Jim Murphy

The EU and globalisation

I had the opportunity this week to speak to leading European business people at the Business Week European Leadership Forum. This is an annual gathering of representatives of some of Europe's top companies, now in its seventh year. The theme of the forum was Europe's response to globalisation.

In my speech to the Forum, I explained how I, like my colleagues across government, believe that membership of the EU can be a key tool to help the UK to meet the challenges of globalisation.

We should not fear globalisation.  But all European countries do need to resist the temptation to retreat behind the barriers of protectionism and economic nationalism. That's why the UK has been at the forefront of those pressing for an outward looking, flexible Europe that can benefit from changing global conditions.

You can read more about the UK's priorities for EU action in the Global Europe pamphlet, published last month.

Posted at 11:48 23 November 2007 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[1]

Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan

I wrote in an earlier blog about the New Diplomacy that David Miliband has spoken about. As FCO Minister responsible for Public Diplomacy, I recently hosted a reception for scholars under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, a scheme to which the FCO along with the Department for International Development makes a significant contribution. A key objective of the scheme for the FCO-funded part of it is about identifying future leaders. I was also delighted to chat about Glasgow's plans for the Commonwealth Games.

Some 300 scholars from all over the Commonwealth, who are currently studying in the UK, attended. Alumni from this scheme have reached positions of leadership within Government, in Public Services and in voluntary organisations. Many are involved in key areas of research across the world as I write this. Public Diplomacy is about engaging more effectively with public audiences worldwide. This event really struck me as an excellent hands on example of what that can actually mean in practice. The enthusiasm for the scheme, and the strong and genuine connection that the scholars felt with the FCO was clear. These were impressive people. I saw the beginning of what I hope will be a relationship that benefits both the country the scholar comes from and the UK.

Posted at 13:00 20 November 2007 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[1]

Berlin and Paris

Update on healthcare from France

I arrived back into London last night on the Eurostar - coming into the impressive new St Pancras station after a fast and smooth 2hour 20min journey from Paris. I had spent a busy day in the French capital - my first visit to Paris as Minister for Europe - with the main purpose being a meeting with my friend and counterpart in the French government, Jean-Pierre Jouyet. We had a good discussion about a range of EU and wider international issues, as well as the strong relations between the UK and France and the scope for us to work together on key issues such as climate change. I raised our concerns about the effect that changes in the French healthcare system will have for some UK citizens living in France. My main argument was that British citizens living in France had moved there under a set of entitlement rules that were pretty clear at the time - those rules should stay in place for those UK citizens already living there. Although neither I nor M. Jouyet are health Ministers, he took these concerns very seriously and I am optimistic that a way forward can be found.

In the course of a busy day meeting academics and politicians, I also did an interview on the Jeremy Vine Radio 2 programme, broadcasting live from a Paris boulangerie - one of the more surreal experiences of the day! Afterwards, a member of the audience asked me about voting rights for UK citizens living abroad and I promised to put more information on my blog. For details, follow this link [http://www.electoralcommission.gov.uk/your-vote/yourvotefaqs.cfm/faqs/94]

I flew from Paris to Berlin (and found out along the way that AirFrance don't seem to provide vegetarian meals ...!) where I also had a full day of meetings and events. I had a really good meeting with my excellent German opposite number, Minister of State for Europe Gunther Gloser, and State Secretary for European Policy, Energy and Innovation, Joachim Wuermeling. With both, I discussed the issues on our joint agenda in the EU, including the UK Government’s ideas on globalisation. For more details click here [http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/FCO_BEU_DOC_GlobalEurope71022.pdf]. I also spoke at a seminar with representatives from the German parliament, think tanks and press about the EU's approach to the challenges of a globalised world - many of the themes which the Foreign Secretary addressed in his speech in Bruges yesterday. [http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391647&a=KArticle&aid=1194715986447]

Meeting UK and German students

I was also really pleased to get involved with some of the public diplomacy work that the British Embassy in Berlin is doing. During the morning I met students from Strathearn School Northern Ireland and from Schiller Gymnasium Berlin who were particpating in a debating competition. And before I left for Paris, I said a few words at an event promoting the UK-German Connection - a bilateral UK-German government initiative which gets young people together, in person and through the internet, for example, to encourage better understanding between the two countries [http://www.ukgermanconnection.org/]. Both of these events are examples of the kind of public diplomacy that's becoming ever more important - making individuals ambassadors and having a dialogue with other countries at every level. And obviously they help students improve their language skills too - I discovered in Berlin how little German I remember from school!

Posted at 18:00 16 November 2007 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[13]

Healthcare in France

Thank you to everyone who has raised the issue of changes to the applicability of the French healthcare system to British citizens living in France, both here and through the British Embassy and Consulates in France. I take this issue very seriously and I'm working with the Department of Health to press the French government on this, through our Embassy in Paris and at other opportunities.

Unfortunately I can't respond in detail to all the individual circumstances you have described in your posts but I will keep you updated on further developments here.

Posted at 09:55 09 November 2007 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[113]

Slovenia and the EU Presidency

Slovenia is one of the top European destinations for more and more people from the UK looking for new places to go on holiday and do business. Part of the Former Yugoslavia until 1991, and one of the member states that joined the EU in 2004, it's a beautiful and increasingly prosperous country. And on Monday I made my first visit to the capital Ljubljana for 15 years - I was last there when I was a student. I flew from Edinburgh, via Frankfurt, and spent the day meeting Slovenian government Ministers ahead of the country's forthcoming EU Presidency in 2008. Preparations are well underway, and there's a real focus on delivering an effective Presidency. Slovenia is the first member state of those who joined in 2004 to hold the Presidency. It's a great opportunity for the country of course, but also for the EU as a whole to benefit from leadership with a fresh perspective. There was an optimistic mood in Ljubljana - a huge amount of work going on, with real commitment and vigour.

The UK enjoys a close working relationship with Slovenia, and the Slovenians are, like us, keen to see an EU that delivers on the priority issues that matter to our citizens.

I had meetings with Janez Lenarčič and Matjaž Šinkovec, State Secretaries in the Government and Prime Minister's Offices, and also with Dr Žiga Turk, Minister for Growth. We discussed a range of issues including the EU's economic reform agenda, the single market, growth and jobs, climate change, and regional issues.

Slovenia's story since accession to the EU in 2004 is a clear example of how EU enlargement has helped develop prosperity and stability in the new members of the community. Slovenia has a healthy economy and a vigorous and stable democracy, and has good reason to be pleased with its progress in its first three years of EU membership. It's interesting to note that Slovenia's GDP per head is now higher than some long-established EU members.

Taking up the EU Presidency for the first time is challenging for any country; we wish Slovenia every success in 2008.

Posted at 09:50 09 November 2007 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[0]

Public Diplomacy

On Monday I took part in a wide-ranging discussion hosted by the FCO on public diplomacy. A good cross-section of leading academics, practitioners and experts in the field participated, including Professor Nick Cull (a Public Diplomacy expert at the University of Southern California), David Steven, MD of River Path Associates and Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House.

I am the FCO Minister for Public Diplomacy, and see it is a vital part of getting our work done.  Public diplomacy is about engaging more effectively with public audiences worldwide, to help us achieve our strategic priorities.  And earlier this year, David Miliband spoke about the need for a New Diplomacy.

The way we 'do' diplomacy and foreign policy is changing to reflect the new realities of the times we live in.  We need to develop a clearer understanding of the means available to us to create dialogue not just with governments, but with individual citizens.  We have to be able to communicate in ways that resonate with people from very different cultural backgrounds.  We need to listen as well as broadcast and make sure we work with others around the world to achieve common goals.  We also need to be prepared to embrace new technologies and new forms of communication.

This blog is one example of trying out these new ways of communicating and I'd welcome views to help develop our dialogue.

Posted at 09:31 02 November 2007 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[10]