Tuesday 8 February 2011

Writing to your MEP

I wrote this letter to my MEPs yesterday. To my suprise they have all answered within 24 hours. Some in great detail about specific proposals and research into safety currently in progress. A littlr sad then to compare that UK MPs are having to fight to save essential services form the Con-Dem Government rather than better the lives of residents...

Monday 7 February 2011

Dear Jean Lambert, Sarah Ludford, Charles Tannock, MarinaYannakoudakis, Gerard Batten, Claude Moraes, Mary Honeyball and SyedKamall,

It's nearly two years since Eilidh was run over by a truck that failedto see her. Her mum Heather has been working with their local Member ofEuropean Parliament to try and get an EU declaration signed to get HGVsfitted with sensors and cameras to remove their blind spot. 4000 people, mostly unprotected road users such as cyclists,motorcyclists and pedestrians, are killed each year in Europe becauseof HGV blind spots. As a keen cyclist (I commute by bike and cycle for pleasure)I see thedangers of this blindspot daily. If HGVs are the way in which we chooseto deliver goods in the centre of our busy towns, then they mustn't make them any more dangerous than neccessary.

I am 38 years old I havelost 2 friends to illness, but 2 others have been crushed by HGV's whodidn't see them (one died in a car). This declaration needs to be signed to be signed by half of the 736MEPs before it lapses on Wed 16th Feb

Yours sincerely,

XXX

1 comment:

  1. thought I'd add that the response I got from UKIP was brilliant...

    Dear Mr XXX,



    Thank you for your email.



    I agree that this is a serious and pressing issue but one that should be addressed only by democratic national parliaments.



    I have not signed the Written Declaration because I was elected on the basis of advocating Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union; the European Union is undemocratic and indeed anti-democratic. Therefore on a point of principle I never sign Written Declarations where they call for more EU legislation. I would like to emphasise that Written Declarations have no legislative effect.



    I always vote against EU legislation, believing that the governance of countries should be by their accountable and directly elected governments. It would therefore be inconsistent to sign a Written Declaration calling for further EU legislation. Please see the attached copy of my Personal Declaration that states the basis on which I hold my seat in the European Parliament.



    I appreciate that you may be disappointed by my response but I hope you will appreciate that I am maintaining a consistent stance for those who elected me on the principles on which I stood.



    Yours sincerely,



    Gerard Batten MEP

    UKIP London

    He attached his manifesto, which outlined his approach. This included...

    I will draw the salary and legitimate expenses due to me on the basis that I am being paid by the British
    taxpayer to work for Britain's withdrawal from the European Union in accordance with my election as an MEP under the terms of this Personal Manifesto. I will draw the available allowances in order to fund myrole as an MEP in accordance with terms under which I was elected. I will utilise any other funds that maybe legitimately available in order to further my objectives.

    So at least he won't go hungry then

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