public or TV debate?

Some say he is running scared!

If Scotland vote for independence Cameron will be known as the PM who gave away Scotland and got himself kicked out of Europe!

Congratulations!

Fitting role.