Euro-Tories gain a UKIP defector – but Helmer faces the chop
Ben Fox reports from Brussels on the defection of David Campbell Bannerman from the Tories to UKIP and the possible de-whipping of sexist climate denier Roger Helmer.
Ben Fox
Ben works in the European Parliament and writes for Left Foot Forward on economics and the EU. He is the chairman of GMB Brussels.
Ashton brokers deal to keep Bosnia from ethnic division
Ben Fox reports from Brussels on European Union foreign affairs chief Baroness Catherin Ashton’s success in securing a deal to keep Bosnia from ethnic division.
EU ministers shut the door on North African refugee crisis
Ben Fox reports from Brussels on the lurch to the right among European Union home affairs ministers, who are threatening to close the door on North African refugees.
Daily Express indulges its EU madness. Again
When it comes to publishing ill-informed nonsense about the European Union, the Sun and the Daily Mail have always been tough to beat. But the Daily Express is giving them a good run for their money.
Bank reform proposals a small step forward but lack radicalism
Ben Fox gives an in-depth analysis of the Independent Commission on Banking interim report on the future of UK banking.
Treasury select committee urges bank break-up
Ben Fox looks at whether the big banks remain too big to fail.
Osborne now faces credit rating crisis
Ben Fox reports on Mr Osborne’s dangerous economic policies that could drive us into a credit rating crisis.
Latest ECR farce: Tory MEPs vote against their own leadership candidate
Far right Tory MEPs Daniel Hannan and Roger Helmer were among those to vote against Timothy Kirkhope, the official Tory candidate to lead the ECR group in the European Parliament.
Socialists win double victory on financial transactions tax and short selling
The Socialist group has won two big victories in the European Parliament this week, with Parliament’s Economic Committee voting to ban naked short selling by 529 votes to 127.
The homophobe, the climate denier or the moderate – what next for the ECR?
We now have the three candidates for the leadership of the Conservative-dominated European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament.