Last month I visited one of the most remote places on earth, as a member of the European Parliament's Development Committee, to campaign against the extinction of the last 50 indigenous bushmen living in the Kalahari desert in Botswana.The threatened communities have had access to water supplies cut-off since January in an effort to force them to leave their traditional lands. I hired a private car and undertook a three-day, 1,000km journey through the desert to meet families who are on the brink of dying of thirst. I was interviewed by BBC Foreign Correspondent John Simpson, and the visit was shown on the BBC News at Ten.In Kukama, two families of ten showed me their last bowl of water while in Metsiamonong, I witnessed one elder on the verge of death, determined to resist attempts to move him so that he could be buried in traditional grounds amongst his ancestors. I also received direct evidence of physical threats by named government officials against the bushmen.I have tabled a parliamentary question calling on the European Union to provide funds to help secure a sustainable future for the bushmen, removing the threat of resettlement against them. Anyone who wants to support the campaign can do so through the British NGO Survival International.
Top

I want to say a big thank-you for the overwhelming "yes" vote in my reselection as your Euro M.P., announced earlier this month. 85 per cent of Constituency Labour Parties and affiliated trade unions across the region took part - with no votes against! I believe this is a clear acknowledgement of the importance of European issues in the East of England as well as support for my work. Party members are due to receive a further postal ballot soon to decide seven new candidates, who I am looking forward to working with as the countdown the 2004 European elections begins.
Top

Interest continues to mount in the case for joining the Euro - and the problems that arise from not joining. Together with members of the Britain in Europe group I protested outside the Norwich branch of Gap this month. The store charges up to 40% more in sterling for its goods than in Euros - but refuses to accept Euros from British shoppers. They are not alone in ripping off British consumers. Later the same day I was elected the President of the Norfolk European Movement and spoke at its AGM. I have taken two other recent opportunities to put the business case for the euro, speaking at the Newmarket Business Association and at the first ever East of England in Europe conference, to 60 local business people and politicians in Luton.
Top

I have held meetings recently to chart progress with those responsible for the £100million European "Objective Two" programme in Waveney, and back in Luton. At the latter, I visited and supported a new £3/4million European bid by the local Bangladeshi Youth Project to develop a new business centre in what is currently an old World War Two Nissan hut! Meanwhile, I was delighted to highlight how new "grassroots" European funding is being used locally, through visits to Colchester- based Matrix who organise local homeless people to sell the Big Issue; to the the Foyer in Harlow for young homeless people to learn landscape gardening skills; to Prospect in Braintree to set up a printing service to be run by people with mental health problems; and to the Maldon-based SWANS project to set up an IT training scheme for people with disabilities.
Top

I joined other Labour MEPs to meet with former England International Earl Barrett to urge football clubs to do more to knock out racism at all levels of the game. This evil has blighted football for too long. European Week Against Racism in Football runs from October 18 to October 27 and I would be pleased to supply you with more information to raise with your local football clubs at any level to tie-in with this special week of awareness raising activities.
Top

With the growing scale of Aids issues worldwide - over 40 million children will lose at least one parent to the disease by 2010 - I intend to use my new position of responsibility this year for the € 8 billion E.U. aid budget, to support the new United Nations Global Fund against HIV/Aids. My proposal was successfully voted a parliamentary committee and is due to be decided by the full European Parliament next month.
Top

As a member of the committee responsible, I have taken part in putting proposals for new employment protection for agency workers - which number more than 700,000 in Britain, including the notorious cases of abuses by gangmasters involved in East Anglian agriculture. I explained my support as a speaker at this year's Burstin trade union rally in Norfolk, at at a special reception held for the region's trade union delegates at September's TUC in Blackpool.
Top

As the special Convention to recommend a new European Treaty moves towards its conclusions, I helped local Party members join the debate by taking part in "Britain in the World" policy forums held in Ipswich and in Castle Point. Please make sure your CLP has its own debate which, as a member of the Party's national Policy Commission responsible, I would be delighted to join.
Top

In this issue:
Campaign for survival | Come to Brussels | MEP reselection result | Give disabled children the choice | British prices dearer outside the Euro | European funding latest | Pack it up | Kick racism out | Shaping Europe's aid budget | New rights for temporary agency workers | Future of Europe