The UK Conservatives have formed a new grouping in the European Parliament, the European Conservatives and Reformists.
All of the parties in the new grouping have signed a declaration (the Prague Declaration), which argues for reform and a non-federalist future for the EU.
The parties in the grouping are:
Czech Republic: Civic Democratic Party (ODS), with 9 MEPs
Poland: Law & Justice (PiS) with 15 MEPs
United Kingdom: The Conservative Party, with 26 MEPs in the New Group.
Belgium: Lijst Dedecker (LDD), with 1 MEP in the New Group
Finland: The Centre Party (Keskusta) sits in the Liberal (ALDE) group but one of its MEPs is now joining the New Group.
Hungary: Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) with 1 MEP
Latvia: Latvian National Independence Movement (TB/LNNK) with 1 MEP
The Netherlands: ChristianUnion (ChristenUnie) with 1 MEP
That party list could have been worse I suppose, although I don't really see Law and Justice buying too much into the Cameronian version of Conservatism and Reform.
6 comments:
Limped over the finish line by this odd arrangement with the Finn - only 55 out of 785 (7%) not the big influential grouping that was promised.
So being anti-gay is ok as long as you have MEP seats and come from a different country. Will you ring Iris or shall I?
Plus allying with the small conservative Protestant religious party of the Netherlands, interesting.
Lijst Dedecker has also had parts of its party play political alliance with the vlams belang.
Surely the name of the Latvian party is wrong, its fatherland and freedom is it not?
For a bit of perspective here are the UK precentages from the European Election Results 2009
So next time Peter Robinson witters on about being 'the leadership of unionism' remind him he has the support just over half of one percent of the UK electorate
and David Cameron has nearly 50 times as many votes
Conservatives (and Unionists)26.5
UKIP 15.5
Labour 14.7
Liberal Democrats 12.9
Greens 8.2
BNP 5.8
SNP 1.99
Plaid Cymru 0.78
Sinn Fein 0.78
DUP 0.548
SDLP 0.48
TUV 0.41
Fair Deal
It will be the fourth biggest grouping, which group will Diane Dodds be joining?
I personally think getting Law & Justice (PiS) on board was a mistake, but they have signed the Prague Declaration, the first two points of which are:
1. Free enterprise, free and fair trade and competition, minimal regulation, lower taxation, and small government as the ultimate catalysts for individual freedom and personal and national prosperity.
2. Freedom of the individual, more personal responsibility and greater democratic accountability.
Would Iris and co be happy to sign up to that?
The Latvian question, looks like it’s a coalition party , the more diplomatic name’s been chosen;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Fatherland_and_Freedom
Dodds seems like to sit as an unattached "Non Inscrit" like Paisley and Allister before her. As I understand it the obvious natural groups for the DUP to sit in in the past have contained strong Catholic parties.
The really interesting prospect are the hints dropped in various places that rather than trying to pretend to be liberals Fianna Fail would find its natural place with the Conservatives. A peace process too far...?
The natural place for Dodds would also be with the Conservatives- I wonder how that would play with (both) party's leadership.
If FF are *liberals* then I'm a banana! Despite their origins and traditions it wouldn't shock me that much to see them join.
Nicholas Whyte put up a good post on FF's move at the time and notes that the Euro Liberals contain other surprising groups (e.g. Bulgarian monarchists) who have joined because of the desire to punch above their weight. WRT to them joining the Conservatives there's the slight problem that there's a long history of bad blood between the parties - see "A peace process too far"?
As for Dodds I don't think the Conservatives would want to touch the DUP. Not only are the DUP political rivals, but it's one thing to explain away criticisms that other countries have different social attitudes, it's another thing altogether to take onboard a homophobic party in your own county like the DUP, especially as the legalisation in the province is one of the Conservatives' main legislative achievements in this area.
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