25/06/2019 | 11:41:39 We all agree that the Council of Europe has a budget crisis but it should not solve this budget crisis by compromising its principles, by letting in a state which does not abide by its core principles. The Council of Europe should return to the principles on which it was founded 70 years ago and should concentrate on fighting the evils of fascism and communism and totalitarianism and violence and the denial of human rights. The truth is, Madam President, there are huge opportunities for... 24/06/2019 | 19:27:49 Madam President. Normally, when somebody stands up, you just have to look at what country they come from and their political grouping, and you can probably work out before they open their mouth what they're going to say. So you would expect me as a British conservative to follow some of my colleagues. I'll say something a bit different. I suppose I got to declare an interest because of my wife's Russian blood. I was married in the Russian Orthodox Church. I have not... I've always sought to... 24/06/2019 | 12:16:24 My point of order is that we have a very important debate this afternoon to strengthen the decision-making process of the Parliamentary Assembly, and I know that there is a huge number of people who put their name in to speak. If we end the debate at 8 o'clock, there's a very large chance that numerous people will not get into the debate. What is your proposal? Can we extend the debate to 10 o'clock? And, if necessary, can we go on debating tomorrow, so that everybody has their say on this... 11/04/2019 | 10:55:40 This is a good opportunity to consider a report on the role and mission of the Council of Europe, because we are entering a new phase with the new budgetary constraints. Personally, I think this is not so much a threat as an opportunity to go back to our core principles in the Council of Europe, which are to defend human rights, freedom and democracy. I am opposed to changing rules just to accommodate a situation. For instance, if you are short of money you should not change the rules to make... 23/01/2019 | 10:52:31 The same congratulations to you, Sir Roger. I am afraid that this report attempts to respond to the developing challenge of disinformation while totally failing to understand the situation at hand. The reality about fake news is that the old giants – public service media is perhaps the greatest old giant of all – are running scared. They no longer set the parameters or control the frames of the debate. What is more, it is now easier to catch them out when they go astray themselves. The draft... 22/01/2019 | 16:37:04 The session we have just had is probably the most important of this entire week, given that this Organisation has real issues with corruption and that the financial black hole has not been dealt with, but you have ended the questions, Madam President. We could still have got them all in, and I should have thought that it would be better if you had exercised your judgment in allowing them to proceed. This sums up what is wrong with this Organisation. We are ranging too widely. We will have a... 22/01/2019 | 11:19:02 It is true that referendums can be abused, and that is why some mature democracies such as Germany ban them. In the United Kingdom, we have had a referendum. It was fair and it was binding. The people were told – in a leaflet distributed to every single household, which the people paid £9 million for out of taxpayers’ money – that the result would be binding. For centuries in the United Kingdom, the House of Commons has gradually taken power from the monarchy and ruling elites for itself, and...