European Parliament Vice-President defies rules to frustrate legitimate democratic protest by UKIP MEPs over TTIP vote delay

UKIP press release, June 10, 2015. Immediate.

This evening in the European Parliament, Jonathan Arnott, UKIP MEP for the North East and EU budget spokesman, led a protest against the suppression of debate on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Arnott proposed a procedural motion to suspend the sitting "to allow Parliament the opportunity to reflect on the undemocratic actions by President Martin Schulz and other officials to suppress the vote and debate on this issue which is of concern to millions of people across the EU."

Arnott said: "I proposed suspending Parliamentary debate for the day to highlight this point.  The officials on the podium responded with what looked like panic, ringing the division bell and breaking their own rules.  The rules demand an immediate vote, but they delayed for over forty minutes to allow their supporters to flood the chamber."

Roger Helmer, UKIP MEP for East Midlands and energy spokesman, was in the chamber to support the protest. When it became clear the vice-president (Ildikó Gall-Pelcz) was acting in breach of the rules, Helmer broke procedure and went onto the podium to ask her if she realised she was in breach of the rules. "She replied yes. I then asked her if she was happy she was breaking the rules, and she said she was not. And yet she broke the rules anyway."

ENDS

Notes for editors:

1. Article 191 of the Rules of Procedure states: The sitting may be suspended or closed during a debate or vote if Parliament so decides on a proposal from the President or at the request of a political group or at least 40 Members.  Such proposal or request shall be put to the vote immediately.
2. The Rules were broken by:
• The vice-President (Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ) challenged the number of members present, even though it was requested on behalf of a political group
• The vice-President stalled proceedings by claiming incorrectly that "a sitting may not be suspended twice in one day"
• The vice-President permitted the issue to be debated at length, despite the rules requiring it to be "put to the vote immediately"
• The division bell was rung continuously to call MEPs to the chamber apparently to frustrate this protest

Tories fail British people over Lisbon Treaty

Mike Nattrass, one of the two UKIP MEPs for the West Midlands, has issued the following press release:

Tories fail British people over Lisbon Treaty

UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass says Tory leader David Cameron has failed the British people after withdrawing his ‘cast iron’ commitment to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

The UKIP West Midlands MEP says Mr Cameron’s u-turn shows the Tories are committed to the European Union and the signing away of our country.

“It is clear from the Tories’ u-turn that the party is in disarray over Europe and their decision over the referendum shows the vast majority of its MPs and MEPs are euro federalists,” said Mr Nattrass.

“Mr Cameron has also spoken about a UK sovereignty bill. This is meaningless spin as the UK is bound by acquis communautaire, which includes treaties, regulations and directives passed by the EU and also laws of the European Court of Justice. The Lisbon Treaty is therefore, ‘self amending’ and the UK will have no further say.

“The Tories have conned the British people. UKIP is the only party exposing the EU and is committed to withdrawing Britain from the European Union.

“Laws should be made in Westminster and not in Brussels. It is time to say No to the EU and pull out of the European Union,” he added.

David Campbell-Bannerman: Irish ‘bullied’ into voting Yes

David Campbell-Bannerman has released the following press release:

Irish ‘bullied’ into voting Yes

The Eastern Counties MEP for the UK Independence Party, David Campbell Bannerman has described the result of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty as: “A triumph for political bullying” and a “dark day for democracy.”

Mr Campbell Bannerman, who is also UKIP’s Deputy Leader said: “The fact is, this referendum should never have been held at all. The Irish people voted NO last year and that should have been an end to it. Unfortunately, the political system under which we now live does not allow dissent and if you give the ‘wrong’ answer, you must vote again.

“To ensure the result they wanted, the political establishment has pulled out all the stops. Any rules about balanced media coverage were suspended and the European Commission broke its own rules by spending €1.2 million on a huge advertising campaign. Any number of Commissioners, including its President, have been to Ireland to campaign for a YES vote. In contrast, anyone who dared speak out against the Lisbon Treaty was immediately vilified.

“The Irish people have been bullied into making this huge mistake, which may ultimately mean that the EU no longer ever need to consult voters in any member country, because the Lisbon Treaty is self-amending. It really is a dark day for democracy. However, this is not the end of the story. There is nothing more precious than our basic freedoms, which are being undermined by the EU. We can never give up this fight, so the battle will go on.”

Nikki Sinclaire: Today we lost a battle on a foreign field but the war is far from lost

The following press release has been issued by Nikki Sinclaire MEP today:

It is with great disappointment that I learn of the ‘Yes’ result in the second Irish Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

There can be no doubt that the true democratic process has been subverted with lies, clear deception and veiled threats.

The Treaty passed today is exactly the same as the Treaty rejected by the Irish people last June. Certain guarantees have been given but hold no water legally.

The Irish ‘NO’ was not respected by the EU and the staggering difference today lies in the economic scare mongering by the Irish political elite at the behest of their EU masters. The Lisbon Treaty will not help the beleaguered Irish economy yet many Irish citizens believed the veiled threats with memories of the ‘good times’ when they were heavy net benefactors of the EU. Those times will never come back to Ireland. The Irish people clearly could see that when they rejected the Nice Treaty (that allowed the enlargement of the EU into Eastern Europe). They were given guarantees told to vote again then the guarentees were subsequently discarded, mass immigration ensued that has changed Ireland with most EU subsidy now resting in Eastern Europe.

I am proud that along with all my UKIP MEP colleagues we donated approximately £10,000 each to the ‘No’ campaign out of our communication budget. This paid for a leaflet to every household in Ireland.

Unlike the EU, I have respect for the Irish people and their decision.

We must however concentrate on our own efforts to fight this Treaty and continued EU membership. We cannot afford to hope that we will be saved by a foreign country or by some magical legal loophole. This country was not build on dreams.

We must take the fight to the political elite at every opportunity. Each one of us must ask ‘what can I do to save my country?’ Every leaflet we deliver, every letter we write to a newspaper, every chance we have to raise the subject we must seize. Only the British people can save Britain.

We cannot rely either on the Lib Lab Con who have failed to respect and represent the views of the electorate. No one under the age of 53 has ever been asked their views on the EU, those over 53 were blatantly lied to by the same political skulduggery that influenced the result today.

Today we lost a battle on a foreign field but the war is far from lost.

Mike Nattrass: The do it again referendum is binding on us ... why?

The following press release has been issued by Mike Nattrass MEP today:

THE DO IT AGAIN REFERENDUM is BINDING ON US...WHY?

Ireland has given a decisive victory for the bully boys, big money and bureaucrats.

The Irish have been terrified by the prospect that a No vote will cost jobs in the downturn" said Mike Nattrass MEP for UKIP West Midlands.

"The conduct of this referendum was a travesty of democracy from start to finish. A wall of taxpayers money has ben spent by the 'Yes' side and the state broadcaster changed its political impartiality rules for the campaign.

It is not acceptable", he said "that three million Irish votes can determine the future of our country, our democracy and our constitution.

The impact has not been explained to the British people. They do not realise that we cannot now leave the EU without the other states agreeing?

There should, of course, be a UK referendum. Will David Cameron deliver? The answer is "NO" because the party is euro federalist and the way the MEPs vote proves this point.

MIKE NATTRASS MEP

UKIP WEST MIDLANDS

Whole Tory branch defects to UKIP

The Harrow Road ward of the Conservative Party has moved en masse to UKIP. Aware that the European Union is the paramount political issue of our time, it creating as it does 80% of our laws, the new Westminster North constituency association of UKIP realised that they simply couldn't stay in a party that wasn't going to do anything about it.

Jasna Badzak was the Chairman of the ward association, Susan Jacobs the political vice/chairman, Drgomir Mikulic the membership secretary and Luli Beqiri the secretary. They are adopting the same role in their new, and natural, political home, UKIP.

Ms Badzak, having had to flee her home in the former Yugoslavia, feels that she owes the UK a debt of gratitude for giving her the chance of a new life. She has become increasingly disappointed with the Conservatives and feels that they are out of touch and are not offering any policies which can deal with the current crisis facing Britain. Thus the move to UKIP."