I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves. We, collectively referred to as CLWCF, are the newly refounded Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Future (CLWCF). I would like to invite anyone - and especially those living in London - to join us and come along to some of our events.

We have an exciting social calendar planned, as well as being perfectly positioned for what can certainly be described as an "interesting" time in politics. Whether we're out fighting a snap general election or supporting Boris Johnson's mayoral bid, it's definitely going to be a busy year in the capital, and we want you to be a part of it. We aim to provide politically interested young people with a wealth of diverse social events, political experiences and networking opportunities. The last point must be stressed - you will make fantastic friends within CLWCF.

Please note you do not have to live in the constituency to be a member. Everyone is welcome to join us.

( Pursuant to this, allow me to invite you all to our now very imminent social gathering:Collapse )


Apologies to anyone who gets this repeatedly in their friends page as the result of x-posting

Leaders of Europe's Socialist Parties Meet

VIENNA, Austria - Leaders of Europe's Socialist parties gathered in Vienna on Friday to assess the European Union's latest crisis and discuss how to strengthen ties between the bloc and its 450 million citizens.

Well, isn't that just so touchy/feely as all Merry Fucking Hell.

"It's not time to break down. It's time to reinforce," Nyrup Rasmussen told reporters. "It's time to understand what people said 'no' to in the Netherlands and France."

It sounds brave and full of conviction at first glance. But on the second glance? I smell desperation.

Now, take notice of the following:

Alfred Gusenbauer, the head of Austria's Social Democratic Party, called for "a fundamental debate that leads to a re-engineering of Europe."

The deepening crisis over the EU constitution and budget means Europe's leaders must pull together to find ways for "a better political delivery and a better political plurality," Gusenbauer said.

France soundly rejected the charter on May 29, and voters in the Netherlands overwhelmingly shot it down in another referendum three days later. Many voters expressed misgivings over absorbing an unprecedented crush of immigrants amid stubbornly high joblessness.

I think the greatest problem facing the EU is a cultural crisis. You can't ask people to tolerate a large influx of Muslims who refuse to assimilate. Also, you can't tell the average Frenchman, German, and certainly not the average subject of the Crown that they are the exact same thing.

Have a good day, my Tory friends!

http://www.eu.int/abc/index3_en.htm

"The European Commission consists of 20 women and men (more in 2004), assisted by about 24, 000 civil servants. The President is chosen by the governments of the EU Member States and must be approved by the European Parliament. The other members are nominated by the member governments in consultation with the incoming president and must also be accepted by Parliament. The Commission is appointed for a five-year term, but it can be dismissed by Parliament". ( quote from the website shown above)

Anyway. According to Kent County Council's Revenue Budget 2004-2005 and Investment Plans 2004-2005 to 2006-2007 (available on-line here -- you should have skipped Google and searched on Kent's own website -- Kent had (or was projected to have) 23,942.1 full-time employees during the financial year 2004-2005 (see page 2, "Where The Money Is Spent").

This of course is slightly less than is employed by the European Commission in Bruseels. But before the europhobes et al fall on this difference with cries of triumph, they should reflect on the fact that if it takes 23,942.1 people to run an English county such as Kent, then it should require ten or even a hundred times more bureacrats to run the bloated European superstate of their tabloid-inspired imaginations.
Quote from an entry by the_gardener, as posted to my LJ.

The figure for Kent includes all it's workers. The EU figure, just it's admin staff. even so, the admin staff of the EU is about 24,000 people, I wonder how that compares to the Civil Service for the UK?
It would therefore appear that the EU is not the vast, sprawling bureaucracy that we all imagined.

In discussing Europe in other communities, the point has been made that the "vastly complex and collosal" bureacracy that runs the EC is actually about the same size as the one that runs Kent County Council, or maybe smaller.

Does anyone have figures to disprove this, or is it an actual fact?