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Conservative MEP expelled from Parliament group Print E-mail
Wednesday, 20 February 2008

Euro-sceptic Tory MEP Daniel Hannan has been expelled from the centre-right group in the European Parliament after making comments comparing new Parliament rules to those under the Nazi regime. 

At the end of January, Hannan, who also writes for the Daily Telegraph and represents South East England, said that only his respect for German president of the Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering prevented him from comparing moves to curb disruption in the chamber with powers seized by Adolf Hitler in 1933.

Fellow Tory MEP Caroline Jackson warned at that time that the European Tory right had been allowed to "fester, isolated from the political mainstream and uncensored by the party leadership".

The Conservative Party has not thus far withdrawn the whip from Hannan, despite his comments - although chief whip Den Dover stated: "What he said was nothing to do with Conservative Party policy."

Hannan, one of the youngest MEPs in the Parliament, was a special adviser to former Tory leader Michael Howard in 1997 and led the European Research Group.

After he made the comments, Hannan claimed that they represented a "dignified protest within the rules".

"I was making a one-minute speech after each vote to say there should be a referendum on the Lisbon treaty. There was no question that I was allowed to do that, but being reminded of what they had promised seemed to irk the majority there."

Jim Murphy, the Minister for Europe, said in response to Hannan's comments: "The use of such terms demeans the memory of those who suffered at the hands of Hitler and has no place in democratic debate. I hope David Cameron breaks his silence and makes it clear [that these] remarks are wholly unacceptable."

The fewer the number of UK Conservative MEPs in the centre-right EPP-DE group, the higher the chances of the UK politicians having to leave this grouping and sit instead with "non-attached" MEPs.
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