Jim Murphy

Brits Abroad

News earlier this week about the number of UK holiday makers in Spain who are arrested each year.  I was on holiday in Costa Brava, an area of Spain that is remarkably British.  In fact there seem to be more Irish bars than there are in Ireland.  And I have to admit I didn't see any trouble at all.

But the figures are worrying.  British tourists abroad sometimes forget that if they break the laws of the country they are in they will face justice in the same way that a foreign tourist visiting the UK is subject to our laws when they are here.  Meg Munn is the Minister responsible for Consular Services in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  On Tuesday, she commented on the report and reminded Brits of some of the simple steps they can take to avoid problems when travelling overseas.  You can read these and get travel advice on our website .

Posted at 18:56 13 August 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[3]

Sport - the biggest social movement in Europe

This morning I spoke at the Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) Sport Summit at the Oval Cricket Ground, on the issue of Sport and the Lisbon Treaty. We had an interesting conversation about the role Europe should play on Sport. The participants welcomed that the treaty will not allow the EU to harmonise sporting regulations, meaning that sport is one of the many areas of the Treaty where EU input is strictly limited to complementing or adding action taken at EU level. 
 
We also enjoyed an interesting discussion on the wider role of sport in Europe. We agreed that sport plays an important framework in our society. It provides an inspiration for young people, allowing them to develop confidence and learn new skills, become fitter and stronger and have their talent recognised and developed. With over 700,000 sports clubs and associations within the European Union, it is easy to see why the British Olympic Association has described sport as the biggest social movement in Europe. 

How do you see Europe's role in promoting sporting development? I'd be interested in your views on this, either here or through my blog on the Sports Summit on the Guardian website.  Finally, you will be aware that Euro 2008 is underway, providing another example of the role of sport in bringing communities and nations together.  I was able to catch the Holland v Italy match on Monday night - the first game I have seen in the tournament. The Dutch won 3-0 in a convincing victory. But while the Dutch may be celebrating I am not. I wandered into the bookies at home on Saturday to put £10 on who I thought would win. You guessed it - I backed Italy at 7-1. What price an Italian victory now? I should stick to politics.

Posted at 16:05 10 June 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[2]

Living Together

I was delighted to share a platform with the Slovenian President, Dr. Danilo Turk, at the 'Living Together' conference organised by the British Council last Thursday. The conference brought together policy makers, journalists and civil society leaders from across Europe and beyond to look at how we can develop equal opportunities and access for all in society. The workshops and discussions during the day were a great opportunity for an international dialogue on these important issues.
 
(Video by British Satellite News)

Transcript to follow

Posted at 09:23 17 March 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[0]