Jamaican team win UKIP welcome

The announcement that the Jamaican World Athletics team will be training in Birmingham ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games has been hailed by UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire.

Birmingham, the country’s second city is determined to play a big part in the nation’s 2012 Olympic Games.

"I extend the welcome to the Jamaican Olympic team - The Olympics are about friendship and co-operation among countries” said Ms Sinclaire.

"UKIP espouses this ideal. The Olympics will be good for the UK and for the West Midlands. I am concerned that the UK retains its individuality and the EU does not try and take over the games as their own."

The Jamaican team decided to be based in Birmingham after talks in Berlin, USA Track and Field are set to sign a deal in the coming weeks to be based in the city.

Chairman of the London Organising Committee Lord Coe is pleased about Birmingham’s involvement in the Olympics.

“These Games will be based in London but I see the impact going way, way beyond the capital. This is a UK-wide event and that’s why it’s vital that cities like Birmingham play their part” said Coe.

“Birmingham has held more World and European championships than any other city in the UK and that reservoir of experience is widely recognised, said the Double Olympic Champion and 12-time world record-holder.

“The city has a great ability to reach out to the sporting community and has shown it can consistently deliver."

UKIP renews call for student grants

UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire has called for student grants to replace the current debt-making student loan programme.

"This is about investing in our future - why don't we take a share of the £45 million a day we waste on the EU to invest in our youth. Young people have enough to worry about – they should be concentrating on their studies and future not mounting debts," said Ms Sinclaire.

British undergraduates will on average owe around £5,000 for every year of study suggested a poll of 2,000 students. Freshers should expect to complete their first year of study with more than £21,200 of debt by the time they graduate suggested The Push Student Debt Survey.

Those starting degree courses this autumn could see their debt levels pushed to around £23,500. Students across England fare worse in contrast to their students in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Cradle to grave EU plan scrutiny

UKIP had a close eye on Jacques Barrot the EU Justice Commissioner as he outlined his remit of the Stockholm Programme in which he called for "citizenship in the fullest sense of the word" by introducing EU birth and death certificates.

He was speaking to the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in Brussels this week.

New UKIP MEP, Nikki Sinclaire, who is a member of the committee, said: “I was stunned when the Commissioner outlined this proposal.

"They are not even pretending anymore, it is now full steam ahead to a complete Euro superstate with a single register for all EU citizens’ births and deaths.

"What about the protection of and respect for national identity?”

Births and deaths have been registered in the UK since 1837 and are held by the Registrar General who collects them from local registration officers. In 2007 changes were made to the system and Birth and Death Registers were no longer written by hand. Instead, this information is now held on a central online database.

Nikki also criticised Commissioner Barrot, for his blatant disregard for the voters in Ireland facing an October referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

She said: "The Commissioner talked about 'when' the Lisbon Treaty would come into effect not 'if', despite the fact that Irish voters are yet to go to the polls."