It had to happen at some point – delays to Ryanair flights. Considering how often I fly with them, it’s a miracle I am not delayed more often. Anyway, Saturday morning most of northern Europe was covered with fog and the incoming aircraft that would then take me to Altenburg […]
EU Politics
British obsessions: fire doors
There are some things that strike you as just plain odd in the UK. Have no fear – this entry, and similar ones to come, is not going to turn into generalised rants. It’s just that some things in the UK are a bit particular. The first of these that […]
Ken Livingstone and the genius of Oyster
Shock horror! Tube and bus fares in London are going up again. Oh, no, they are not actually. Everyone has been ranting today that a Zone 1 tube fare will hit ??3 for a single – more than 3 times as much as Paris. But on the other hand, make […]
Consumer power, and a new job
The blog has been a bit quiet over the last couple of weeks – I have started a new job and it takes a bit of time to settle. It feels like a breath of fresh air with a new start though – I am now at the National School […]
Poor Margot Wallström and her blog [UPDATED: 15.09.2005]
I have not always been the biggest fan of Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström in the past. OK, she has a horrible brief – trying to communicate the EU with very little cash and resources. Despite this, I have wondered whether she has approached the job of selling the EU with […]
He’s probably right, but aren’t we the Presidency?
Gordon Brown has today launched a very thinly veiled attack on the European Commission’s trade deal with China on textiles in an article in the FT – summary here. His basic stance is towards those that have appealed for quotas is tough – protectionism is not going to save inefficient […]
What’s going on in Germany?
It’s the economy, stupid. Or this election is stupid. I can’t make up my mind. After 10 days away, I’m back in touch with the world and the level of interest in the German election, even in the UK media, seems to be growing. A stinging attack on Gerhard Schroeder […]
Off to Italy, blog will be quiet
I am leaving London on Wednesday, heading for my yearly late-summer visit to the island of Ventotene. This will be the 6th time I’ll be going to the island, and the last time I’ll be there with any formal JEF responsibility. But it’s always a pleasure to spend time on […]
The strange world of Swedish football
My previous experience of football outside the UK has been quite grand. While on my travels I have watched Inter vs. Helsingborg FF at the San Siro in 2000, and FC Barcelona vs. Club Brugge at the Nou Camp in 2003 (both Champions League). In the last fortnight, I have […]
Two tests every blogger should take
You might have read some of the other entries here and thought "what is this guy on about". That’s for sure the way I feel when reading many blogs! So here’s an idea to do something about it. There are 2 tests that give a good idea of what a […]
Fat people in the air, luggage and duty free [UPDATED, 29.07.2005]
Following on from my other post about getting on planes… What are we supposed to do about other problems that afflict flying, namely luggage allocations, overweight passengers, and duty free?
Boris Johnson and the world of UK & EU political blogs
It seems that blogging has not really taken off in UK politics yet. Boris Johnson, now free from the mistress and the work he had to put in on the Conservative front bench has given it a go though, and in typical style his comments about how the UK should […]