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 BRINGING COMMONSENSE TO BRUSSELS

 

 

4th June 2002

 

THE WORD IS MIGHTIER THAN LE PEN

Even its most partisan supporters would be hard put to argue that the plenary sessions of the European Parliament are exciting affairs.  It’s unusual to see more than thirty out of the six hundred and twenty six MEPs in the chamber and those present are there simply because they have been allotted two or three minutes to make a speech that they will usually deliver – gabble would be a more appropriate word – at breakneck speed and with an eye permanently on the clock to ensure that they do not exceed their miserly timespan.

But the last plenary session of the Parliament in Brussels had an unusual air of excitement and tension – but for all the wrong reasons.  We were in the middle of the French presidential elections and the grapevine had been buzzing all day that the far-right candidate, Jean-Marie Le Pen, was coming to the Parliament to take his seat as a National Front MEP and to gain media coverage by his presence in the only parliament of which he is a member. 

As we sat in the chamber listening to Commissioner Chris Patten update us on the latest developments in the Middle East, sounds of scuffling and raised voices outside indicated that the Frenchman was on his way.  We all have our own designated seats in the Parliament and by unhappy coincidence and through no choice of my own, I sit immediately in front of Le Pen.

I was therefore placed between his supporters – there aren’t many of them I’m glad to say – and the parties of the left who were demonstrating with placards against his presence.  I was also in direct line of ‘earblast’ from his short, quite incomprehensible speech on the Middle East which seemed to be saying that if only France was put in charge of the region, the problems would be solved by Christmas.

Whilst I found the experience full of political theatre, I must admit to being rather uncomfortable with the occasion.  I believe that democracy has to allow those who are elected to put their views forward however obnoxious those views may be.  That is why I did not join in the protests of some MPs at Le Pen’s presence in a parliament to which he has been properly elected.

 But I could have wished that those who organised the seating plan in the chamber had not given me ‘the best seat in the house’ so that every press picture of the event seemed to give the impression that I was sitting on Le Pen’s lap – not a political position that I would like to adopt.

CROSSING THE FLOOR

I am going to put my party political hat on for a moment to record a rather unique event which took place in the European Parliament since my last letter from Europe.  We Tories have had to put up with MPs, MEPs and councillors from time to time enjoying a sudden political conversion to the charms of our opponents.  It’s been a long time since an elected politician has taken that journey in reverse.

But after 22 years, it’s happened.  Richard Balfe had been a Labour MEP since 1979 and a Labour Party member for over 40 years.  He was the longest serving Labour MEP but on 6^th March 2002 he joined the Conservative party and the Tory group in the European Parliament.  He said he was fed up with Labour’s control-freakery, its arrogance and dishonesty.  He said ‘Labour sleaze goes right to the heart of government and infects everything it does’.

He also recognises that under Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative Party is tolerant and open-minded and is genuinely concerned about finding radical new solutions to the problems of public services – the arena in which Labour has so spectacularly failed. 

Richard is a quaestor in the Parliament – a sort of MEP’s shop-steward.  In this role he has earned the respect of Tory MEPs – indeed we had often wondered why he had not joined us years ago.  Although not the socialist’s group candidate for the job, he stood independently and was elected with Tory support.  We now welcome him into our group – the first Labour parliamentarian to join us for decades, but perhaps not the last.

REMEMBERING THE QUEEN MOTHER

I have been a little critical of the debating skills in the chamber of the European Parliament but there was a short and moving moment in Strasbourg in April when at the invitation of the Irish President of the Parliament, Pat Cox, the whole assembly stood for a silent tribute to the Queen Mother.  I had the privilege of paying my respects to the Queen Mother as she lay in state in Westminster Hall and although I was much impressed by the dignity and history of that ceremony, I was greatly touched that European politicians too wanted to remember her and all she did to preserve freedom in our continent.

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