November 10, 2004
There's always something.....
Michael Howard, the leader of the conservative party, has called on the government to scrap unelected regional chambers. The North East voted against a regional assembly and because these chambers were set up as precursors to elected assemblies Howard argues that the NO vote proved that they were dead. Blair disagrees and argues that they serve a purpose. It's not clear what that purpose is, other than to meddle in local affairs while not being directly accountable to the electorate, but this little gem caught my eye:
Under the terms of the 1992 Maastricht treaty, EU member countries had to organise themselves into regions in order to gain access to development cash.Why is it that whenever we enter into an EU agreement there are always these little intricacies that no-one ever really tells us about?
Unelected regional chambers? The need to organise our countries into regions regardless of the voiced desires of the local population? Who knew?
It's because of stuff like this that mistrust in the affairs of the EU project is rife in England. I mean just read this:
Their official role [these chambers] is to oversee the work of the regional development agencies, which were set up in 1999 to encourage inward investment.The what regional assembly? I never voted for no freaking South East Assembly and I sure as hell did not ask it to consider building new homes (on green belt no doubt).But they have also taken over some strategic planning roles from local authorities.
For example, the South East England Regional Assembly will consider controversial proposals to increase new homes target from 29,500 to 36,000 a year.
Like I said, there's always something with this damn EU project.
Mark writes to tell me that it doesn't matter whether you voted for no freaking South East Regional Assembly or not. You live in the area covered by the freaking East of England Regional Assembly. He also provides a pointer to this government site to prove it.
Apparently the new region that I live in is a better place to live and work in so it's just as well that I no longer live in the south east. Thank the EU for that I say.
