Tom Wise MEP speech on EU common foreign policy on energy

gc · 26-09-2007, 12:15 PM

Tom Wise delivered the following speech in the EP Strasbourg, on September 25th.
Please note: As Tom spoke under Parliamentary privilege, this speech can be reported.

Mr President,

When the EU talks of a 'Common Foreign Policy' on energy, you need to be aware of exactly who you propose to do business with.

President Putin is on record as saying "The Commission should be under no illusions, if it wants to buy Russian gas; it has to deal with the Russian state".

Gazprom is not a private company; it is a state controlled tool of Russian foreign policy.

It is, moreover, in the hands of Putin's political henchmen, and, allegedly, organised crime.

Take for example Alisher Usmanov. This gentleman, the son of a Communist apparatchik, is chairman of Gazprom Invest Holdings, the group that handles Gazprom's business activities outside Russia. He is the man you will be dealing with. He is the man who cuts off gas supplies if client states dare to question Gazprom's demands.

Allegedly a gangster and racketeer, he served a 6 year jail sentence in the Soviet Union in the 1980s, his eventual pardon coming at the behest of Uzbek mafia chief and heroin overlord Gafur Rakimov, described as Usmanov's "mentor".

Usmanov bought the newspaper 'Kommersant'. 3 months later, the journalist Ivan Safronov, a critic of the Putin regime who just weeks earlier had been "vigorously interrogated" by the FSB, as the KGB is now called, mysteriously fell to his death from his apartment window still clutching a bag of shopping.

According to Craig Murray, former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, it was Usmanov who ordered the cutting off of supplies to Georgia earlier this year. Please take note, Mr President, that the Kremlin has now refused to sanction the construction of a pipeline to the EU over Georgian territory.

These are the people you want to do business with. These are the people you are moulding your 'foreign policy on energy' around.

Mr Commissioner, good luck: You'll need it.

Anthony Butcher · 26-09-2007, 12:41 PM

The problem is that one can't help thinking that the man criticising others for being a 'gangster and racketeer' has admitted to fraudulently stealing tax payers' money in order to buy himself a car amongst other things. The hypocrisy stinks.

If he had any integrity he would resign his position and let someone else from UKIP with an ounce of decency take over his role as an MEP.

MEP 'bought car with taxpayers' funds' - Times Online

Quote:

An MEP from the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) who embezzled tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money by pretending to be someone else used some of the cash to buy a new car.

Wolfie Smith · 26-09-2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

The problem is etc....

What a petty response.

eublues · 26-09-2007, 03:34 PM

I agree with Anthony on this.

In my view, Wise would do us all a favour by staying silent (but getting out delivering leaflets, etc.)

Anthony Butcher · 26-09-2007, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfie Smith

What a petty response.

What is petty about it? He is a self confessed fraudster damaging the entire eurosceptic cause by association. The UKIP leadership clearly thinks so too, since they have removed all mention of him as a UKIP MEP.

UK Independence Party - UKIP MEPs

Statements such as he has just made carry no weight coming from his mouth, and only serve to remind people that he is still a eurosceptic MEP.

Wolfie Smith · 27-09-2007, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

What is petty about it?

He is sticking his neck out to report on an issue that is of great importance. And you? You just snipe from the sidelines. From a position of irrelevance. That is what is petty about it.

Anthony Butcher · 27-09-2007, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfie Smith

He is sticking his neck out to report on an issue that is of great importance. And you? You just snipe from the sidelines. From a position of irrelevance. That is what is petty about it.

This is an independent political web forum; it is all sniping opinions from the sidelines!

But seriously, it isn't petty, and I am not nit-picking. The man is an embarrassment to UKIP and the eurosceptic cause and should have resigned months ago. Hence his words are that much less effective than if they had been uttered by his successor. There is nothing that he can say with any credibility now.

I still can't work out why UKIP hasn't had an internal inquiry to chuck him out of the party, given that he appears to have admitted using fraudulently obtained money to buy a car.

g hall · 28-09-2007, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

The problem is that one can't help thinking that the man criticising others for being a 'gangster and racketeer' has admitted to fraudulently stealing tax payers' money in order to buy himself a car amongst other things. The hypocrisy stinks.

If he had any integrity he would resign his position and let someone else from UKIP with an ounce of decency take over his role as an MEP.

MEP 'bought car with taxpayers' funds' - Times Online

Innocent until PROVED guilty perhaps

He is still being investigated

Anthony Butcher · 28-09-2007, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by g hall

Innocent until PROVED guilty perhaps

He is still being investigated

Normally I would 100% agree with you, but as far as I am aware he has actually admitted buying the car with the money.

Wolfie Smith · 28-09-2007, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by g hall

Innocent until PROVED guilty perhaps

Exactly......

26-09-2007, 12:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
gc Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 501	Tom Wise MEP speech on EU common foreign policy on energy Tom Wise delivered the following speech in the EP Strasbourg, on September 25th. Please note: As Tom spoke under Parliamentary privilege, this speech can be reported. Mr President, When the EU talks of a 'Common Foreign Policy' on energy, you need to be aware of exactly who you propose to do business with. President Putin is on record as saying "The Commission should be under no illusions, if it wants to buy Russian gas; it has to deal with the Russian state". Gazprom is not a private company; it is a state controlled tool of Russian foreign policy. It is, moreover, in the hands of Putin's political henchmen, and, allegedly, organised crime. Take for example Alisher Usmanov. This gentleman, the son of a Communist apparatchik, is chairman of Gazprom Invest Holdings, the group that handles Gazprom's business activities outside Russia. He is the man you will be dealing with. He is the man who cuts off gas supplies if client states dare to question Gazprom's demands. Allegedly a gangster and racketeer, he served a 6 year jail sentence in the Soviet Union in the 1980s, his eventual pardon coming at the behest of Uzbek mafia chief and heroin overlord Gafur Rakimov, described as Usmanov's "mentor". Usmanov bought the newspaper 'Kommersant'. 3 months later, the journalist Ivan Safronov, a critic of the Putin regime who just weeks earlier had been "vigorously interrogated" by the FSB, as the KGB is now called, mysteriously fell to his death from his apartment window still clutching a bag of shopping. According to Craig Murray, former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, it was Usmanov who ordered the cutting off of supplies to Georgia earlier this year. Please take note, Mr President, that the Kremlin has now refused to sanction the construction of a pipeline to the EU over Georgian territory. These are the people you want to do business with. These are the people you are moulding your 'foreign policy on energy' around. Mr Commissioner, good luck: You'll need it.

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26-09-2007, 03:34 PM	#4 (permalink)
eublues Uber Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,005	I agree with Anthony on this. In my view, Wise would do us all a favour by staying silent (but getting out delivering leaflets, etc.)