NEWS ........

INTRODUCTION As previously reported on this website Roger Helmer was one of the 5 Tory MEPs who supported a motion to call to account the European Commission President Barroso for receiving lavish hospitality from a Greek Businessman whose companies benefit from EU grants etc. On pressure from the European People's Party Group in the European Parliament, of which the Tory Party is inexplicably a member the Tories (or should we say the disastrous Michael Howard's Tory Party) demanded that the 5 withdraw their names. They all to their credit refused.

Helmer was singled out for expulsion by Timothy Kirkhope, the Leader of the Tories in the European Parliament. (It was Kirkhope's letter a couple of years ago to the leader of the Eurofederalist EPP Group which assured the latter he should take no notice of the anti federalist things said in the Tory Party manifesto in the UK). There is little common ground between the largely Christian Democrat, catholic, corporatist, collectivist, eurofederalist parties in the EPP and the British Conservative Party and under Iain Duncan Smith the Party would probably have left it but Howard' s Tory Party, in another sell out to the discredited Kenneth Clarke, stayed in!

We are pleased to reproduce here 1. the press release from Roger Helmer and 2. his speech at the EPP Group meeting, at which he spoke for his own expulsion! How right he is to lay out in clear detail the massive gulf between the EPP and the Tory principles which the party has adopted in the UK but which it seems to deny in the European Parliament!

As Roger Helmer says: "The real question is not why I am leaving the federalist, leftist EPP. The real question is why other Conservative MEPs are still sleeping with the enemy".

Strasbourg - At a meeting tonight, East Midlands Conservative MEP Roger Helmer was expelled by his political group, the European People's Party (EPP), the largest political group in the parliament.

At issue was the Motion of Censure on Commission President Barroso, debated in Brussels on May 31st, relating to lavish hospitality which Barroso had received from a Greek businessman with links to the EU. Five Conservative MEPs including Helmer had signed the motion, but huge pressure was brought by the major political groups, including the EPP, to prevent it being tabled, by getting MEPs' signatures removed. The Tory five were ordered by their Chief Whip to remove their names, but refused to do so.

When that tactic failed, the groups used a procedural device to prevent any dissidents from speaking in the debate. Helmer attracted the particular wrath of the EPP group, and its leader, German Christian Democrat Hans-Gert Poettering, by finding an obscure parliamentary rule which enabled him to intervene in the debate. He used the opportunity to make a robust attack on the attempted cover-up by the EPP.

The other Conservative co-signatories Chris Heaton-Harris MEP (East Midlands) Dan Hannan MEP (South East) Martin Callanan MEP (North East) David Sumberg MEP (North West) gave Helmer their full backing, arguing that if he was to be expelled from the EPP, then they should be expelled too. Helmer was expelled from the group by a two-thirds vote at a group meeting tonight, at which he astonished group members by speaking in favour of his own expulsion.

He remains a member of the Conservative Party, and of the European parliament, and insists that his new status as an unattached MEP will not prejudice his ability to represent his East Midlands constituents, nor to fight for Conservative principles.

Speaking from Strasbourg in the wake of the expulsion, Mr Helmer insisted that:

"Only a sense of loyalty to the Tory party has kept me in the "EPP gulag" for six years. I now look forward to life outside the EPP not only with equanimity, but with a large measure of satisfaction. The real question is not why I am leaving the federalist, leftist EPP. The real question is why other Conservative MEPs are still sleeping with the enemy".

ENDS

Roger Helmer's speech at the EPP Group Meeting June 7th, Strasbourg, 7:30 p.m.

Mr. President,

I should like to start by apologising, to Mr. Kirkhope I am frankly astonished that any politician should be mortally offended by so modest a word as "inappropriate", but it appears that he was, and I regret that.

Back in 1999, on my first day in this parliament, I decided that I was sitting in the wrong group, and I have campaigned unsuccessfully against British membership of the EPP ever since. The only reason that I did not resign years ago was a sense of Party loyalty and discipline. I may add that my respect for Party loyalty and discipline seem to have attracted very little credit or gratitude.

I therefore welcome this motion today (The motion to expel him). Six years on, it seems that you have come round to my own view, that I can no longer sit in the group.

There are two clear reasons for this. First, on many issues the group is to the left, not only of the British Conservatives, but of the British Labour government as well. Take the Working Time Directive. Mrs Oomen Ruiten is a lady of great personal charm, but as coordinator on employment she argued for a left-wing position and took a large part of the group with her. Her predecessor Bartho Pronk took a similarly socialist line.

Secondly, the issue of Europe. Many of my British colleagues, with typical British courtesy, try to avoid stressing Conservative policies that might give offence. So when I stress those policies, I may seem, here in Strasbourg, to be out on my own. No doubt today, as usual, my friend and colleague Chris Beazley will pop up like a comedy cliché to contradict me. Yet I am merely stating policies which you could read in our election manifesto a few weeks ago.

In the Motion of Censure debate, Hans-Gert (Poettering), speaking on behalf of the whole group including British Conservatives, you said that no one, but no one, must seek to undermine our resolve as we build European integration. Yet again, you chose to ignore your commitment to respect our distinct position on constitutional matters.

The Conservative Party is opposed to further European integration. We have explicit manifesto commitments to oppose the euro and the Constitution. Yesterday in the House of Commons, our shadow Foreign Minister Liam Fox, a former doctor, speaking about the Constitution, said "I have not practiced medicine for some years, but I still know a corpse when I see one". Conservatives rejoiced at the outcome of the French and Dutch referendums. We are committed to start dismantling the European construction, returning key powers from Brussels to member-states.

I have had a bigger mail-bag on the Motion of Censure than I have ever had on any issue over six years. I have received literally hundreds of messages, from members of the House of Commons and the Lords, from Constituency Chairmen, Councillors, Party agents, members and activists, from up and down my region and indeed across the UK. Not one has opposed my stand. Indeed they are uncannily similar. The same phrases keep recurring: "Stick to your guns", "Don't back down", "Thank you for supporting our principles", "You're saying what we're thinking". That's the Conservative Party I'm proud to represent.

Last week, the Daily Telegraph published a poll taken amongst Party members. They were asked what views on Europe they would like to see in our new leader, and were offered a scale from "Staunch euro-sceptic" through to "Staunch euro-phile". Over half of them, an absolute majority, opted for "Staunch euro-sceptic". And how many chose "Staunch euro-phile"? Ten percent? Five percent? Two percent? No. ZERO PERCENT! That's the Conservative Party I represent.

So I urge colleagues to support this motion, since it represents one point on which we can agree. But I urge you to support it for another reason as well. Two weeks ago Hans-Gert, rather prematurely, and in front of the parliament, the whole Commission and much of the world's press, announced the result of today's vote! If we fail to pass this motion now, we will cut the ground from under his feet. We will cause him great embarrassment. I have no wish to do that.

Finally, may I address a few words especially to my British colleagues? We are reaching a turning-point. The wind is changing. Last week, two founder members of the EU resoundingly rejected European integration. Last week, German industry minister Wolfgang Clement said "the euro is strangling our industry" - and he should know! Last week in Italy, the Northern League called for Italy to leave the euro-zone and re-adopt the Lira. A major international bank has said that Italy faces "horrible martyrdom" in the euro-zone. Last week we saw bond spreads widening between Germany and Italy. This represents a crack in the euro itself. And the Dutch, God bless 'em, rather than putting their finger in the dyke, gave two fingers to the entire project!

Across Europe, political leaders, financial institutions and ordinary voters are starting to realise that the European project has failed. We Conservatives are winning the argument. This is no time for us to be sitting with a federalist group.

RFH 04 June 2005