Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-26-Speech-4-219"
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"en.20090326.19.4-219"2
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"Madam President, I come with two questions for the Commissioner. One: what is culture? And two: what on earth has it got to do with the European Union?
In my region lies the historic county of Northamptonshire. Part of its cultural identity, its history, its fabric, comes from its historic ties with the shoemaking industry. Shoemaking in the county was first recognised in the year 1202, when Peter the Cordwainer was almost famous within the county. In 1452 the court regulated prices and weights for various traders, including the cordwainers, and Northampton itself has served as a home to the shoe industry for all that time.
In 1841, according to the census list, there were 1 821 shoemakers within the county. The county’s football team, Northampton Football Club, is still referred to as ‘the Cobblers’, and in Northamptonshire now we have 34 shoe factories still open, all over 100 years old. I am wearing a pair of Barker shoes today from a village called Earls Barton in the wonderful Westminster constituency of Daventry. We have a museum, we have cultural events around the shoemaking industry – and it all came before the European Union.
So, whilst I completely understand the role of culture in countries’ regions, I wonder if or how the European Union can help us in these things. And what are Europe’s regions? I think we should leave it to culture in Europe’s regions to develop as it always has done – locally, organically, and not centrally government-led."@en1
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