An European Speech

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="2da785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>kevin-french.com</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="kevinfrench.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="kevinfrench.com"><U><B><IMG SRC="2c00e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>   </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>     </B><A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Read my speeches"><U><B><IMG SRC="2c10e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id81.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="South East Cornwall Hustings."><U><B><IMG SRC="2c20e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#0099FF" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <IMG SRC="215b88a0.jpg" border=0 width="184" height="138" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>An European Speech</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="21301010.png" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Speech given to Sutton GC, Plymouth. 27/11/97.</div> <bR> <div> If the grammar and punctuation look strange, it is so my laptop computer can read it out correctly!</div> <bR> <div> You are the key to a fairer society!</div> <bR> <div> Tonight I want to explain why I feel it is important for me to be selected and hopefully elected as a Member of the European Parliament. Although I am confident and big mouthed, I hope I do not normally blow my own trumpet! But tonight if you bear with me, please let me explain my vision. Nikki I will address the political stuff later!</div> <bR> <div> The Labour Party stands for giving every one in society a fairer chance and this is why I joined! Some of you may feel that this is no longer the case but I believe in 5 years time British society will be more inclusive. You in the Sutton Labour Party can help aid this process. I want to be a European candidate to change the perception of the disadvantage, whoever they maybe. From the elderly living in Devonport, the supermarket cashier working to bring up the kids, too Andrew Wade!</div> <bR> <div> Sorry Andrew, but you often ask me "how I cope!" I want to become an MEP so people do not ask this question but think if Kevin can be elected, I can take control of my life.</div> <bR> <div> I sincerely believe by getting elected, I could radically change the negative perception of the disabled to a more positive one. People, bracket the disabled and the disadvantaged together. So when I refer to the disabled, it is purely to explain my vision to you, I am not exclusively addressing the needs of people with a handicap.</div> <bR> <div> A prime example of this negative image is, over the past ten years many people have commented to me on my abilities by making remarks a long the line of "if I wasn't disabled, I would be the MD of a company or it's equivalent". Although this kind of comment could be taken as patronising because the people who made these remarks are well known to me, I am flattered by them.</div> <bR> <div> The present structure of business and society means that I cannot obtain such a position because it is nearly impossible to enter such a job without previous experience. Although I have tried to work my way up the career ladder, middle ranking jobs need a physically 'normal person". Once you progress beyond this, leadership and ideas become more important and to be immodestly honest, this is what I am good at. By becoming an MEP many of business and society's conceptions will be challenged!</div> <bR> <div> Here in Plymouth I think I have started to change this perception a little but not enough. You in this room are at ease with my presence and know that I am fairly intelligent but some of you are not sure I am capable of achieving the goal I have set for myself. This reflects the situation in Plymouth.</div> <bR> <div> For example, when I ring the Chamber of Commerce to find out information, if I can speak to the Chief Executive directly, he will happily tell me what I want to know! The other staff are unsure of me for varying reasons and they do not feel able to assist me. For this reason it is important that I demonstrate and win the confidence of every one in the Labour Party and in Plymouth!</div> <bR> <div> Although local parties may not have any say in what names are placed on the regional list, I still need your assistance. I want you to communicate to friends, lovers, colleagues, enemies and David Jamieson what I am capable of! This has to start tomorrow because I, and we, will not have time to educate, indoctrinate people if, and when, I am selected!</div> <bR> <div> At this point, if anyone of you have any doubts about my capabilities, please tell me, afterwards! No matter how silly, insensitive or horrible they may be! If I cannot convince you, I cannot expect to win the general public over!</div> <bR> <div> So why should I give up any more of my spare time for the Labour Party, especially now we have a Labour Government, you think silently? Well, I think a MEP who has a visible disability could have an effect on society on many levels. As a candidate and hopefully as an elected representative, I would come into contact with people who never communicated with a disabled person before. This would demonstrate to people there is nothing to be afraid of when confronted by disability. I know I am not going to change every person I meet but if 1 person in 10 or in a hundred is changed, something worth while will be achieved! </div> <bR> <div> Although I do not want to be a role model for people, many people say that I am. What I hope is, should I be elected, many people can draw inspiration from this and maybe broaden their horizons. Some people are afraid to leave their house and do not understand how I can swan off to India. Fifteen years ago I was afraid to go out unaccompanied and one day I simply decided to go shopping on my own. Because of that leap into the unknown, I am a different person, today. This was terrifying at the time but it is the catalyst to everything I have accomplished. As an MEP I would travel constantly and demonstrate what is possible if people are self empowered.</div> <bR> <div> In essence, I feel as a candidate and an MEP, I would not have a large impact on people 's lifes but by interacting with many people occasionally, it would have an accumulative effect on society and this is one reason I am seeking office.</div> <bR> <div> Moving on, we are a political party right, and so I will briefly outline some of my own, and which is, I believe Labour's European political agenda..</div> <bR> <div> I hope now the Social Chapter is adopted into law, this will hopefully create a society where women are treated as equals, your sexual preference cannot deny you employment, and other minorities are not prejudiced against. This is why the Social Chapter is vitally important to a modern Britain.</div> <bR> <div> I passionately believe that Britain should be at the heart of Europe. I used to believe we should adopt and be a founding member of a single currency. Now I think, after the German Government tried to revalue its gold reserves, if the Euro is hard, we should Join. At the inception of the Euro, no one can be sure it will be a stable currency, and so the Government's "wait and see" policy is essentially correct. Then, at the right point of time, If we are brave enough to take this step Britain can have a successful modern economy which can afford to pay for an adequate welfare state. This welfare state can look after people from the cradle to the grave and enhance their well-being, and provide a modern, healthy environment for them to live in.</div> <bR> <div> If the Euro currency is a success, Britain will have to opt in because if we do not adopt it, Britain will become an economic and social backwater where Tory Government goes on and on for ever. As for the argument that by adopting it Britain will be economically damage, in my opinion, this id complete rubbish. When the Euro comes into being, most companies will use it and if Britain remains outside, we will have difficulties in attracting export orders. This is because companies are much more likely to trade with suppliers with a common currency. It is ludicrous to argue that Britain outside of Europe would be more financially competitive, who with, Mars!</div> <bR> <div> An integrated European transport policy is important to the South West and Plymouth, and needs a Labour MEP to insure it is properly implemented. The economic and environmental damage and benefits to the area of this policy must be constantly assessed and maybe modified, to ensure it delivers a healthy environment, jobs and a safe region!</div> <div> .</div> <div> With local government having increasing difficulties raising finance from national government, it is important that a local elected MEP, fights to ensure that Plymouth and the surrounding towns, receive a greater amount of E U funds. Also it would demonstrate to local people, the benefit of being a member of the European Union.</div> <bR> <div> The Common Agriculture Policy is a subject that is not discuss by many members of the general public, let alone members of the Labour Party but it should be! You as tax payers contribute to it! £28 billion pounds a year is spent on this policy, this is half of the whole EU budget. For years officials have been trying to stem the mounting costs of this policy. Because of the World Trade Organisation rules, and the expansion of the union, it now has to be tackled. Briefly, this is because under WTO regulations the EU has to cut subsidises to farmers, and with the former "iron curtain" countries farmers entering the C, A, P, if it is not reformed now, the EU budget could be swallowed up!</div> <bR> <div> I am reliably informed that South West farmers are more efficient than their European counterparts, and they would benefit from the re-ordering of the C, A, P. Finally, if this change is not managed properly, the cost of food in the shops would rise rapidly, so every MEP should take a keen interest in this policy.</div> <bR> <div> If I am going to get elected, I will have to have a high profile but this would have the direct knock on effect that many more people would know who their MEP was. This would hopefully forge a closer and meaningful relationship between the people of Plymouth and the faceless Eurocrats of Brussels.</div> <bR> <div> I sincerely believe if I was selected I would have the best chance of winning in the European elections. This is because my disability and my intelligence would make me a unique candidate, which if packaged correctly could be an electoral asset!! For example, in the local Conservative heartland, with an under resourced campaign and with the general election capturing most of the media interest, I still came fourth in Compton. When this result is taken into context with the lost seats of the council to the Tories, it demonstrates that Kevin French is electable. </div> <bR> <div> If I am going to have any chance of gaining the European nomination I must first convince you that I have something to offer the Sutton Labour Party, the people of Devon and Cornwall and hopefully society, at large. Although I do not want to reel off what I have done, I would like to mention two things. Richard Branson has said that Virgin, and also British Midland, would happily fly between Heathrow and Plymouth. I have been corresponding with Neil Kinnnock and John Prescott to enable this to happen, but I am sad to say that this economic lifeline, will probably not be reinstated! Also I am campaigning for the A38 to be placed on the Trans European Road Network, because this would help the region attract more inward investment.</div> <bR> <div> Finally, before I ramble on endlessly, I would like to make a few closing remarks! Although I believe by becoming an MEP I can have a positive effect on society, I do not want to campaign on disability issues, I want to be a Labour MEP! By being a good MEP, it would illustrate that disability does not have to be a handicap. There are other people in this room, who might want to seek an MEP nomination and I am not asking you not to give support to them. Under the regional list system, it is possible that more than one person from Sutton, could be selected as Labour Party MEP candidates! You see the importance of my mission to explain my capabilities, and why it has to begin, now! I also hope, you understand my vision, objectives and you think my desires are worth while! And, you can envisage the effect, on our society! And you will support my campaign!</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>