Dear Syed,
This is an open letter to seek answers the British people are entitled to know before voting on Thursday.
On 24 February I wrote to you in your capacity as the new leader of the Tory MEPs seeking your unqualified assurance that no Conservative MEP in 2014-9 would sit in the same European Parliament political group as the German eurosceptic AfD. I still await your reply.
And now it emerges that two members of your delegation of British Tory MEPs, namely Martin Callanan and Daniel Hannan, are in discussion with anti-immigrant members of Farage's UKIP-led EFD Group in the European Parliament. - Has the (A)ECR secured membership deals with new parties? lf so, with whom? Do these include current / former UKIP partners from the EFD Group?
When meeting the radical populist Finns Party leader, Timo Soini, in Helsinki on 24 April, Mr Hannan stated that the ECR Group would be substantially larger after this election. Currently, polls suggest that the ECR will struggle to cross the necessary threshold for survival (seven Member States).
In addition, Mr Callanan was reported this weekend as having a "very good relationship" with MEP Morten Messerschmidt of the anti-immigrant Danish People's party.
Leading members of both the Danish People's and the Finns parties have made shockingly xenophobic and lslamophobic comments, some of which have resulted in convictions. I find it incredible that Conservative MEPs would even contemplate talking to these parties, yet alone associating with them.
Can you please confirm that while you are the leader of the Conservative Party delegation in the European Parliament, you will withdraw the Conservative Whip from any MEPs who sit with AfD, the Finns Party, the Danish People's party and any parties excluded when the ECR was created and/or any other parties representing views that are similarly deplorable?
While London Region Conservative Chairman, l scrupulously adopted a non-discriminatory approach in selections and in all other matters. It is a great sadness to me that your party now engages with such people.
I look forward to your prompt reply on this urgent matter of considerable importance to all who live, work and study in Britain. The 4 Freedoms Party (UK EPP) is firmly committed to bringing people together, not driving people apart: we believe in being united in diversity.
Dirk Hazell
Leader, The 4 Freedoms Party (UK EPP)