It is not just Hungary that the EU needs to tackle on democracy breaches
The European Commission is reportedly planning to harden its stance against member states who fail to adhere to democracy and the rule of the law.
EU
We should applaud the European Union for recognising the right to freedom *from* religion
Amidst all the hoopla in the United Kingdom about ‘losing rights to Brussels’, a predominantly biased anti-EU media fraternity has ignored a monumental step taken by the European Union towards the protection of secular rights.
The European Union is standing up to the United States on data protection
As Socialist and Democrat spokesperson on Justice and Home Affairs in the European Parliament, I know that the European Union has been pushing hard to create the first piece of international legislation on data protection – the Data Protection Regulation and Directive – which would help enshrine much needed citizen’s protections in the internet age.
UKIP’s populism could present a greater threat to the left than the right
If I feel a sense of déjà vu as I watch UKIP’s rise today, just imagine the view from Crosby’s chair at Conservative Party HQ. David Cameron’s election strategist hasn’t just seen this film before – he’s already written the script.
Boris Johnson’s agenda for Europe could be a social and environmental disaster for London
Boris’s free trade agenda for Europe could be a social and environmental disaster for London and the rest of the UK.
The measures in the Queen’s Speech won’t solve the government’s immigration problem
Front and centre in today’s Queen’s Speech was the announcement that the government will be limiting the ability for certain migrants to use the Human Rights Act – and its provision for the right to a private and family life – to avoid deportation.
Did immigration really ‘depress the wages and job chances of working-class Britons’?
It’s increasingly becoming accepted, even on the left, that immigration to Britain under the previous government had some negative consequences, one of which was to depress wages and increase job scarcity for the indigenous population.
Cameron’s EU charm offensive will fail
As well as pointing out the flaws in Cameron’s diplomatic strategy, pro-Europeans should embrace an agenda of reform where there is much greater likelihood of progress (and no need for a new treaty). This should include pro-growth and pro-democracy measures as set out in IPPR’s recent publication ‘Staying In’ as well as a closer look at EU rules on state aid, corporate tax avoidance, and access to welfare for intra-European migrants.
The political establishment’s poor use of evidence on immigration
Since the Eastleigh by-election immigration has consistently been in the news, with all three parties making significant policy interventions.
Each party seems to be trying to outdo each other with rhetoric on how they’re going to crack down on migrants abusing public services, how immigration is out of control and how they don’t believe the official estimates and forecasts.
The belief that migrants are a drain on the economy is like the popularity of Boris Johnson, homeopathy or conspiracy theories
Britain has an immigration problem – but not of the sort generally supposed.
The facts show that immigrants are a net fiscal benefit rather than a cost, and that immigration is, except for a small negative effect at the bottom end, a net positive for wages (pdf) and for economic growth (pdf).
The problem is the public do not believe the evidence.