What happened at an EU Press Briefing?
Report and photos by Patrick Trollope.

ON Friday 9 March 2007 I was invited to a press briefing at the Princess Hotel in Manchester. Yep, you may suppose that I thought, “another invite for the bin”, as I saw the words "European Parliament" and that one was to be bored by a long meeting about "Straight Bananas and Pigs Need Toys". That until my eyes alighted on the magic words "...and lunch". Actually it was quite the opposite In fact, I had NOT just read the word "Lunch". As a European Capital Of Culture Ambassador, I thought it was a good idea to find out some more about Europe before 2008 and to find out just how it affects us on a day to day basis. The press is full of headlines like "EU make farmers give Pigs Toys" and "EU Stops Play Time”, but many misquote information which gets blown out of all proportion. In fact most of the European Parliament's every day running and legislative powers are a mystery to us. Most people would probably go to their local MP with their problems, rather than the MEP. However the MEP often has more power than the MP. Yet sadly, turn out at elections in the UK for European Elections is far lower than even local by-elections in some places!

At the meeting we heard the Head Of Press for the European Parliament UK Office, Simon Duffin, talking about the role the European Parliament plays in the ordinary daily lives of everyone in the UK at a local level.

I thought I knew what it was all about, but I was surprised to find out that they did even more. It is hard to think of the impact European Parliament has and it is only the silly and misquoted things that get the full press attention. In actuality, issues from employment through to mobile phone charges are what are being handled by the European Parliament. Often this gets overlooked, as it is not seen as interesting, but it has huge implications on our everyday lives, often for the better. I really didn’t expect to be swayed, but I concede that it’s a time for a rethink. We may not agree with all their decisions but there is no doubt about their influence.

This was a very informative and productive press briefing, that over the next few weeks, I will be dissecting and adding to the future editions. After the Talks and the Question and Answer session, we heard from our North West MEP's Den Dover, Sajjad Karim, Chris Davies, Arlene McCarthy, Brian Simpson, Garry Tiley and John Whittaker. All of them explaining the roles they play in the UK's representation in the Parliament.

This week, I thought it would be fun to ask our readers what you know about Europe?

This is a quick test to see just how much you know..?

1. What is the EU Working Time Directive?

2. The UK has how many seats in the European Parliament?

3. How many member states are there?

4. The North West has how many MEP's.

5. Their are twenty specialist policy committees that affect our daily lives:-

Development;
Foreign Affairs;
International Trade;
Budgets;
Industry;
Research and Energy;
Regional Development;
Legal Affairs;
Agriculture;
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs;
Budgetary Control;
Economic and Monetary Affairs;
Employment and Social Affairs;
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety;
Internal Market and Consumer Protection;
Fisheries;
Constitutional Affairs;
Transport and Tourism;
Petitions

What is the last one?

Answers...

1. The EU Working Time Directive means EU workers, part time or temporary now can get the same rights as full time staff. Also the same legislation introduced shorter working hours and the 48-hour rule. Although the UK has opted out on the 48 hour rule. New rules have also seen the number of hours junior doctors work, being cut, allegedly to help them treat patients better.

2. 78

3. 25

4. 9

5. Culture and Education

Let us know how you did. Email us!

Photographic Exhibition:- "Another Place and Other Places"

HIDDEN away in the Southport Arts Centre Gallery is a new photographic exhibition. The photographs in it are stunning and well worth a viewing. The images are taken by a local photographer, Ron Davies LBIPP, from Crosby of the Antony Gormley works on Crosby Beach, Merseyside.

The images are fine art style and explore the sculptures of Antony Gormley and the drama of the elements at Crosby Beach together with other images showing the landscape of the Merseyside and Sefton Coastline.

The exhibition is running to Saturday 5 May 2007 and is free to view.

The exhibition also consists of a small selection of Ron's photography of this work as well as other images showing some of the beauty of the Merseyside and Sefton coastline, from the drama of the Liverpool waterfront seen through a golden haze at sunrise to the gentleness of the dunes and woodland nature reserve at Formby Point.

All the images are printed on archival quality, cotton rag, acid free artist watercolour paper by the giclée process using light fast pigment inks and are available to purchase in strictly controlled limited editions that can be ordered of him.

For more information about the photographer go to his website at:- www.rondaviesphoto.co.uk.

Business is poor on Wesley St.

OVER the last few weeks we have been contacted by lots of people now complaining about the poor state of the road, called Wesley St. in Southport. One of the many shoppers who use the road said:- "Since the introduction of this silly pedestrianisation of Southport Town Centre getting out of the car parks on Tulketh Street has become a real headache. Also the shops down the side road cannot be reached very easily. In this area many are closing down and or turning into charity shops. We were well known throughout the UK as a place with very unusual shops, many being independently owned. This silly system that Sefton has put in place is closing them down as we the shoppers cannot use the shops and many are now avoiding the town!"

The businesses on the road are also up in arms and many state the same:- "We have been told by Sefton that they do not have the cash to complete the scheme and that has left us in a very bad situation. Before the scheme came in to effect, we were having a shopping boom. Since the road closure it has now turned into a deserted strip. Southport is starting to turn into a ghost town.. Sefton did not take our concerns and feelings into consideration. We only agreed with them when they forced our hands by promising extra cash and promised that they would do up the poor state of the road. Now we have been told ‘sorry’, we just have to put up with a budged up job that is not even half done."

Another business said:- "The bollard that has been installed is stopping trade. People cannot collect goods from the shops. The delivery vans keep getting caught on it. It is a mess. The lighting at night is worse than poor and the state of the pavement and the tarmac is dangerous.

I do not know how long our business can stay with the losses we are incurring. I'm sickened by the lack of thought and the lack of willingness to re-open the road. We get no support and no information. The council is a joke and controlled by people who do not have a grip on the reality of business. We are increasingly also getting drug addicts being relocated to Southport, from other areas and they are again pushing up costs. The poor lighting at night in this area is making it a no go area, so you cannot unload and load goods at night without being worried. Lots of businesses in Southport are now failing and it is only the council who is to blame. Just look at the supermarket pulling out! The town very soon will be in a worse state than Morecambe Bay. The council must stop and think and then fix this problem and fast!"

One customer interjected:- "I am disabled and I am finding Southport less and less disabled friendly. It is silly, but these good ideas to help us are in reality just making us less and less liked as customers as we get the blame. In fact it is making our lives hell. We cannot load our cars, as shops are too far away to walk to and from. Yes, we can get motability vehicles, but they can’t carry large amounts of shopping. So I am being forced to shop in Tesco’s to the cost of local small businesses. I want to know if the council has a hidden agenda or are they just incompetent?"

If you want to have your say, email us. 

Please  also note that the shops on Wesley Street have a partition to sign to re-open the road.  So by signing it you can help them and help us to save our town!

BOOK REVIEW:- "SAFE AREA GORAZDE"

AS the world’s awareness of the recent Balkan tragedy begins to wane, this book by Joe Sacco, ‘Safe Area Gorazde’ first published in 2000 is being released by Jonathan Cape on 19 April 2007, price £14.99.

This is a truly unusual book, presenting an insightful portrayal of life in the mainly Muslim area of the UN designated ‘Safe Area’ of Gorazde and of the horror of those dark days in Eastern Bosnia 1992 to 1995. It is presented through the unexpected format of a black and white comic book.

Written and illustrated by Joe Sacco, a cartoonist/reporter had travelled four times in 1995/6 to the area. He uses the stories and words of the people he met to let the narrative unfold. This clever concept gives a very graphic depiction of the truly awful events without over-sensationalising them. The book gives a brief historical outline of unresolved grievances from World War 2, which lay dormant throughout the many years of Tito’s Yugoslavia, when Croats, Serbs and Muslims lived together in apparent multicultural harmony; an illusion rudely shattered when ethnic cleansing of the non-Serbian population began. Whilst Sacco resists the temptation of blanket demonising any group, he perceptively depicts human frailties but also the human courage, endurance, kindness and indeed black humour by which people struggled to continue their war battered lives in such harrowing circumstances.

Described as ‘an absolute classic of graphic non-fiction, this book should appeal to anyone interested in modern history and humanities but would be particularly useful to students of the subject, from GCSE to degree level. Journalists too will find much of interest. With its strip drawings, bubble speech and short text passages, it will be especially useful to those who prefer a more pictorial presentation but should capture the readers not normally drawn to this format.     Well worth reading!