Lunch with Reijo
Yesterday to lunch with Reijo Kemppinen, head of the European Commission's office in London. He invited leading regional journalists with access to the parliamentary lobby to discuss improving the EU's image in Britain, and in particular the English regions.
A number of EU information centres are to be set up across the country, with the East likely to be given two. I can just imagine the reaction of some of my more Eurosceptic correspondents!
Is this taxpayer-funded propaganda or an attempt to overcome the misinformation pedalled by certain newspapers on the actions of the Commission? A bit of both I suspect. What does upset the EU is the way certain newspapers bend the tuuth - straight bananas is just one Euro-myth.
The EU may not be the loveable organisation our friends in Brussels might like to pretend it is. But it does exist - and unless the UK is prepared to withdraw, then we should make it work to our own advantage rather standing on the sidelines baying like a bunch of woad-covered Ancient Britons.