Jim Murphy

Visiting Hungary next week

I'm going to Hungary next week for meetings on Europe (making it more competitive, creating more jobs and growth, making it more secure and prosperous in the face of globalisation) and the range of foreign policy issues on the agenda at the moment.
 
I'm also going to discuss human rights and tolerance with my Hungarian counterpart  who recently hosted the 1st Budapest Human Rights Forum. The Hungarian government is trying hard to integrate better its 10% Roma minority, which faces problems of exclusion and intolerance. Some people might have seen the film Happy New Life by Arpad Bogdan - a young Hungarian film director who spent his childhood in an orphanage, and who has examined the issues faced by a generation of Roma like him in his new film.  Last week the BBC screened a documentary about Mr Bogdan - entitled "Looking for my Gypsy Roots".  I will meet the  documentary's producer/director, Antonia Meszaros, at an event at the British Embassy.  The situation of the Roma in Hungary and Central Europe is a complex one - to which there are no easy solutions, but it's not a situation any of us can ignore. I look forward to hearing more about what is being done and will post an update while I'm in Budapest if I can. 

Posted at 10:55 11 September 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[3]

After the Final

I spent yesterday in Berlin - the day after the German team was beaten by Spain in the Euro 2008 final, and the day before the start of the French Presidency of the EU.

I passed the buses taking the team to meet Mrs. Merkel and hundreds of thousands of supporters. Everyone I met was proud of the German team's performance, though they all agreed that the better side had won. It makes you realise what you miss when none of the home teams qualify for these major football finals, but hopefully it will be different for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

As well as meetings, my friend the German Europe Minister Günter Gloser and I both spoke at a conference called Global Europe: An Anglo-German Agenda . All our relationships in Europe are important, but I left Berlin even more convinced that a continuing strong relationship with Germany is vital if we want to make progress through Europe on things that matter to people in the UK.

Posted at 14:51 01 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[0]

French Presidency Preparations

With just a week to go until the French Presidency of the EU kicks off (and the Slovenians get a well deserved summer break) I'm off to Paris this afternoon to see French Europe Minister Jean Pierre Jouyet. We've spoken by phone over the last couple of weeks, as I have to a number of my European counterparts following the Irish No vote, but it's good to see him face to face, and reinforce the UK's support for the French government's work on climate change, migration policy and European defence.
 
I left for Paris straight after Oral Questions from MPs to Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers in the House of Commons earlier today. After a debate on the European Council last week, and the PM's statement on it yesterday, it was good to focus on some questions about what the UK and EU are doing to actually help people - tackling human trafficking for example. See what was said in Oral Questions, and other debates in the House of Commons.

Posted at 18:43 24 June 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[3]

Towards a Green Collar Europe

What would a high-growth, low-carbon economy look like?

I was delighted to have the opportunity to discuss this and other questions with my colleague, the French Europe Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet, and a panel of speakers from business, trade unions and civil society at the fourth Global Europe seminar today. As we approach the incoming French Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2008, I welcome the strong leadership that the French Government has shown on the climate change agenda.

It's clear that a low-carbon economy depends on more than a shift to new, cleaner technologies. We also need skills, expertise in research, innovation, carbon finance, construction and many other sectors to support the new economy. In short, we need green skills as much as we need green energy. Across Europe a 20 per cent increase in energy efficiency would create a million jobs. The UK's environmental industries already employ some 400,000 people - by 2050 that could rise to well over a million. These are the 'green collar' jobs of the seminar title, and in future we want the UK economy to offer a mix of good blue collar, good white collar and good green collar jobs. As participants around the table agreed, getting us there will require a transformational shift in the way our economy is structured. The EU Budget and the Lisbon jobs and growth strategy both have important parts to play.

There were many insights to be taken away from the seminar, and I will be following these up with all the groups that joined us for the discussion today.

Posted at 17:04 08 May 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[2]

Delivering global Europe

During my nine months as Europe Minister, many of the questions I've been called on to answer have been about the EU's Treaties and institutions, about voting weights or Commission competences.

I've said before that I believe that the EU needs to move on from the inward-looking institutional questions and focus on the issues that matter most to people in the UK and the EU's other Member States. The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have outlined their vision of an "open, outward-looking, flexible, global Europe." To me, Global Europe is about how the EU can help us to find solutions to the pressing issues where the need for international co-operation is greatest. How we pursue effective collective action to find climate security or fight illegal immigration. Or how we maximise employment whilst maintaining competitiveness.

That's why I've launched a series of seminars, beginning this month, that will bring together representatives from Government and civil society in London, Madrid and Prague.

The first seminar, yesterday, opened the series by looking at how Governments across Europe can work with civil society in developing effective European policies. I was delighted to have a chance to take part in a discussion with representatives from a wide range of organisations, such as the NSPCC, Salvation Army, Royal National Institute of Blind People and Samaritans. There were many questions posed at the seminar that I'll be following up on, and I look forward to many more as the series progresses. I hope that these discussions will encourage a British and European conversation about how we can ensure the EU delivers real value for UK and EU citizens.

Posted at 18:35 22 April 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[2]

UK - France Summit

On Thursday I met my friend Jean-Pierre Jouyet, the French Minister for Europe, as part of the UK-France Summit at the Emirates stadium. The fact that there were another dozen British and French Ministers working together on issues from the environment to criminal justice [PDF] shows just how close the relationship is. The fact is that so much of what matters to people in UK matters just as much to people in France too. We can't hope to tackle issues climate change and other challenges without working with other countries. You can read the Joint UK-France Summit Declaration here.

Jean-Pierre and I discussed a range of issues. One thing I am really looking forward to is making sure that the opportunities for EU schemes such as those which involve access to education in other countries are accessible to all -not just a few.

After the meeting Jean-Pierre and I had a chance to meet Arsene Wenger on the pitch. He told me to get the ligament I damaged playing in football in Bosnia seen to! Thanks to Arsenalpics for sending me the photo.

Posted at 12:05 31 March 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[2]

Turkey should be in Europe

Last week I spoke at a Rotary Club dinner in my constituency.  The questions were interesting (and so were some of my answers!).  I was asked "was Turkey in Europe and should it be able to join the EU?".

The simple fact is that Turkey always has been a major European player. Europe itself is made up of many different cultures, histories and religions, but it is this diversity that gives us strength. The only realistic foundations for Europe are common values; no-one believes in a Europe defined by geographical boundaries alone. The EU has accepted since 1963 that Turkey is in principle eligible for membership, and in Helsinki in 1999 we all agreed that if Turkey complied with the rigorous conditions that all candidates must meet, it should become a candidate for full membership.

We believe that it would be in the best interests of Britain and Europe as a whole for Turkey to join the EU. Turkey is set to enter the top ten global economies within the next twenty years, and is already the EU's sixth biggest trade partner.  It has a young, well-educated population, and double the average growth rate of mature EU economies.  And modern Turkey proves that democratic values are compatible with a Muslim majority state. It makes no sense for the EU to be a closed Christian club. Its membership must demonstrate that diversity of religious beliefs is compatible with common values, and common institutions. EU membership will maximise Turkey's valuable and unique role between East and West, as a key player in Europe, and on the global stage.

Turkey should be in the EU was my answer.

Posted at 10:50 22 February 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[8]

Business priorities for a Global Europe

I said in my speech at the LSE last week that one of the challenges facing the EU (and one which is rarely mentioned) is the 92 million people across Europe* who are economically inactive. That's more than the population of Scandinavia and the ten newest EU Member States combined.

It's a challenge which can be tackled through partnerships - between European Governments, but also between Governments and businesses. As the Prime Minister said in his speech to British business leaders on Monday, in order to create a prosperous Europe with jobs and opportunities, we need even more flexibility and competitiveness. With China and India turning out nearly 2 million more graduates than Europe every year, we have to add to the skills of everyone in our economy - we can't afford to write off any adult or young person.

I heard a range of views from the business community at the conference, which was addressed by leading CEOs, including Roger Carr of Centrica, Sir Michael Rake, of BT, and Paul Skinner of Rio Tinto. Delegates stressed the need for further economic reform. With over 60% of our trade being with Europe, the EU is key to the success of business in the UK and to jobs and growth. It's also clear that the strength and stability of the UK and European economies can provide a foundation for the role of the EU in the wider world - working for a safer, greener, more prosperous and more secure environment for us all.

A href="http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/employment_analysis/eie/eie2005_summary_en.pdf">* Employment in Europe 2005

Posted at 17:37 16 January 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[2]