SARUM U3A Press Report May 2004
| At the Sarum U3A Coffee
Morning held at St Francis Church Hall on
Wednesday 19 May the main business was to give members the opportunity
to hear from representatives of 3 of the political party teams fighting
the Southwest constituency in the 10 June European elections. Prior to the main business information was given on:- - the possible availability of “accommodation only” at the July Summer School at Cheltenham - a trip to South Africa next year being organised by Poole U3A - no increase in the capitation fee to U3A HQ - availability of tickets for the talk on Modern Architecture on 22 October from Phyll Babb |
| The speakers, Caroline Jackson
(Conservative MEP), David Roberts
(Labour) and Tony Welch (Liberal Democrat), had been asked each to
spend 10 minutes addressing four specific questions:- their attitude to
the Constitution; the present and future powers of the European
Parliament; enlargement of the EU; and how to get more people to vote.
Having done this they responded to questions from the floor on a wide
variety of topics of interest to members. Questions ranged from the
candidates giving their reactions to the sense that the UK view of
continental Europe was that it was only interested when things were not
to the UK's satisfaction to their responding to the view that the
closeness of the parties' policies makes a choice of who to vote for
difficult. Greatest disagreement was seen when the candidates talked
about the social chapter and greatest agreement, in the form of healthy
scepticism, came when the topic of legislation on bent bananas or
rocking horses was mentioned. Proceedings were concluded by Jean Lunnon who thanked the candidates and emphasised that the good attendance of around 60 members, even on a very sunny day, clearly demonstrated interest in the European Elections a situation at odds with the apathy usually evidenced by the low turnout on European Election Day. |
