Jury Team Profile - Bob Sampson

Here is another response to my questions posed to Jury Team candidates. These responses are from Bob Sampson who is running in the South East Primary.

Bob's full Jury Team profile can be viewed, here.

If you would like to vote for Bob in the Primary, then text BOBSAM01 to 86837 (25p + Standard Rate).

Bob can be contacted via the details on his profile if you have further questions. Otherwise feel free to leave any comments or questions in the comments field of this post.


Please answer True or False to these statements:

1. The EU should have even more control over the governing of member states including the UK.
FALSE

2. The EU is the future of Continental Europe; the UK should be less resistant to this and more willing to be engaged with EU partners.
TRUE

3. The EU is fundamentally undemocratic in how it is made up and how it functions.
FALSE

4. If elected to the EU Parliament I will always vote in favour of returning legislative powers to member states.
FALSE

5. Countries like Iceland and Norway should be made to join the EU.
FALSE

6. Ireland was wrong to vote NO in their referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
FALSE

7. The main reason why people are against the EU in the UK is because the Tabloid media runs scare stories.
TRUE

8. I believe the UK should be a part of a federal Europe, whether as the UK or as component nations or regions.
FALSE

9. The UK should leave the EU as swiftly and as amicably as possible.
FALSE

10. The UK Parliament should be sovereign. No laws made by the EU should be above the law making decisions of the UK Parliament.
TRUE

11. The UK and France should give up their seats on the UN Security Council in favour of an EU representative.
TRUE

12. The city of London and UK financial institutions should be regulated by the EU.
FALSE

13. The EU has kept peace in Europe for 60 years.
TRUE

14. If the UK left the EU, it’s economy would never recover.
TRUE

15. Plans should be made for the UK to join the EURO within the next five year sitting of the EU parliament
FALSE

16. UK armed forces should answer to a European Military Chain of Command.
FALSE

17. The EU should be allowed to collect taxes directly from European citizens and/or businesses.
FALSE

18. There will never be war in Europe as long as the EU is strong.
[Did not answer]

19. The UK should not be allowed to declare war without the approval of the EU
FALSE

20. The UK should be allowed a referendum whether it accepts the EU Lisbon Constitutional Treaty before it comes into force.
TRUE

21. I am prepared to give up some small freedoms so that the UK and/or the EU governments can better protect us from terrorists.
FALSE

22. The EU should have control of EU wide policing to make standard the same across Europe, as well as centrally gather intelligence.
FALSE

23. UK Common Law is incompatible with European Courts. We should protect Common Law.
TRUE

24. People who stand opposed to the EU should be punished.
FALSE

25. The Eurovision Song Contest is a wonderful form of European entertainment and the voting is in no way rigged.
THIS ONE IS A JOKE. YES?

In no more than 200 words for each question, please tell us about the following:

Q. If you are elected to the EU Parliament, by what method and frequency will your expenses be made public?
Regularly published on my website every month.

Q. Have you ever stood for an elected position before?
Yes. Have been an elected Parish Councillor for nearly 20 years.

Q. Do you have you own website or blog?
Yes

Q. Do you regularly read any particular newspapers or magazines? Who are your favourite writers/Journalists?
I am a regular reader of The Independent. My favourite Journos are Janet Street Porter and Alan Watkins

Q. Why did you decide to stand for Jury Team instead of an existing political party?
Having been part of a non-political parish council, I have seen how well things work and how much more positive action takes place WITHOUT part bickering.

Q. What is the very first thing you will do in your official capacity if elected?
Ask the people in my constituency to let me know how I can help them as an MEP.

Q. And, as you have been good enough to answer the above, in no more than 1,000 of your own words, tell us why we should vote for you.
All the political parties follow their own agenda without much regard for local people. There is a belief that the South East of England is an affluent area, because political parties forget about the large numbers of people in rural areas who are living close to the breadline. There is a need for housing in the area - but not the high cost 'executive homes' that the developers like to build. The housing numbers that the Government demands should be reduced and concentration should be on the lack of 'Low-cost' and 'Social' housing - possibly reinstating the ability for Local Councils to build houses once more. Public transport in rural areas should be heavily subsidised to make it affordable to help people leave their cars at home and cut greenhouse gasses.

I believe the worst achievement of the Thatcher Government was not to allow Local Councils to reinvest money from council house sales in the building of replacement homes. I believe the fact that the private sector developers are the driving force of house building in the UK is scandalous. I also believe that this Government's 'fast-tracking' of the planning process takes the power away from the people who care about their communities. I believe that there is a place for private enterprise, but that it should be subject to much stricter controls. Planning should be in the hands of local people and developers should be invited to tender for building work.

Many pensioners and vulnerable people subsist on fixed incomes and the spiraling cost of private enterprise energy is reducing them to greater and greater poverty. There are some services, such as Water, Energy and Public Transport, that should be strictly controlled, or taken back into public ownership, to stop them putting personal profits before the well-being of the population, particularly the most vulnerable.

Having taken a great interest in evolution, I can see the human race running headlong to extinction if nothing is done about our behaviour. The main political parties talk up Green issues, but, when in power, make decisions with a short-term view to the number of votes that will be won or lost. There is not enough effort made to educate people as to how wrong the selfish 'I'm alright Jack' attitude is and to stamping out the belief that one person cannot make a difference.