Gisela unhappy with ‘Addams’ EU

Nov 25 2009 By Jon Walker

REJOICE! Britain has its own president at last.

Herman Van Rompuy was appointed President of the European Council last week – or just President of Europe for short – while Baroness Cathy Ashton became the High Representative, Europe’s equivalent of a foreign secretary.

Tony Blair had been hoping to get the presidential role, but it seemed he wasn’t too popular with our friends on the Continent.

Not everyone is impressed by the way things turned out, however.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Gisela Stuart (Lab, Edgbaston) told MPs: “I will not pretend that I think what happened in the EU last week was a particularly edifying spectacle.

“The Herman and Cathy show may turn out to be the equivalent of Cousin Itt and Uncle Fester, or Gomez and Morticia – it certainly looks as though the Addams family are running Europe at the moment.

“Perhaps they will prove us all wrong.”

* JULIE Kirkbride’s plans for a triumphant comeback continue apace. It’s an open secret that she’s hoping to be reinstated as Conservative candidate in the Worcestershire seat, after announcing plans to quit the Commons over the expenses scandal.

The plan appears to be to wait for Sir Thomas Legg, the auditor who has investigated claims made by each MP, to publish his findings, and then announce that she is coming back because Sir Thomas has found her not guilty of abusing the system.

But the bad news is that Tory activists don’t want her back. Conservative Home, a website for Tory activists, asked 1,600 party members whether she should stand again, and 60 per cent said no.