BRINGING COMMONSENSE TO BRUSSELS

Date:  16/10/2003 

RENAMING OF WATERLOO 'UTTERLY ABSURD' 

North West Tory Euro MP David Sumberg has vowed to protect the region's heritage after an EU official demanded that place names such as Waterloo should be renamed for risk of offending the French.

The comments have been made by European Investment Fund Chief Francis Carpenter. Mr Carpenter claimed the French may get offended by reminders of British victories such as the historic routing of Napoleon in 1815 at Waterloo or Nelson's thumping naval victory over the French at Trafalgar in 1805.

Mr Carpenter said: "Our country has known countless victories over our neighbours and the streets and squares named after these victories risk offending a European youth trying to unite."

But Mr Sumberg said renaming places such as Waterloo in Merseyside was ridiculous.

"There will be many Europeans travelling to Liverpool as the European Capital of Culture and I doubt whether any of them will give a tinker's cuss about the naming of Waterloo,' he said. "Taking Mr Carpenter's suggestion to its logical conclusion are we supposed to rename all the Waterloo, Trafalgar or Nelson Roads across the North West?' he said. "This would never be acceptable and I am committed to protecting the history and heritage of the North West from ludicrous proposals like this. There are numerous statues, squares and streets all over the UK which commemorate events from the past. Just because history inevitably changes over time doesn't mean that we have to rename everything."