Sarah's bulletin: 26 February 2010

Google and privacy

Google are both bad boys and wrongly damned this week. Those of you who use Gmail may have noticed that Google recently launched a new social networking service akin to Facebook and Twitter called "Buzz". There was great outcry (I have even had constituents contacting me) when it was first activated, as it transpired that what Buzz was doing, in an attempt to jump-start the new facility, was making Gmail's users' most regular email and chat contacts publically visible.

This is shocking as who you email is clearly sensitive information... not only for very private reasons but also what about human rights activists in authoritarian regimes? What if you are a journalist with a source to protect, or a businessman with clients' interests to look after? Google have apparently since amended the service so that it only suggests contacts to 'follow', but that they should have the stupidity to do such a thing in the first place is astounding.

But then the judgment in Italy, holding Google responsible for a video clip of an autistic boy being bullied, is equally alarming. It should be enough that a service provider responds quickly to police or other legitimate complaints to remove illegal or harmful content, and to go beyond this is to have internet censorship, which is unacceptable. I hope they will win an appeal, and I am sure MEPs will be taking an interest in this case and exploring what action we can take to stop a slippery slope towards even greater restrictions of freedom of speech.

Bendy bananas anyone?

The famous 'wonky fruit and veg' issue is back. Reportedly the Spanish agricultural industry, in an effort to protect its business interests, is seeking to resurrect the ban on misshapen fruit and veg which we thought thankfully dead. In this week's agriculture committee, Liberal group MEPs voted against re-introducing such a ridiculous ban but alarmingly they were outvoted. We must endeavour to ensure that when the issue comes before the full parliament, common sense will prevail and we will defeat it. Such silly regulation only serves to give the EU a bad name, obscuring many other very worthy and important initiatives.

Heathrow third runway judicial review

As you may have already heard from Susan Kramer, MP for Richmond Park, a coalition of residents, local councils and green groups have mounted a legal challenge to the government's 'consultation' process regarding the Heathrow 3rd runway. They are arguing that the government ignored the views of the 90% of respondents who opposed the expansion and that the decision to go ahead with it was in breach of its own climate change policy. I can only echo Susan Kramer in deploring that we should have to go to court at all to enforce the government's obligations!

Eurostar

Last Sunday Eurostar was again plagued with 'major technical problems' and a train was plunged into complete darkness as it stood at a standstill outside Ashford in Kent late at night. One of the recommendations of the independent investigation that Eurostar launched two weeks ago was that Eurostar trains should carry more torches... and yet shockingly last Sunday the train apparently only had one torch on board and staff were having to make do with the light from their iPhones.

This week problems persist because of the tragic Belgian rail crash, which is understandable. But coming back yesterday (with a bus to Lille) the lack of clear information was again on display , with 4 changes of announcement about whether the train would stop at Ebbsfleet! It's a pity management is so dire, since most (though not all) of the staff are good and it is unfair to leave them exposed to disgruntled passengers without backup. The worry is that there might be a major catastrophe endangering life, and then how would they cope?

Uganda's anti-gay law: Gordon Brown responds

You may remember that I some time ago signed a petition demanding that the British government condemn the Ugandan 'anti-homosexuality' bill. The PM's office has now responded stating that it is "very concerned" about the bill and that it has made this clear on a number of occasions to the Ugandan government. I can only hope that the increasing international pressure on the Ugandan parliament, from among others the European Parliament and the UK government, will dissuade Uganda from introducing its shocking draft law including the death penalty for gay sex. To be continued...

EU funding for renovation of London's crumbling housing?

MEPs on the regional committee have approved new rules which would allow

anywhere in the EU, not just in its poorer countries, to apply for grants from the EU's regional development fund (ERDF) for repair and renovation of dilapidated housing in 'marginalised communities'. This means in "areas experiencing or threatened by physical deterioration and social exclusion" and the Commission will draw up a list of criteria for determining what those areas are. You can read about the proposal here.

There will be no new money above the hefty €28 billion per year ERDF allocation, so competition will be stiff. Hopefully London authorities will be making our case, since although we have some of the most expensive real estate in the world we also have many acres of public and indeed private housing in desperate need of repair.

I would welcome some approach from London's European Office in Brussels, which is supposed to follow EU policy and funding issues, advising me about lobbying on this. But apart from a rare email last November telling me "we will be making an effort to keep in touch with you regularly from now on, and to keep you informed of developments in London" I hear nothing from them, and there is not even a mention of that office on the Mayor's website http://www.london.gov.uk/europe. Indeed, my reply last November to the promise of regular contact was "this new departure would be very welcome - and long overdue!" but the silence persists. I suppose there must be some MEPs they do keep informed….

How low will UKIP stoop?

Nigel Farage is normally amusing, which accounts somewhat for his media popularity. But this week he was not at all funny. He made a highly personal attack on President of the EU Council Herman van Rompuy, asking to his face "who are you?", saying he had "the charisma of a damp rag" and was like a "low grade bank clerk", and describing Belgium as a "pretty much a non-country". This was aimed at gaining yet more publicity in the British press ahead of his general election contest and the BBC duly obliged by seeing fit to run this clip as third item on its 10 o'clock TV news. The insult demeaned Farage and UKIP but also sadly, Brits in general. It is interesting that Farage and UKIP now choose to sink to personal insult, bringing them nearer the thuggish means of the BNP that they have previously claimed to deplore. It must mean they are desperate.

Best regards,

Sarah Ludford