Julie Girling a bright star in the dull sky of Europe

Last night I spent a very pleasant couple of hours talking to our MEP Julie Girling who graciously invited me to dinner so that she could clarify her role in the whole European set up. Let me explain that in another life I actually chaired a European committee to do with performance standards in the HEVAC industry. Four years of my life that I look back on now with a great deal of cynicism, there I was trying to achieve some sort of unification of purpose with our European manufacturing partners only to realise that their xenophobia and resulting self protection was ambushing just about every move we tried to make. No way was there going to be a pan Europe agreement and so the whole process was about a taking shop with no discernible outcome. As I was self funding I gave up, learning later that we had linked with the Americans, a much easier solution. I understand therefore how difficult it must be to do the job of MEP and actually deliver anything which could be described as an outcome beneficial to the community they represent. However Julie seems to me making a bit of a fist of it concentrating on deliverables which we hope will meander into the SW economy, she certainly understands where to go to get some action in the whole miasma of the European structure. We talked about the under tens fishing fleet and the direction for sustainable fishing and how we in Christchurch should be shaping up if we want to expand this industry, also the chaotic transport issues that dog, in my opinion, economic progress in our county as well as a host of stuff to do with this complex business of politics. Good to see her linking with the LEP and really good that she finds the time to talk to frustrated community workers, my euphemism for local politicians! If you get the chance talk to her she is refreshingly honest!