An extra specially good smear by the BBC
Calling Philippe de Villiers 'a far right politician'. What might 'far right' mean to the man or woman in the street? A neo-fascist stance? A call for repatriation of people beyond shade one white on the dulux colour chart?
Nope, PdV is known for his 'conservative, traditionalist and eurosceptic positions'. He also appears to be a monarchist. Having examined the horrendous translation of the party's (Mouvement Pour La France) platform at the usual place, there is nothing there that would put it beyond the pale of mainsteam British euroscepticism. A klansman he ain't.
Nope, PdV is known for his 'conservative, traditionalist and eurosceptic positions'. He also appears to be a monarchist. Having examined the horrendous translation of the party's (Mouvement Pour La France) platform at the usual place, there is nothing there that would put it beyond the pale of mainsteam British euroscepticism. A klansman he ain't.
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PdV can hardly be classified as far right. But it seems that any traditional"Conservative" is apt to be categorised as such by the BBC mindset. The current Polish prime minister and President are a favourite target of theirs.Ukip have suffered similarly biased reporting from the BBC.
The usual game of defamation by association: Hitler was evil, Hitler was far right, hence everybody designated as far right is evil. If you agree with his views, you must be evil.
The same game with immigration: Hitler was evil, Hitler was against foreigners, hence everybody being against unlimited immigration is a Nazi.
By analogy: Hitler was evil, Hitler was for the Volkswagen, hence everybody driving a Volkswagen must be a Nazi.
I am a european investor in the UK. Over the last 20 years my family's companies have invested £75 million. We provide employment with decent (european style) conditions to our 328 employees. In recent years (particularly when the UK didn't set a course to join the euro) we stopped our investment as we now perceive the UK economy as a lopsided bet on a japan-circa-early-90es-style property bubble.
Accordingly we have divested any real estate in the UK which we feel is "irrationally exuberant" and is very likely to crash. We feel that this is true even with the stimulus of running a very aggressively competitive tax and worker rights regime within the single market in effect taking investment which would otherwise be in other european countries to the UK.
Given this fact we are alarmed by the hysterical quality in British euroscepticism. We feel there is a public hysteria whipped up by the Murdoch press which may sell newspapers but its not in the interests of this country. The influence R Murdoch has over Britain via the Times the Sun and Sky over Britain is of Berlusconian proportions.
We have already drawn plans to reduce our exposure to the UK for purely economic reasons, we may well relocate entirely in Bratislava, Slovakia if the same nationalistic rhetoric persists in making us feel that there is a risk of withdrawal. So far we have found that new europe has much better educated and productive people and policies that are in line with reality.
The UK is becoming bureaucratic not due to Brussels, its the unresponsive overpriced and low quality services and property but also there is widespread dishonesty in Banking and insurance and business services, it is generally bad value for money. Banks in particular are a law on to themselves. The personal loan bubble is likely to burst along with the housing one.
The fact that UK employees have much less security and rights than the rest of the EU has made up for the currency risk so far, but if this overpriced and overconfident country continues its direction in pulling out of the EU project this will give us reasons to pull out our investments from the UK altogether to avoid the dangerous direction to anti-eu-populism that is now prevalent.
An interesting and thoughtful comment which deserves a fuller response than I can give right now, and I will admit to not being in a position to argue the economics of how you operate your business one way or another.
However, I think you overstate the power of the Murdoch press. The Times in particular is far less eurosceptic than it was, and only the Telegraph of the serious papers can be termed sceptic - The Guardian, Independent and FT are positively europhile, as is the BBC and the Daily Mirror.
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