Feature archive

I left UKIP because it is not a 'serious party' - says Andreasen
UKIP will never be a 'serious' option to the mainstream political parties as long as Nigel Farage leads it, writes Marta Andreasen MEP - explaining her defection to the Conservative Party

The final seven: the EU commissioners yet to join Twitter
Beppe Grillo's success is only the latest of many examples showing the importance of social media in modern politics. In light of that, Daniel Mason asks why seven EU commissioners are still absent from Twitter

The real cost of HS2 - the UK government must act now
High speed rail makes economic and environmental sense for the national economy but there will be a number of local casualties along the way if government gets it wrong, writes Julia Cambridge

Britain could stay in 'permanent recession' after downgrade
The loss of the UK's AAA rating is just the start of 'permanent recession' for the country if drastic action – like cutting back welfare spending – is not pursued quickly, argues Godfrey Bloom MEP

Citizens want greater protection from Google
Google's business is dependent on collecting more data about us and our online identities but consumers do not trust that either the company or regulators take their privacy concerns seriously enough – writes Emma Carr

EU-US free trade deal must not diminish European standards
The free trade agreement between Europe and America raises the possibility that consumer, employee and environmental protections will be seen as inconveniences that can be reduced rather than levelled between the two partners - claims Andy Halsall

Marta Andreasen defection shows Tories now 'UKIP B-team'
Marta Andreasen MEP was semi-detached from the party for a longtime and she decided to leave before being pushed, claims UKIP's Michael Heaver

Syria does not need weapons - keep the EU arms embargo
Whatever the future government of Syria might be, Europe should not see its formation as an arms sales opportunity - writes Frank Slijper

Britain outside Europe would miss out on EU-US free trade
With the announcement of talks on free trade across the EU and US, it is a 'crazy time' for the leader of the British Conservative party to be embarking on a risky venture that could see Britain leave the EU - warns Sarah Ludford MEP

Horsemeat scandal is symptom of globalisation like markets crash
Visibility to any party – consumer, retailer, supplier at any tier – goes to zero due to long supply chains in a similar way to what we saw with the mortgaged-backed securities that created the financial crisis, writes Professor ManMohan S. Sodhi

The EU's 'systemic' revolving door problem
The unequal access and undue influence of big business is aided by an unfettered revolving door between public service and private profit, claims Rachel Tansey

The India paradox: a rich country with poor people
Aid spending should focus more heavily on areas like health, HIV and good governance in the poorest states - as they are not changing despite India's growth – writes Tessa Evans

Britain 'no El Dorado' for eastern European migrants
Right-wing politicians in the UK are manipulating fears of a flood of immigrants from Romania and Bulgaria to 'increase tension', claims a Roma lobby group – Justin Stares reports

Is UKIP really a 'Nigel Farage dictatorship' rife with sexism?
UKIP seems to be a party filled with anti-women sentient - it is a one man band and it is all about Nigel Farage, or so it seems, claims Labour Party MEP Mary Honeyball

Azerbaijanis and Armenians can become 'friends' again
If peace and reconciliation can be achieved in Northern Ireland and South Africa, surely there is hope for Azerbaijanis and Armenians - writes Emil Agazade