Redwood, Tebbit and Widdecombe lead support for Roger Helmer MEP

This morning, one year after Roger Helmer MEP was expelled from the Conservative Group in the European Parliament, ConservativeHome reprints this open letter to Timothy Kirkhope MEP, leader of the Tory MEPs, from Richard Hyslop, Chris Palmer and Andrew Woodman of the Reinstate Roger campaign:

"A year ago today, Roger Helmer, Conservative MEP and Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands had the whip unfairly removed from him in the European Parliament. At the time, Roger was fulfilling the clear Conservative European Manifesto commitment on which he was elected, by fighting against possible corruption in the EU Commission as detailed in the last Reinstate Roger ConservativeHome piece here. However, despite a full year, and numerous letters from literally hundreds, if not thousands of Conservative party members to both Timothy Kirkhope MEP and the Conservative chief whip, the issue of Roger’s suspension has gone unresolved.

Since his suspension, Roger has continued to serve the people of Britain and the East Midlands to the best of his abilities – most notably when he unmasked Tony Blair during a well televised EU Parliamentary debate in December 2005, and exposed the Prime Minister for the ardent and passionate Europhile that he really is.

Not only has Roger show loyalty to the people of this country, but to both the Conservative party and its leader David Cameron too. Recently Roger Helmer commented, “I have been humbled by the overwhelming support I have received from Conservatives across the East Midlands, and up and down the country, since these events blew up last year. It is time for Conservative MEPs to put recent disagreements behind us and to close ranks behind David Cameron.” This is in direct comparison to behaviour from the likes of loose-cannons Caroline Jackson MEP, Edward McMillan-Scott MEP and Christopher Beazley MEP who have publicly criticised David Cameron, the party, and the pledge to leave the EPP, which only gives fuel to our enemies.

On the 3rd of March this year we (Chris Palmer, Richard Hyslop and Andrew Woodman) created the Reinstate Roger Campaign and launched the ReinstateRoger.com website. The creation and launch of the campaign was done without the knowledge or involvement of Roger Helmer and began with an exclusive article by Andrew Woodman on this site.

We gained an immediate and large response from readers, pledging their support to our campaign and sending kind messages concerning Roger and his situation. On the 15th of May, only a little over 2 months since the launch, we reached our 500th Reinstate Roger campaign supporter.

Many of our supporters originate from the East Midlands; the people who know, work or have met Roger, who know his unique qualities, talents, enthusiasm and his willingness to work hard for the people whom he represents. However, Roger’s immense popularity is not confined to one area, but extends right across the nation with supporters throughout the country emailing us or sending in signature petition forms. To date we have over 500 named supporters, including notable figures such as John Redwood MP, Ann Widdecombe MP and the Right Honourable Lord Tebbit CH – and the Reinstate Roger Campaign continues to gather support every day. For a full list of our campaign’s supporters, click here.

Today, on the anniversary of Roger Helmer’s suspension, we urge The Conservative MEP leadership to reconsider the ongoing suspension of Roger Helmer. Those with any common sense must conclude that the current situation of an MEP, unsupported by his own party while still desperately attempting to fulfil his election commitments, is highly unjust and seemingly ludicrous. How can a party that is the champion of freedom and fairness act in such a seemingly unfair way. Please, the whip must be reinstated to Roger Helmer as soon as possible, for the good of the party, and for the good of the country."

Comments

[Peter M.]

Bring Roger back!

[deborah]

This sounds awfully like the case of Marta Andreasen, former Chief Accountant at the EU who was sacked for trying to expose corruption. The EU has a reputation for such things.
The Conservative Party should be supporting efforts to properly scrutinise the EU Commission, not punishing MEPs who act with personal integrity.

Bring Roger back!

[Chad]

Well with Tim suggesting that the Tories will be outside of the EPP next month, that is surely the time to welcome Roger back.

This will indeed generate many press headlines to firmly reinforce the natural euroscepticism within the Tory party and hopefully scare off those europhile LibDems.

EPP withdrawal, Roger back in the fold, then next stop EU referendum. Go for it!

[Simon C]

Many thanks to those behind this campaign.

If you look down the list of supporters you will find many names from the East Midlands, including some of the most senior office-holders in the region. It is perhaps difficult for some who live outside the region to understand the frustration and anger that we feel about this.

Roger is a very well-regarded hard-working cheerful independent and popular MEP. He has no personal ambition for himself, and is a fearless and rigorous advocate for our region, and for the euro-sceptic views that many of us hold. The contrast between the treatment Roger has received, and the lack of sanction against other MEPs who have been disloyal to the current party leadership is revealing and disquieting.

Because our MEP is being unfairly treated, we believe that we are being unfairly treated.

It appears that the MEP leadership is unwilling or unable to grasp this nettle, and take the decision to readmit Roger. This has been left to drag on for far too long. If Timothy Kirkhope refuses to bring this sorry tale to an end, it is high time that the leadership in London intervened and forced him to act.

Simon Chapman
Chairman
Grantham & Stamford Conservative Association

[William]

The idiotic europhiles have done themselves more harm by trying to stuff Roger Helmer than anything else they've ever done.

Their assumption must be that EU power is so great that the British democratic ways will be overwhelmed, and Roger Helmer can be safely binned.

Well we've got news for all of them. British democracy is strong enough to fight for its survival. and soon Roger will be in the Europarliament with the Conservative delegation as part of a new grouping committed to free trade between independent sovereign states.

Either Europe moves that way, or we move out of the EU. We will not tolerate any more bullying and arrogance from Europhiles.

[Serf]

The Problem is MEPs going native. Like wishing to stay in the EPP, MEPs are behaving in a manner that most of those who put them there don't agree with.

To stop it happening again, the membership needs more control over the choosing of MEPs.

[Chad]

Has any elected Tory official done more to harm the party and help Labour than Caroline Jackson?

When it goes so far that she is directly quoted in Labour propaganda bashing Cameron, surely it is time to question which side she wants to win?

[Derek]

Unless Roger is re-admitted soon he will become a much greater cause celebre than he already is. The issue of the EU has always been one that divides us, even though the great majority are eurosceptics. There seem to be a rather higher percentage of europhiles among our MEPs than in the party as a whole. With the imminent exit from the EPP I believe this will become very apparent.

I look forward to Roger's return to the fold very soon.

[Graeme Archer]

Swap Jackson for Roger. Jackson OUT. Loathsome, sneering, ghastly, upper middle class freakshow of contempt for anyone not as well bred as she. I despise her and all that she semiotically signifies everytime she opens her mouth.

of course Roger Helmer must come back (does he still want to?!).

[Chad]

Imagine what you say about her after a few beers!

[Graeme Archer]

PS Caroline Jackson is an anagram of "Joins Anal Reck co." Surely she was born to be New Labour?

[Tom Greeves]

Do those who took the whip from Roger Helmer have a formal statement as to why they did it, and continue to keep it withdrawn?

I'd really like to see it. The impression at the moment is that he has been sacked for having the temerity to look into EU corruption.

[Annabel Herriott]

I met Roger Helmer at Manchester. He gave me a really useful love europe, hate the eu banner to stick on the front windscreen. Twofold use. Pins my colours to the mast, and ensures that I can always find my car! Bring Roger back!

[Editor]

You're getting too personal Graeme. Please tone it down a gear or two.

[Richard]

"At the time, Roger was fulfilling the clear Conservative European Manifesto commitment on which he was elected, by fighting against possible corruption in the EU Commission as detailed in the last Reinstate Roger ConservativeHome piece here."

I'd be interested to know what mealy-mouthed justification was used to remove him.

[Graeme Archer]

Apologies Tim. I don't know where the anti-bodies to that type of personality comes from but I have buckets of them. It's the same sort of thing that got Andrew and I in trouble at your conference meeting!

[Richard Hyslop]

On behalf of all of us at www.reinstateroger.com I would like to thank all those who have supported us so far and to encourage the rest of you to spread the word and support our campaign.

[Ian Williamson]

I sincerely hope that Messrs Kirkhope, Jackson, Macmillan-Scott & co are fully aware of the simmering resentment they have attracted and that the appropriate party authorities respond appropriately. After all, Roger was doing nothing more than display used to be the qualities that made the Conservative Party so formidable -- party loyalty & putting Britain first. Those two are not mutually exclusive.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

Whatever one's views on Roger Helmer, it surely can't be right that he was expelled but Caroline Jackson is still in the Group? On that basis, I've changed my mind and think Roger should be allowed back. caroline Jackson takes the biscuit and I am sure that we'll be seeing the last of her sooner than we think...

[Chad]

Richard,
Has David Cameron offered any support for Roger's cause at any stage whether via the campaign or directly to Roger?

Considering the disgusting way those MEP's have treated Roger (as detailed previously by Andrew), I've yet to hear Cameron's view of the situation.

[Andrew Woodman]

We've yet to hear anything from Dvaid Cameron or William Hague yet Chad. There seems to be a lack of interest in what MEPs get up to from the national party.

[Chad]

Bastards!

(Note to Ed: tongue firmly in cheek)

[Andrew Woodman]

Harsh Chad! I would hope there is work going on behind the scenes. There is certainly no reason to keep Roger out after we leave the EPP.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

I don't think the leadership gives a toss about what our MEPs get up to - as long as they broadly stick to the latest CCHQ press release...

They mattered more under the FPTP system when they actually had real constituencies and people knew who they were.

[Matthew Oxley]

I'm pleased this has been published on here. The campaign has reached the critical mass whereby it will only grow now, until a decision has to be made.

[William]

Often forgotten about Roger Helmer, he and Heaton Harris had Kilroy Silk standing against them in the East Midlands.

If they had not been known to be solid eurosceptics, it is quite possible that KS would have made bigger inroads than he did in the Euro elections, and grabbed even more fruitcake MEP's.

Roger Helmer showed what a proper eurosceptic Conservative looks like, making an aggressive and convincing speech on TV.

How many europhile Conservative MEP's owe their Brussels seats to the 'Helmers' making the delegation sound convincingly eurosceptic?

[Tom Greeves]

Sorry, can we get this straightened out - precisely why was the whip taken away from Roger Helmer?

Until someone responsible for withdrawing the whip explains this, I can only assume that he has been punished for trying to establish whether the EU is corrupt.

[Sally Roberts]

Helmer wasn't a team player and he thought he was bigger than the leadership - that's why he was shown the red card - simple.

[Andrew Woodman]

So if you see fraud going on then Sally, you just let it pass for fear of rocking the gravy boat. Whatever happened to principles in politics?

[Simon C]

Sally,

To a simple (Simon) soul like me, I am afraid your post makes no sense whatsoever. It is entirely free of any detail that might help me understand what on earth you think Roger has done wrong.

Please could you be quite specific about what you mean. Do feel free to use very short words, so that, simpleton that I am, I can understand precisely what allegations you are making against Roger.

[Tom Greeves]

Well put Simon C. SOMEONE must have a specific charge to lay against Mr Helmer!