Mark Seddon of the People’s Pledge on Portugal, the BBC and how you can help
Posted: April 8th, 2011 | Author: The Peoples Pledge Team | Filed under: News, The People's Pledge Blog, The People's Pledge in the Media | 8 Comments »
This week the People’s Pledge commissioned another YouGov poll – which we publish here – this time we wanted to know what people thought about the possibility of a major Portuguese bail out, and how this might influence their attitude towards holding a referendum in EU membership. As you can see from the YouGov poll, the reaction is pretty clear – far more people favour a referendum in the event of a Portuguese bail out.
We commissioned this poll a week or so, and we made it available exclusively to the BBC at the beginning of the week. Little were we to know that the Portuguese crisis was even more imminent, and that by Wednesday the Financial Times was reporting the full extent of the likely loans needed by Portugal in order to keep the country in the Euro zone (some 70 to 80 million Euros over the next period).
But although this week Sky TV, Virgin Media News, The Times, Tribune and the Daily Express have either reported on our poll findings or have carried articles by members of our Advisory Council, there has been no coverage from the BBC. There has of course been plenty of air time devoted to the referendum that people don’t really want – the one on the Alternative Vote.
What does this mean? Is there some diktat from on high that says “don’t touch anything with EU attached to it?” I doubt it.
The truth, I suspect is that the EU is the proverbial elephant in the room. The powers of the organisation and its reach into our lives are long and deep. The arguments are complex, and eschew easy headlines. And of course for many in the media, those with the strongest views on the EU are associated with the political Right. Far better, therefore to leave the whole messy issue alone.
The People’s Pledge is not an anti EU campaign, nor are we campaigning to have Britain leave the EU. Our primary objective is to let the people decide in a referendum, especially as the European Union is once again transforming before our eyes into a ‘two speed Europe’, and a Europe where some member states are members of a single currency, while others are not.
Despite the fact that twice as many people in Britain favour a referendum on EU membership than on the Alternative Vote, we have an uphill battle to make our voices heard. We cannot necessarily rely on the national media to report what we do, and despite the fact that The People’s Pledge is all party and none; there are some sections of the media who will continue to label us in a way that fits their template for a stereotype.
We have to get out and about in the community, up and down the country, to take the campaign forward and get as many people to sign the pledge as is possible.
Some 3,600 of you have volunteered to be activists in this campaign, and there are very many ways you can help. If you are a member of a political party, a trade union or a voluntary organisation, we want to hear from you. If you need material from us, let us know. And if you would like a speaker from the campaign or our Advisory Council, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
To see the poll results in full
Mark Seddon, director of the People’s Pledge
Pamela BoamWhy should we help to bail out Portugal? We are not in the euro and if we got into difficulties would Europe help us. A big fat no would be the answer. This country is already giving away, “I think its something like 77 million this year and its us poor tax payers that are having to go without. Lets demand that we come out of Europe all together.
Remind me, how much does the BBC get in grants from the EU?
Time to shut down the BBC and any other puppet state news bureau. We really are in an appalling situation – paying an organisation to keep the only news of any value consistently hidden from us. The BBC and now Channel 4 (or ‘Cuts TV’ as they are collectively known) continues to pump out just enough rubbish to keep us politically divided and take our attention away from the bigger picture.
I have reluctantly resigned my membership of the Conservative Party because I believe Cameron’s attitude to requests for a referendum are disappointing, arrogant and he has no intention of granting one.
This is a shame because I have been a supporter of his since he stood for the leadership and believe he and his Coalition have performed well in the first 12 months.
The danger they face is large numbers of Tory members resigning and if 2 or 3 MP’s were to resign the Whip and either go independent or UKIP then he will be forced into a referendum.
He is obviously confident this will not happen, but we will see.
I am sure many people feel, as I do, that the future of this Country is more important than any political party and he may well find others will come to the same conclusion
From a Bernard Connolly article on the Bruges Group website, written in 2000.
‘In 1996, Phillippe Maystadt, then the Belgian Finance Minister and now president of the European Investment Bank, said that: “The purpose of the single currency is to prevent the encroachment of Anglo-Saxon values in Europe.”
I believe that these statements get us to the heart of what “Europe” is about. As I wrote five years ago in The Rotten Heart of Europe, “Europe is a threat not only to our wealth but to our freedoms and to our peace.”
http://www.brugesgroup.com/mediacentre/speeches.live?article=18
The reason there is no comment on the BBC is that the BBC recieves funding from the EU, which they know is against the royal charter.
As Mr.Seddon pointed out:the BBC is denying fair coverage of discontent among the British electorate. The EU is a giant machine of financial waste, and it’s hell-bent on attaining complete integration within it’s member states. There appears to be no regard whatsoever for the suffering of the people; or their civil liberties. The BBC, also a formidable devourer of Public finances, will naturally feel the need to allign itself with the EU. So closely resembled are the two, that one will support the other…both organisations being comrades with a common goal: to fleece the masses in order to expand their bureaucracies. And ruthlessly utilising the law to severely punish anyone who dares to demand justice. It may be a long-time coming, but justice will arrive as the might of the People’s Pledge, the Daily Express, UKIP and an assortment of frustrated individuals and organisations join in the fray. The uncompromising evil that’s inherent within the EU is being exposed every day. And with each new exposition of financial waste, a greater resolve to force withdrawal from the EU, will be created.
Richard,
I am currently a member of the Conservative Party. In fact I am standing for council election (ony as a paper candidate, its a very Labour ward) However, I have stated that I will not renew my membership of the party after it expires (July).
This is mainly due to the pathetic nature of David Cameron, stating he has no intention to grant a referendum (on the grounds we might say no and he does not want us to). I simply do not see how a leader of a party, elected to represent the people of the nation, can say “I’m not going to give the people a choise, because most of them will say no, and i want it to be yes”
I have signed the peoples pledge so now the only way I will vote conservative at the next election, is if the majority of conservative candidates publically promise that they will support a binding referendum on EU membership, and will vote for it in the house of commons. And the conservative party write that line in their manifesto.
If they break this promise, either in government, or opposition, I will hold them to account for it.