To recover from our extensive travels we
kicked our trip off by relaxing in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens for several
hours. Walking through the parks we saw Speaker's Corner, the Albert Memorial
next to the Royal Albert Hall and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.
After that rather long walk we checked into
our hostel in "little Arabia" and headed to St. Paul's Cathedral to
pick up another group member who had flown in from Istanbul. While sipping
coffee and beers we were greeted by sudden London rain... With our group almost complete we went to
one of London's oldest pubs on the Thames riverbank. Right after we stumbled out of the pub we
found ourselves in the middle of a film set – the U.S. hit series 24's set. We
took the tube back to the hostel but not before crossing the beautifully lit up
Tower Bridge, quite the sight at night...
After breakfast in the hostel we took the
tube to Tottenham Court Rd and spent a few hours at the British Museum where we
saw the Rosetta Stone and tons of other exciting things. Following this intensive history lecture we
felt very hungry and had the almost traditional Fish 'n Chips. Whoever wasn't
tired of museums yet went to the Tate Modern to look at some "art" (I
like it! What is it?).
We got back to our Hostel where some of us
changed into their evening attire and went to the Queen's Theatre to see the
musical "Les Misérables" while the rest went to China town to enjoy
some Vietnamese food. On that evening the CAS delegation was finally completed
by the arrival of our last member who in the morning of that day sat on the
panel discussion with German President Gauck in Kleve. The next day,
Wednesday, was our big day where we had meetings with politicians and visited
the Houses of Parliament, Europe House and Westminster Abbey.
Westminster
10:30 Private talk with MP James Clappison 12:30 Private talk with Lord Boswell of Ayhno 15:00 Private talk with Jackie Minor - Head of the European Commisson's Representation to the UK 16:30 Reception at Westminster Abbey, including a private tour and Q&A Session with Canon Tremlett
Visiting
Westminster proved to me to be one of the most exciting, if not the
most exciting, part of the CAS London Trip. I am a
self-confessed fan of church architecture and history as well as a
native Brit. The level of access granted to us by this trip was truly
amazing!
The
trip was done in coordination with Canon Tremlett of Westminster
Abbey. Canon Tremlett is in charge of the parish based in St
Margret's Church, next to but still part of the Abbey. The Canon's
other duties include serving as the Speaker's Vice-Chaplin and
helping out in both of the parliamentary houses offering counseling
and support to members of both houses.
The
CAS team was lucky enough to drop into the Abbey at multiple points
during our visit.
Initially we stopped over at Canon Tremlett's private home for a good old fashioned English lunch of sandwiches and tea. Canon Tremlett's accommodation is attached to College Garden, supposedly the oldest garden in Britain (and an amazing photo opportunity!).
The Canon was very open in offering us insights into his work and perspective of both the UK and the EU. The Canon frequently stressed the organic nature of the development of the English, then later British political system and highlighted how this makes the EU potentially foreign and illegitimate in the eyes of the British public.
Following a very filling lunch (and needed break) we slipped out the back private exit of the Abbey and made our way over to Europe House.
Upon our return, Canon Tremlett showed us through into the main Abbey itself. We where allowed to approach the high alter and stand on the ancient mosaic floor where all previous Kings and Queens had been crowned and married. We where then shown round to the tomb of Edward the Confessor, England's one and only Saint-King. As a born Brit, this for me was quite the honour; seeing and touching an item of such national heritage was truly special! We, unfortunately, had to go at this stage - we said our warm goodbyes and filled off quite appropriately to the Speaker's Pub! Job well done!
James Clappison
Our first meeting on Wednesday was with
James Clappison in the office building of the House of Commons. Clappison was
born in 1956 and is a Conservative Party politician. He represents the
constituency of Hertsmere. Furthermore he is the Vice-Chairman of the
'Conservative Friends of Israel' group and sits on the European Scrutiny Committee.
In the beginning he pointed out that nowadays
the work in the several committees is more important than the day-to-day work
in the parliament.
The media focuses more on the output of the
committees and as the MP's need publicity in order to be re-elected, they try
to be successful in the committees.
Regarding the amount of work that is coming
from the EU, Clappison argues that it is actually too much. Many documents
cannot be scrutinised, even though it would be necessary.
He criticises the low attendance of the 3
annual meetings with the MEP's in Brussels, that should improve networking and
communication and bridge the gap between the UK and the EU. We asked for the reasons of the poor
turnouts at the European Elections in 2009 (34.7%, Rank 21). The MP argued, that the UK citizens don't
identify with the European Union and calls attention to the UKIP, which gained
many votes in the surveys compared to 2009.
As a consequence of the aversion towards
the EU, we asked about the result of a possible referendum about the UK leaving
the EU. According to Clappison, eventually people would vote for staying in the
Union, because the media would highlight how many jobs would be lost if Britain
left. Clappison would prefer the UK to leave the
EU because of its lack of democracy and argues that UK-European relations would
be better as an external partner to the EU.
Short Answer Questions:
CAS: 'If the UK left the Union, would other
countries also leave?' J.C.:'No, the other countries have a
different geo-political situation, even Greece stayed in the Monetary Union and
the EU.'
CAS:'Which country will be the next to join
the EU ?' J.C.:' Scotland.' (laughs)
Lord Boswell
Lord Boswell of Aynho– UK House of Lords
Timothy Boswell, Baron Boswell of Aynho served as
a conservative Member of Parliament for Daventry from 1987 until he retired at
the 2010 general election. He was raised to the House of Lords in 2010 where he
sits as a cross-bencher. In May 2012, he was made Principal Deputy Chairman of
Committees in the House, and Chairman of the European Union Committee.
Earlier posts include among others him being the Shadow Spokesperson for Business,
Innovation and Skills, and Parliamentary Secretary (Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food).
At the beginning of the talk, Lord Boswell highlighted a main difference
between the House of Commons and the House of Lords. In the Lords, work is much less party-political than in the lower house with the default
being an agreement on issues rather than diametrical opposition. Decisions are
taken less on the basis of party affiliation but rather on personal
convictions. Furthermore, the House of Lords in general can be seen as much
less euro-sceptic than the House of Commons which in part can be attributed to
the age of its members who for the most part can very clearly remember the
circumstances which led to the creation of the EU. Though Lord Boswell sees the
structure of the House of Lords critically (with regards to its composition and
legitimation), he holds that it works very effectively. This is due to a higher
focus on policy instead of politics, the level of experience of its members and
the fact that no member of the House of Lords has to make a career for himself.
The Lords are thus free to “think again” and reconsider the policies of the
House of Commons.
Lord Boswell went on to describe the workings of the European Scrutiny Committee
which he chairs. The committee includes subcommittees which do the work
regarding their respective topic areas and prepare reports to be presented in
front of the whole committee. The main task of the committee in its practical
work is “second-guessing” the memoranda they receive from the ministries but
also to practice inreach and outreach to explain the committee’s work both the
rest of the House of Lords and to the public. Comparing the European Scrutiny Committees of the House of Lords and
House of Commons, respectively, Lord Boswell holds that the committee of the
Lords is superior, partly due to better staffing but also due to the different work
mode as described above.
Regarding the rising euro-scepticism in the United Kingdom and the EU in
general, Lord Boswell believes that the euro-sceptic parties do not provide the
right answers to the relevant questions. In his opinion, the following points
are necessary: a better understanding between governments, a better work
relation between national parliaments as well as a better at not too
centralized dialogue with the European Commission. Lord Boswell believes that all
these goals can be achieved. The mainstream parties should make a greater
effort in campaigning for this kind of political reform. Lord Boswell believes
that the Commission does not address the citizens enough (especially the
youth). This leads to low levels of information about the EU and resulting
discontent. There have been some improvements in the last years, e.g. through
increased BBC coverage of EU politics.
Lord Boswell believes that a hypothetical referendum concerning the UK’s
membership in the European Union would be decided in favour of staying in the
EU.
He also highlights the importance of regarding the Union not as a mere
transactional device but also to acknowledge the moral importance of the EU,
which is important in its own merits.
Concerning further need for EU reform, Lord Boswell stresses the
importance of avoiding the formation of a political class in Brussels who might
be perceived as merely enriching themselves. Thus, he believes that European
elections should not be held on a “list” basis. Regarding the topic of enhanced defence cooperation, Lord Boswell
believes that new institutions have to be “built up” as the need for them
arises and not “created” for their own sake. It is a mistake to begin with the
institution and to begin integration in a second step (as happened with the
Euro). Nevertheless, there is a current potential for military cooperation in
the areas of common procurement, common systems and common military doctrines
(concerning human rights).
Jacqueline minor
Jaqueline Minor is the Head of the EU Commission's representation to UK, making her the Commission spokesperson in the UK. Before, she was Director in the Directorate for Consumer Policy of the Commission. She has worked at the European Commission since 1992.
The
relation between the EU and the UK has always been ambiguous, for a number of
reasons: the UK has never been invaded, was a primary partner to the US, and
the centre of the Commonwealth and thus differed from all other European
Nations. For most members, the process of accession coincided with processes of
liberation. Not so for the United Kingdom, where the decision to join was made
purely in rational grounds. This still colours Britain’s attitude towards the
EU. The British focus lies very much on the economy rather than on ideology.
In the
current debate, the UKIP has gained much support, drawing not only on EU
criticism but also on a general discontent in the electorate, where many people
feel left out. According to opinion polls, one third of those who back UKIP
actually want to stay in the EU. Voting for UKIP thus has to be understood
wider than just concerning EU politics.
In the
recent past, the opinion of the British public has begun to shift and a
majority is now for staying in the EU. A part in this development is played by
business organisations and large companies which are pro EU, such as Nissan.
Young people are a special issue, since they are generally more pro-EU than the
average but their turnout in elections is lower. This might be connected to low
campaigning efforts in the UK, poor information and unknown MEPs.
In Mrs
Minor’s opinion, the United Kingdom has been very beneficial to the Union in
the past, e.g. by pushing for much needed reforms in the services sector and
with the digital agenda. On the other hand, the EU membership was profitable
for the UK, for example by providing the membership in a larger bloc,
attracting more foreign direct investment, etc. While Britain is indeed a net
contributor, it is estimated that each households gains as much as 3000 Pounds
a year by EU membership.
The
representation of the Commission in London is mainly concerned with trying to
heighten the understanding between the EU on the one side, and British
politicians and citizens on the other side. Furthermore, it tries to correct
counterfactual stories concerning the EU in the British press.
As a means
to further improve the EU and its image, Mrs Minor proposes the following three
points:
1.Enhance the application of the subsidiarity
principle,
2.Set job creation and growth on the
top of the agenda for the next five years,
3.Improve the connection between
national parliaments and the EU.
End of the trip
Thursday, we had yet another long walk past
Savile Row, Selfridges, through St James's Park and past Buckingham Palace,
Whitehall and 10 Downing Street followed by a Dim Sum Lunch in China town.
After lunch the group split up again. Some went to see the Crown Jewels in the
Tower of London while the rest decided to either go shopping at Harrods or on a
broad inspection of local pubs. We met again at Leicester Square to celebrate
our last evening in London at Belgo's, a fancy restaurant in Covent Garden with
Belgian Food and a wide range of beers and ales.
Friday morning we packed our stuff and
checked out of the hostel, we split up again and some started the day with a proper
English Breakfast on Kings Rd. Some then went to the James Bond exhibition at
the London Film Museum while others took the last opportunity to do even more
shopping. A series of unpredictable circumstances led us to an adventurous
boarding procedure that involved a lot of sprinting and uncertainty as to
whether all of us would get on the plane in time. Somehow we made it from the
bus stop into the plane in a little more than 20 minutes and arrived safely but
exhausted in Weeze one hour later.
By Niklas Koch, Florian Steuerer, Daniel How, Manuel Schmidt and Martin Healey