Eurotrash

Our Green Party freepost leaflet for the European parliamentary elections may be low budget... but at least it's honest, it's about what's really in the tin.



Unlike the other three leaflets that have hit our doormats this last couple of weeks.

UKIP's jingoist message is summed up as 'say NO to European Union' and a few similar lines, while asking us to appoint them to represent us in a Parliament whose validity they don't recognise. They hope to pick up votes from the 'Westminster' parties in the wake of the expenses scandal - although their own sleaze record is, frankly, pretty awful, and they rate bottom of Open Europe's rankings, just published, of British MEPS performance in promoting transparency and reform in the last 5 year term (Greens are top). The UKIP leaflet proudly shows a picture of Winston Churchill, who was in truth a great enthusiast for closer European ties. Not for nothing are this lot called BNP-Lite

The BNP's core fascist agenda isn't of course mentioned in their own message to us voters. But they have contrived to picture an elderly couple of 'this country' putting their own interests ahead of those seeking asylum - although the couple pictured are really Italian, and knew nothing of how their photo would be used!
An emotive list of past British 'triumphs' is linked to earning 'British Jobs for British Workers'. Hmmm.... Trafalgar? There were 18 nations represented in the crew of the 'Victory'. Dunkirk... D-Day? Does the BNP realize that Britain was fighting AGAINST everything their evil little party represents?

Labour. You'd really expect better from Labour, even now. Sitting MEP Glyn Ford is strongly featured. You'd think he'd tell us something about what he's achieved in Brussels, and what he hopes to do if re-elected. But no, there's next to nothing about him or even about Europe. Instead we get negative campaigning against the LibDems and Tories, and populist appeals to lock up even more young offenders, and (a la BNP and UKIP) to get tougher still on immigrants.

So what's missing... not considered even worth a mention? The greatest challenge facing the human race, that's all. Climate Change. And Europe is the key player, representing us in the desperate search for international agreement.