almost a year later Jim Alister opens his office - well done Jim - phew! must have taken it out of you working that quickly

Is that why Stalford hasn't been posting recently, given his secretarial duties ;)

I wonder who makes the coffee.

It will also be used to coordinate the forthcoming "No campaign" against the European Constitution in the proposed referendum.

Ourselves alone?

They already have a DUP Euro office in Brussels. This is a Belfast Euro office just down the road from DUP HQ.

"Ourselves alone?"

Hardly. The press release states that he will be lobbying for the interests of Northern Ireland within the EU. I see no plans for withdrawal. The EU like the idea of the UK is good...but it needs to be implemented correctly. It needs to be accountable and it certainly does not need a single constitution to function. Internationalism and world trade are what we should be looking at not confining ourselves to some trumped up over regulated United States of Europe.

The Democracy website is fairly good. It states it is pro-European but anti EU constitution and anti-single currency. Isolationism would be silly. A constructive, efficient, accounatble EU is in everyones interests. An EU that does not seek to be a state but rather a trading block cooperating where prudent but without impinging on the independence of nation states.

ctron

I wonder could you provide me with an office address for Jim Nicholson or Babs Brown that isn't their party HQ?

Gaskin

I expect such comments from a layabout student!

Aughavey
A few corrections to your post which I hope you take in the helpful manner they are proposed:
The main campaign in the UK against the Euro Constitution is not the one you have linked to, it is:
http://www.vote-no.com/home/home.aspx
The umbrella campaign for Europe is at:
http://www.europeannocampaign.com/

The DUP are opposed to the Constitution - as are the UUP and SF - so it is wrong to say that the DUP Euro office will be used to co-ordinate the forthcoming No campaign. I am sure they will be used to co-ordinate DUP efforts as part of that campaign. I don't wish to sound pedantic but this is not a unionist/nationalist/sectarian battle.

There will be a non party cross community campaign against the Constitution supported by people who are Unionist, Nationalist and neither!

Will the DUP be sharing their NO to europe office with SF.

Bob,
The DUP may not necessarily be co-ordinating the entire NO vote, but surely Jim Allister as a member of the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament will be a vital part of that debate.

http://wwwdb.europarl.eu.int/ep6/owa/p_meps.short_list?ilg=EN&icom=C18

"Gaskin

I expect such comments from a layabout student!"

LOL, I seem to have touched a nerve ;)

Question, how am I a layabout?

All students are layabouts.

I refute that comment

Will
I know Jim will want to do his utmost for the campaign but important as MLAs, MPs and MEPs are they too only have one vote in a referendum!
The NO campaign will be eager to maximise that vote and hence my emphasis on the broad nature of the campaign

Bob,
Of course they do, but the point that I was making was that Jim Allister will be a more important figure in the campaign even than other MEPs as he will have a deeper knowledge of the subject because of his membership of that Constitutional Affairs committee.

That issue is probably going to be the biggest single issue of this European term - no doubt he intends to use this office as a further base to influence the campaign as best he can.

What i meant in the first line was, that of course an MEP only has one vote in a referendum.

I note UNISON the biggest trade union in the UK has declared itself opposed to the EU constitution.

There are very sound reasons from both left of centre and right of centre positions to oppose the Constitution!

Vive la difference

I see Chirac wants the UK to abandon it`s rebate. The UK is seemingly the largest contributor to the eU already WITH the current rebate of £3bn.

Yes there seem to be plenty of Labour members against the constitution also. There is an International Rally against the eU Constitution scheduled for the beginning of April in London with speakers from all over Europe including Labour members and various people from Ireland - North and South.

Where have all the pro-European Constitution advocate gone?

Europe has been good for the ROI but the UK always had a different market so it did not benefit much.

Northern Ireland does not have any manufactoring industry nor an international banking/insurance system so we depend on the service industry and the government for jobs. That is the reason most parties here are not excited about europe.

Europe has been good for the UK too..but there is far too much red tape and corruption and too much centralisation.