CLEGG'S REVENGE

For 5 years Nick Clegg and Roger Helmer represented the East Midlands region as Euro-MPs. On the one hand was Clegg, an utterly pro-European Liberal Democrat who despite his years as a Commission insider is a pragmatist who condemns the absurdities of some EU practices. On the other hand was Helmer, a frothing-at-the-mouth Conservative Europhobe who wants Britain out of the EU immediately if not sooner. Their different views were reflected in the debates they had in the letters' columns of local newspapers.

Helmer has had his triumphs. He has seen his party grown to be dominated by people of like instinct. He has seen the Tory Group pull out of the European Peoples' Party and form an alliance with a handful of fellow sceptics. And in the May general election he saw his party become the largest in the House of Commons.

But from that moment it has all gone downhill.

New Europe Minister David Liddington is proving another pragmatic soul who gets on with the work in hand. His statement on the Coalition Government's European Policy is one I can endorse. Essentially it says that the UK government will not agree to any further transfer of powers from member states to the EU without there first being a referendum, but that there will not be a referendum in the next 5 years. (I don't approve of referendums so I am glad that there will be none). Changes in EU rules that do not involve a transfer of power - such as the accession of Norway or Croatia - will be put to a vote in the House of Commons.

The statement did not make reference to the big change it represents in the Tory position: there will be no attempt to repatriate powers from the EU.

I think I heard Nick Clegg sum up the compromise agreed as "we lower our ambitions, they drop their nonsense." It means that the government will just get on with the business of Britain in Europe, dealing with the issues as they arise.

But for Roger Helmer this is terrible stuff. "I start to despair for my party and my country," he told a fringe meeting at the Tory party conference yesterday.

Eat your heart out Roger. On Europe, Clegg has won.

Nick, go Dutch!

I like the Dutch. I like the liberal nature of their politics that I am sure will prevail despite the 15% of votes recently won by the anti-Islam ‘Freedom’ Party. I like the impression the Dutch create of having fewer hang-ups than the British. Maybe it’s a consequence of our sanctimonious tabloid press, or an unwillingness here to confront the disproportionate influence of religious extremists, but when it comes to dealing with controversial issues like drugs, prostitution, and medically assisted dying the Dutch are simply more grown up.

Dutch law provides for people suffering unendurably with no hope of recovery to seek medical help to die. Safeguards ensure that all such decisions reflect patients’ free will. Investigations have been made into a few ‘grey area’ cases but no doctor has ever been prosecuted. By contrast, British citizens experiencing great suffering who make the decision to bring forward their time of dying have to travel to Switzerland to seek medical assistance through the Dignitas organisation.

The war on illegal drugs is lost. It has been an expensive failure, and the worldwide cost paid in lives destroyed and honest society undermined has been vastly more damaging than the health effects of the drugs themselves. Debate about replacing prohibition with a regime of licensing and regulation is now firmly on the agenda in the Americas. Dutch policy of permitting the sale of cannabis from authorised outlets has driven a wedge between ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ drugs. Consumption of all types in the Netherlands is very much less than in the UK.

The ‘oldest profession’ is not going to go away. Prostitution is legal in Britain but if two or more people work together for their mutual protection they face prosecution. Licensing rules might prove problematic for local councillors but brothels should be made legal, as they are in the Netherlands.

Liberal Democrats have progressive policies on these issues and we should use our role in government to place them on the agenda. Nick Clegg is the first Dutch-speaking leader of our party; I look to him to bring some of the no-nonsense pragmatism of his mother’s country to debate here.

ASTONISHING TIMES

The political situation is extraordinary. For the opinion polls to move by as much as 14 points overnight in favour of one party is unprecedented. And for it to happen in favour of the Liberal Democrats is a delight It reveals just how many people would prefer not to have to vote for David Cameron as an alternative to Gordon Brown, and just how much latent support there is for our party that comes to light only when we get the rare opportunity to be treated as equals.

I am revelling in having been a Clegg-for-Leader advocate from the day he told me that he wanted to stand for the House of Commons (after I had failed to dissuade him from leaving Brussels that is). As I now occupy Nick’s former office in the European Parliament maybe I should try to raise party funds by charging visitors to see it.

The enthusiasm should be savoured and bottled for it will not last. I have no doubt that Nick will do well in the next debates but expectations of him are now completely unreasonable. If he defends the principles and policies of the party then he will inevitably lose some support – they would not be principles worth fighting for if our opponents agreed with them.

NO COALITION

Nick Clegg has proved himself a class political act with his strategy in the event of a hung parliament.

No coalition, but voting support for either larger party in return for commitments to promote the education of those on the lowest rung, reform the tax system to reduce income inequalities, boost the green economy (environmentalism and bash the bankers), and to introduce a fairer voting system.

So Liberal Democrats can now talk about issues they care about rather than answering questions about which other party they might support.

If the finesse works a treat we even get the others talking about OUR agenda and how far they would go to meet it.

Very neat.

RUFFLING FEATHERS

A call from my delegation leader, Andrew Duff MEP: "We need to rally around the courageous position taken by Nick Clegg in calling for an arms embargo against Israel. Comments on your blog might be taken to suggest that you are calling Israeli's racist, and this is not helpful."

"Someone's been getting at you," I replied.

But I checked my blog, and I think it clear to any impartial reader that words I have used describe Israeli government policy as racist, not Israeli people in general.

But this is how some of the knee jerk pro-Israeli Government lobby works. One word of condemnation of Israeli policy and the critic is branded "anti-semitic."

They also conveniently ignore my consistent condemnation of Hamas rocket attacks!

My first visit to Israel/Palestine was to be present at the launch of an organisation called 'Combatants for Peace,' former IDF soldiers and Palestinian fighters who had come together to call for a change in approach. On my last visit I joined with Israeli peace activists.

By the definition my critics apply to me, some people in this country would be saying that there are "anti-semitic" Jews in Israel.

And to any Israeli government spokesman who dares again to claim that Israel's Palestinian foes do not share the same concern for human life as themselves I say: "Count the bodies and hang your hypocritical head in shame."

NICK CLEGG TALKS SENSE ON GAZA

The double standards are nauseating.

The EU makes demands of Palestinians and backs them up by refusing to recognise their elected representatives and by cutting off financial support. We make requests to the Israelis (lift the economic blockade, stop the expansion of settlements, etc) and when they are ignored we reward them by strengthening our partnership.

Tzipi Livni says that Israel can not accept terrorism. Well just exactly who is doing the terrorising now?

Nick Clegg is the first of the main political leaders to demand that we back our words with some deeds. His call today for suspension of the enhancements to the EU-Israel agreement, and for an arms embargo, is hugely welcome. It draws a line in the sand and sends out a message that we should no longer accept that Israeli government actions are those of a 'normal' democratic partner.

Israel has rights but it has also has responsibilities that it must start to exercise. Let's no longer make demand of Palestinians and Hamas without making equivalent demands of Israel. Let's have an end to the double standards.