15 Most Recent Stories From Liberal Democrat European Group (LDEG) News Stories

Thu 4th Sep 2008:

Correction to LDEG Newsletter.

Please note that the Centre:Forum event "Dynamism or Decay: the future of European business" will be on Tuesday 16th September at 9.15 am

Tue 19th Aug 2008:

LDEG hits the V Festival Trail!

Last weekend, Lib Dem Euro Campaigners joined forces with the European Movement to take a positive European message to the V Festival at Weston Park, Staffordshire. LDEG Chair, Dr Phil Bennion, No 2 on the West Midlands Euro List joined the team, which was drawn from across Wales and the Marches area. They had a very good response indeed, and as well as gathering details of many potential supporters, there was a strong demand for info material and a wide range of give aways. Fellow Euro Candidate, Lib Dem County Councillor Bill Powell, Chair of Wales Council European Movement, who had organised the stall commented: 'We've had a brilliant response here at Weston Park this weekend, with 80,000+ people here to enjoy the music and survive the mud! We've gained members and I'm delighted that Phil, as a future MEP for this Region,was able to join us.'

Mon 11th Aug 2008:

The EU and Conflict Resolution - Bournemouth fringe event.

The fringe event "What should be the EU's role in conflict resolution?" organised by LDEG will take place on Tuesday 16th September at 1pm in the BIC Branksome Suite. Speakers include HE the Ambassador of Azerbaijan; Lord William Wallace; and Dr Julie Smith, chair of the Liberal Democrat security policy working group. LDEG's Carol Weaver, a researcher of the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus, will chair.

Sun 10th Aug 2008:

The Loss of two good Europeans.

Sadly we have recently heard of the deaths of two good Europeans. The first, Tony Morris, was one of the first British people to work for the European Commission. He was a long standing supporter of the Liberal, European and federalist causes. The second was Lord Russell Johnston, one of the paramount internationalists and Europeans in the Liberal Party and subsequently the Liberal Democrats. LDEG's Jonathan Fryer has written obituaries which can be read at

Mon 4th Aug 2008:

Federal Trust Conference - Energy and Climate Change.

The Federal Trust and Global Policy Institute have a joint conference planned: "Energy and Climate Change - Is the UK an Environmental Champion?" on the 18 September 2008, 14.00-17.30 at London Metropolitan University. Speakers include: Lord Giddens, Emeritus Professor, London School of Economics and Peter Luff, Director, Action for a Global Climate Community. A programme with further details can be downloaded by following this link: http://www.fedtrust.co.uk/admin/uploads/Energy_Conference_Invite.pdf.

Sun 22nd Jun 2008:

Women in the Shadows?

Diana Wallis and two other ALDE MEPs have recently published an advertisement in European Voice explaining that women are often opposed to the European Union because they see it as a male dominated institution. One way to deal with this would be by having more women in the top jobs. See - http://www.ldeg.org/resources/sites/82.165.40.25-436cfeee1ec489.65617500/Womenintheshadows.pdf

Tue 17th Jun 2008:

What are MEPs saying about the NO vote?

Graham Watson MEP, leader of the ALDE group in the European Parliament says with respect to the No vote in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty: "... the incoming French Presidency should convene a special summit of EU leaders with only this one item on the agenda. All 27 Member States must decide a course of action on the fate of the Treaty and its proposed reforms and commit themselves to a concerted campaign to explain what the European Union is, why and how it works and why it deserves their support. If there is one clear lesson from Ireland it is that too few people know what the EU is about or how it is adapting to a changing global environment."

Hans-Gert Pöttering on the result of the Irish referendum.

The President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, has expressed regret at the 'no' vote in the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and, has called on the European Heads of State and Government, meeting next week in Brussels, to discuss solutions to this situation. Hans-Gert Pöttering said the following: 'It is of course a great disappointment for all those who wanted to achieve greater democracy, greater political effectiveness and greater clarity and transparency in decision-making in the European Union that the majority of the Irish could not be convinced of the need for these reforms of the European Union. We must not forget, however, that the European Union has experienced crises and times of difficulty several times before. Today, as in the past, we must keep a cool head.

Event - "What's Wrong with the EU and How to Fix It".

A Federal Trust seminar will take place on Wednesday 25th June with Professor Simon Hix, LSE, on the ideas set out in his recent book. Participants will have ample opportunity to examine and discuss Professor Hix's views and the seminar will be followed by a reception. The event will take place at London Metropolitan University, 31 Jewry Street, London EC3N 2EY. To register please contact Ulrike Rüb-Taylor on ulrike.rub@fedtrust.co.uk

Fri 6th Jun 2008:

The Launch of the European Campaign.

We are hoping to 'launch' the countdown to the European campaign at the Henley by-election campaign HQ on Sunday 8th June at 2pm. Directions to the HQ can be found at the website www.henleylibdems.org.uk and accommodation may still be found locally if you let them know in advance. We hope to have as many MEPs and candidates together showing their support for this important by-election and we should get some good shots for use in the coming year (and do a bit of work for the by-election too of course!)

Fri 30th May 2008:

Debating the State of the Union - 10th June.

The keynote speaker at the event will be Professor Anand Menon, Director of the European Research Institute at the University of Birmingham. The meeting will be a welcome opportunity to discuss Professor Menon's important new book, "Europe: the state of the Union". Professor Richard Whitman of Bath University and Brendan Donnelly as Director of the Federal Trust will respond to Professor Menon's presentation and there will be ample opportunity for questions from the floor. There will be a reception after the function at about 6.45 p.m

The Balancing Act.

New LDEG member Michael Dawes, an instructor to the Royal Navy, has written an article on how the UK can balance a commitment to the US with the creation of a European force. The article can be accessed on our Briefings and Reports page or at http://www.ldeg.org/resources/sites/82.165.40.25-436cfeee1ec489.65617500/TheBalancingAct.doc

Thu 22nd May 2008:

A Bigger, Better Europe.

When the European Union expanded in 2004 to take in eight former Communist states of central and eastern Europe, plus Cyprus and Malta, Eurosceptics hoped that this would break the organisation apart. But as Professor Helen Wallace persuasively argued in the Charlemagne Lecture*, 'A Bigger Europe - But Is It Better?', at the Polish Embassy in London this week, that didn't happen. In fact, the EU has managed to continue functioning relatively smoothly in its enlarged format despite the absence of any European constitution and the lengthy process of getting the Lisbon Treaty ratified.

Sat 3rd May 2008:

News from the European Parliament.

Bill Newton Dunn, MEP for the East Midlands, tells us that ratification is proceeding slowly through each of the 27 national parliaments of the EU. Hopefully the treaty will come into effect in January 2009 and will improve the EU because it will make decision-making between the 27 national governments in the EU more effective than it is now. First, however, there has to be a referendum in Ireland. The date will be in the second week of June and the result is predicted to be close. Already a Danish anti-EU MEP has been to Ireland and said that the Lisbon Treaty will make abortion easier - totally untrue, but successfully creating an unpleasant anti-EU fear.

Sat 12th Apr 2008:

Helen Wallace Lecture.

The Charlemagne Lecture 2008 is to be given by Professor Helen Wallace CMG FBA on Tuesday 20th May at 5.30pm and is entitled "A Bigger Europe - But is it Better?"

Earlier Stories

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