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Explanations of Vote

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Date/Committee	Report/Rapporteur (or as specified)	Explanations of vote
11.03.2010	RC-B7-0169/2010 (Joint motion for a Resolution on ACTA)	John Stuart Agnew, Marta Andreasen, Gerard Batten, John Bufton and Mike Nattrass (EFD ), in writing: While we recognise that Cuba is a Communist tyranny and while we want to see Cuba transformed to a peaceful democratic state, we do not recognise the EU in this process.
10.03.2010	RC-B7-0154/2010 (Joint motion for a Resolution on situation in Cuba)	Stuart Agnew, Marta Andreasen, Gerard Batten, John Bufton, Derek Roland Clark, Trevor Colman, William, Earl of Dartmouth, Nigel Farage, Mike Nattrass and Paul Nuttall (EFD ), in writing: Whilst we as a group voted against the ACTA Resolution on Wednesday 10th March 2010, we did so on the principle that the ACTA Treaty itself should not exist in any form. It is a catastrophic violation of individual private property. Had we voted to support the Resolution, we would be recognising the existence of such legislation and on that basis we decided not to recognise the Treaty.
25.02.2010 Fisheries	A7-0014/2010 Maria do Céu Patrão Neves	Gerard Batten, John Bufton, David Campbell Bannerman, Derek Roland Clark, William, Earl of Dartmouth, Nigel Farage and Paul Nuttall (EFD ), in writing: While this report points to a rather less awful CFP than the monstrosity we have now, it nevertheless recommends leaving fisheries under the predatory control of the un-democratic and anti-democratic ‘European Union’, and, for this reason, cannot be endorsed by UKIP.
11.02.2010 Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs	A7-0013/2010 Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (Recommendation)	Gerard Batten (EFD ) - Mr President, I would like to give an explanation of the vote on the Hennis-Plasschaert report – the so-called ‘SWIFT report’ – dealing with terrorist finance tracking. I think the vote was confusing, even by the standards of this place. We voted, I believe, not to vote, and then voted to send the report back to committee. I wanted to vote to withhold my consent to the conclusion of the agreement. However, I certainly did not want to vote in favour of paragraph 2 of the report, which was to submit recommendations for a long-term agreement under the legal framework of the Lisbon Treaty. I do not want any agreement or any agreements under the Lisbon Treaty. The Lisbon Treaty is in contravention of the Bill of Rights of 1689 and England’s other constitutional acts, which have not been expressly repealed and which remain in force. Because of this, England – and, indeed, the United Kingdom – is now living under an illegally constituted government.
10.02.2010 Women’s Rights & Gender Equality	A7-0004/2010 Marc Tarabella	Stuart Agnew and William, Earl of Dartmouth (EFD ), in writing: Whilst UKIP believes in the equality of men and women, we reject any attempt by the EU to legislate in this area. We believe that measures at national level are more appropriate in this domain.
10.02.2010	RC-B7-0064/2010 (Motion for a Resolution)	Stuart Agnew and William, Earl of Dartmouth (EFD ), in writing: UKIP believes that environmental protection is important. Whilst we dispute the scientific premise the Copenhagen talks were based on, we have no objection to measures taken at nation state level to protect the environment.
10.02.2010	B7-0029/2010 (Motion for a Resolution)	Stuart Agnew, David Campbell Bannerman, Derek Roland Clark and William, Earl of Dartmouth (EFD ), in writing: UKIP is totally opposed to people-trafficking as it is a modern day version of slavery. We call for the highest penalties in the land for those criminals perpetrating such a crime and for serious measures to wipe out such activity. However, we cannot support the EU using people-trafficking as a pretext to harmonise immigration and border policies over the heads of elected governments. It must be up to electorates through the ballot box, and elected politicians, to decide national policy on these matters, not for the EU to make yet another policy grab that will take away democratic accountability. If there were not open borders within the EU, and each country had its own immigration policy, serious organised crime and people-trafficking would be much easier to stamp out.
10.02.2010	B7-0078/2010 (Motion for a Resolution)	Stuart Agnew, David Campbell Bannerman, Derek Roland Clark and William, Earl of Dartmouth (EFD ), in writing: UKIP is gravely concerned with the situation in Iran and calls for governments on both sides to come to a diplomatic, but above all, peaceful solution to the ongoing political and humanitarian breakdown in the country. The EU must not intervene in this situation as it will only exacerbate the tense situation. Unaccountable EU bureaucrats, instead of elected politicians leading the negotiations, will end up with a bad outcome for Iran and the rest of the world. Negotiations should be taken in cooperation with other national governments, not forced upon from above by the EU. There are many countries wanting to stay neutral, such as Ireland, and the EU representing those countries on this issue seriously undermines their democratically-backed policy.
10.02.2010	B7-0072/2010 (Motion for a Resolution)	Stuart Agnew, David Campbell Bannerman, Derek Roland Clark and William, Earl of Dartmouth (EFD ), in writing: UKIP fully supports the relief efforts and is horrified at the loss of life and those affected by the disaster, but we cannot support legitimising the EU in spending hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money, along with its militaristic and diplomatic ambition to circumvent democratic and accountable nation states intervening in the crisis. Of course we encourage government and individuals to give relief and money to help those affected and rebuild the country. However, this must be done transparently with the public and not by secretive, unelected bureaucrats with international ambitions of grandeur.
09.02.2010	B7-0090/2010 (Proposal for a decision)	Gerard Batten (EFD ) - Mr President, I voted against the Commission because I do not want to be governed by a European Commission of any composition, but there are particular reasons for voting against this one. A number of its Members were members of the Communist Party, or were associated with it. For example, they include Mr Barroso, Mr Šefčovič, Mr Füle, Mr Piebalgs and Mr Potočnik, to name just a few. Baroness Ashton was treasurer of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, which was little better than a Communist-front organisation, and a proportion of its funding came from the Soviet bloc. She is not fit to be responsible for foreign security and defence policy. The noble Baroness worked to undermine the defence policy of her own country when we faced the gravest threat – a nuclear threat – from our enemies. The Commission is the new de facto government of the European Union. Europe is sleep-walking towards disaster. We are now governed by communists, collaborators and quislings.
26.11.2009 Culture and Education	A7-0077/2009 Marco Scurria	Stuart Agnew, Marta Andreasen, Gerard Batten, John Bufton, Derek Roland Clark, Trevor Colman, Nigel Farage, Mike Nattrass and Nicole Sinclaire, in writing: The UKIP admires volunteering and recognises the contribution to society it can make. However, this report called for the naked politicisation of volunteering for EU purposes, and for the use of the British taxpayers’ money to achieve this politicisation. Thus, we could not support the motion.
26.11.2009 Industry, Research and Energy	A7-0075/2009 Herbert Reul	Stuart Agnew, Marta Andreasen, Gerard Batten, John Bufton, Derek Roland Clark, Trevor Colman, Nigel Farage, Mike Nattrass and Nicole Sinclaire, in writing: The UKIP is not opposed to cooperation in the field of energy efficiency, but insists that such cooperation must be conducted by democratically elected governments and not by their unaccountable proxies in an anti-democratic supranational organisation such as the EU.
22.10.2009 Budgets	A7-0037/2009 Vladimír Maňka	Nigel Farage, in writing: UKIP members voted in favour of these amendments fundamentally because we oppose ANY increase in the budget and because the limitation in the use of these budget lines, as proposed by the ECR, may result in a reduction in payments out of the budget. However,we wish to emphasis also that EU-money, which is amply funded by the British taxpayer, should not be used to impose policies, such as coercive abortion, on minority- and other populations, which are suffering under anti-democratic regimes. Such use is against the law in the UK. It is also against the law in other client-states of the EU, and in contravention of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights of the United Nations, to which the UK is a signatory, and against the European Convention on Human Rights, to which the UK is also a signatory. Whether or not the sum involved runs into millions, the local populations affected would have been justified in associating the UKIP with the tyranny of their own governments, if the UKIP-delegation had voted against these amendments.
20.10.2009 Budgets	A7-0023/2009 Jutta Haug	Gerard Batten, in writing: UKIP MEPs abstained because we do not believe that the European Union should be responsible for sending taxpayers’ money to the victims of the Italian earthquake. We have every sympathy with those victims and believe that such donations should come from national governments or charities.
07.10.2009 Proposal for a decision on setting up a special committee on the financial and economic crisis	B7-0079/2009 (Under Rule 184 of the Rules of Procedure)	William, Earl of Dartmouth, in writing: The Governor of the Bank of England (Mervyn King) has stated, and I believe correctly, ‘Banks are international in life but national in death...’. It is national governments and national taxpayers who pay when banks have to be bailed out. It follows therefore that banking supervision must be carried out on a national basis and not via the EU. This is why I voted against the setting-up of an EU special committee on the financial and economic crisis.
15.09.2009 Budgets	A7-0001/2009 Jutta Haug	Nigel Farage, in writing: I acknowledge the very real need for a bluetongue vaccine, and note the unhelpful attitude of the UK Government on this important issue. This report contained provisions related to this situation. However, this report also contained provisions totally unrelated to farming, which would have had a disastrous impact on the UK. In particular, this report called for funding to Eurojust and Europol, agencies that operate outside of the boundaries acceptable to British law. It is contemptible that the EU attempts to bury such provisions in these types of reports, and then requires MEPs to vote on them as a whole and not individual parts. Thus, I could not in good conscience support such a report, which explains my vote on the subject.
15.09.2009 Budgets	A7-0010/2009 Jutta Haug	Stuart Agnew, John Bufton and David Campbell Bannerman, in writing: We acknowledge the very real need for a bluetongue vaccine, particularly for beef and sheep farmers in the South and East of England who, by wholesale vaccination on their own farms, have created a firewall against bluetongue that their fellow farmers in the North and West have benefited from. In order to vote for EU funding for this vaccine we are obliged (in the same vote) to vote for increased funding for Eurojust and Europol. These are two agencies that operate outside the boundaries acceptable to British law, severely increasing the power of the state at the expense of the liberty of the individual. It is contemptible that the EU attempts to bury such provisions in these types of reports, and then requires MEPs to vote on them as a whole and not individual parts. Thus, we could not in good conscience support such a report, which explains our voting abstention on the subject.