Timothy Kirkhope returns to lead Tory MEPs for European Elections

This is the official release:

"Timothy Kirkhope elected Leader of Conservatives in the European Parliament

Timothy Kirkhope MEP has today been elected to lead British Conservative MEPs - the largest British delegation in the European Parliament.

Mr Kirkhope will succeed Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP, who will stand down from the European Parliament next June. He has appointed Sir Robert Atkins MEP as his Chief Whip and Philip Bradbourn MEP to a new role relating to Parliamentary Activity.

Richard Ashworth MEP was elected as Deputy Leader of the delegation.

Syed Kamall MEP was elected as Treasurer and the two elected members of the Conservative delegation bureau will be David Sumberg MEP and Martin Callanan MEP.

Mr Kirkhope said:

"It is a great honour to be elected to lead Conservative MEPs, and I look forward to building on the excellent work of my predecessor.

"Conservative MEPs are delivering David Cameron's vision of a European Union that focuses on climate change, global poverty and competitiveness, but which also wants to see powers returned to national governments.

"Conservatives have a positive message for EU reform, so that it responds more effectively to the demands of our citizens without interfering in areas where no value is added. I look forward to taking our positive message to the electorate leading up to the European Parliament elections next June.""

Comments

[GB£.com]

Boo Hiss.

[Sammy Finn]

When he was last leader a year ago TK did all he could to frustrate DC's EPP policy.

[Richard]

This is very bad news. This is afterall the chap who withdrew the Conservative Whip from Roger Helmer and treated Roger very badly during his campaign to have the Whip reinstated.

This is a very low day for the Conservatives.

[Richard]

From The Daily Telegraph:

Posted by: Jonathan Isaby on Jun 21, 2007 at 10:04:29 PM
In today's Spy column, there is a story about how the Tory MEP Timothy Kirkhope - leader of the party's group in Brussels, no less - had issued a press release of a speech he gave in the European Parliament which bore no resemblance to what he had actually said.

To read more:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/jonathan_isaby/blog/2007/06/21/spot_the_difference

[Henry Mayhew - ukipper]

What's the point of politics today?

[ACT]

Do tell us more about Dave's EPP policy. Would that be the one where he claims he wants to form a new grouping with a party in favour of Lisbon? Or would it be the one where it'll soon be four years since he pledged to take the Party out of the EPP, but still hasn't? Cameron = Major with an Eton accent. But he's even worse, for Major had at least the excuse of claiming to need to appease Hurd, Heseltine and Clarke. Who on earth does Dave have to appease?

[Cleethorpes Rock]

UKIP must think Christmas has come early.

[David]

"Conservatives have a positive message for EU reform, so that it responds more effectively to the demands of our citizens without interfering in areas where no value is added."

I'm sure even this guy knows that the EU is into deepening and widening its power - it doesn't do 'reform'.

[Richard McCormick]

What dreadful news it is to hear that Timothy "Victoria" Kirkhope will be back at the helm.

During his last stint he dripped poison wherever he walked, backed up by his faux Eurosceptic henchman Neil Parish. Nobody was spared the unpleasantness and vindictiveness which characterised his leadership.

We can but hope that he is immediately moved aside after the next European elections when the ‘sceptic slate will hopefully be strengthened. Looking at some of them, I’m not exactly confident though.

It is difficult to put into words just what horrific news this really is.

[Mr Angry]

An absolutely complete and utter disgrace.

I for one will not now be campaigning for the party at the Euro elections. I'm damned if I'll do anything to get the likes of Kirkhope re-elected.

Cameron should not have allowed this to happen, it is plain that he must have at least decided not to do anything to stop it, even if he didn't outright encourage this betrayal of what the Conservatives are supposed to stand for on Europe.

Completes the picture of a man who grosy misled the membership on the EPP ("out in weeks, not months" - how many years ago now?) just to get himself elected leader.

In one fell swoop thousands of votes handed to UKIP on a plate.

[AlanofEngland]

Well, does it matter how low a day it is for the Tories? Surely the EP elections will be the only chance for the electorate to show what they think of the sordid and corrupt EU? Vote UKIP and use the June election as the referendum politicians are terrified of.

[HF]

Well it did seem a choice between dumb and dumber.

After Kirkhope's last poor stint I had hoped he would go away and crawl under a europhile stone.

The MEP candidate's selection committee have a lot to answer for.

[David_at_Home]

"Mr Kirkhope said.....etc"

Did he really say that? What does it mean? Does he know himself what he meant to say?

[Legal Eagle]

Do all you of you Kirkhope-sceptics really think James Elles (the only Conservative MEP to refuse to vote against the European Constitution) would have been preferable? Some of the abuse Timothy is receiving is simply not justified. Congratulations Timothy and good luck.

[Ray Gillespie]

I say well done to Timothy - I met him a few times in Brussels and he seemed like a thoroughly nice chap. I've never seen any real evidence of these pro-European accusations that seem to be thrown about on ConHome. He seems decently Eurosceptic to me.
Compare Timothy's previous stint as leader to the mess that the MEPs went through under Giles 'Uncle Fester' Chichester.

[Mr Angry]

No Elles would not necessarily have been better since he too is a gravy train riding Quisling who should have been deslected, although at least he isn't forever tainted by the disgraceful behaviour Kirkhope demonstrated towards Roger Helmer. All the abuse, and more, directed at Kirkhope is fully justified by his appalling record.

The real scandal here, and the fault lies squarely at Cameron's door, is that an MEP who is actually representative of the views of the party, it's membership and activists, and the majority of the electorate, such as Dan Hannan or Syed Kamall for example, was not able to run for and win the Leadership of the Group.

Combined with the big lie that we must stop "banging on about europe", in order to smother debate about the EU's future, these two facts clearly demonstrate the victory of the Europhile's entryist stealth approach to giving away control of our country and Cameron's dishonest connivance in that betrayal.

[Richard McCormick]

In fairness, people are missing another key problem with Kirkhope's victory:

SIR ROBERT ATKINS AS CHIEF WHIP?!?!!?!

This is a plain and simple, undeniable declaration of outright war on Eurosceptic members of the group. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Really]

You only change policy by having a majority. In the european parliament the Conservatives cant do that on their own,
Well done Tim and Richard.
UKIP stay off this site . Your views are not reflected across Conservatism,

[Richard McCormick]

Towards Europe, I'm afraid their views are.

We are going to suffer a nasty setback in June if we don't toughen our line on Europe. I'm not talking about returning to the days when Europe was the ONLY issue we talked about but we do need to be clearer as to what our views are.

I'm not a UKIP member. I'm a very mainstream Cameroon.

[Sandy Jamiesonn]

There are only two Tory group leaders the majority of the Party would want. Impose Roger Helmer or Daniel Hannan
As for Atkins as Chief Whip. Dracula in charge of a Blood Bank there.

[christina Speight]

Really at 1610 You talk complete rubbish. The party membership as well as the great majority of the British people are as disgusted with the EU as the Irish, the French and Dutch have shown themselves to be. Putting this dreadful man back as leader is spitting in the face of the membership. That membership voted heavily for UKIP last time - this time they will do so even more heavily without once liking UKIP, its leadership or its destructive stance generally in British politic. But in the Euro-elections there is proportional representation so we can do what we like and if the Tories want Kirkhope as leader in Brussels, I don;t want the Tories in Brussels.

not a good day with MORI showing that Labour will have more seats (less votes!) than the Tories at Westminster

[Paul Oakley]

Why is his intention to focus on the false science of climate change as the first priority?

[Matt Davies]

How much more evidence do we need that Blue Labour love the EU and want Britain to be run by it fully.

[Legal Eagle]

Roger Helmer besides, can someone give me some concrete examples of Timothy being this uber-Europhile some of the UKIP supporters make him out to be? When he was leader previously he campaigned against the Constitution and further integration.

Also all of these guys are Eurosceptics so perhaps some people can start getting things into perspective.

"He has appointed Philip Bradbourn MEP to a new role relating to Parliamentary Activity.
Syed Kamall MEP was elected as Treasurer and the two elected members of the Conservative delegation bureau will be David Sumberg MEP and Martin Callanan MEP."

[Malcolm Dunn]

Not an inspiring choice is he? But there are really far more important things to think about today.....

[Shaun Bennett]

"UKIP stay off this site . Your views are not reflected across Conservatism"

First, I am a Conservative party member and activist, NOT a UKIP member, but I am now finding it very unlikely that I will be voting Conservative in the EU elections next year. Many thousands of Conservative party activists will, I suspect, be joining me.

Second, I think that the Anti-EU argument forms a big majority of the Conservative Party, and I would welcome a ConservativeHome survey question to determine exactly what the state of play is with regards to this.

Third, we won't get any extra votes at all by having Kirkhope as Leader. We will however lose many thousands of those who have kept this party going through thick and thin! The leadership of this party are building themselves up for a MAJOR dissapointment next June; a dissapointment that could be avoided if only they had the guts to take the action necessary.

[Robert Eve]

Next year in the EU election I shall only be voting for candidates that want the UK out of the EU. Whatever party they come from. Renegotiation is a waste of time.

I hope that the Czechs/Irish can hold up the Lisbon process long enough for the UK referendum to take place.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

My sincere congratulations and best wishes to Timothy Kirkhope, our new Leader.

Timothy is a hard-working, loyal and dedicated member of our party. He is tried and tested. He will fight socialism in Europe and be a strong voice for our strong delegation there.

Again, Timothy, Congratulations. You've made some excellent appointments, too.

[Sakabula]

Well done Timothy Kirkhope! As an former Commons whip with good contacts to the shadow cabinet he will be well placed to camouflage and/or explain away Cameron's inevitable decision, after the next Euro-election, to stay in the EPP.

James Elles's defeat was entirely predictable. His candidacy seemed strange to many Conservative MEPs when he himself had become so detached from them. Many to whom he wrote explaining his programme had not had a friendly word - or indeed any word - from him for many years. His support, as putative candidate of the Right, for the idea of leaving the EPP seemed grotesque in view of the fact that until quite recently he had been one of those closest to the EPP, particularly as leader of the "European Ideas Network".

But the real message of this mini-election is that the Right failed to find anyone credible to stand against Kirkhope. Daniel Hannan is a backseat manipulator; no-one else has the energy or spirit to head up the Right, possibly because they realise that the Right's ideas on Europe offer no solutions to a situation which requires more, not less, international cooperation and common solutions.So good luck Kirkhope - he will need it

[thomas]

http://bloggers4ukip.blogspot.com/2008/11/join-us-today.html

Oh dear!

[Opinicus]

If the Euro MPs cannot be bothered to vote Conservative now, I am not sure I can in June.

[Andrew Woodman]

Talk about a step backwards.

[Alf Noakes]

All you people pledging to vote UKIP are frankly bizarre.

Vote UKIP and look at what you get: Kilroy, Ashley Mote, Tom Wise, Roger Knapman - do you honestly think these clowns actually advance euro-scepticism??!! They, more than anyone, seriously undermine the case.

Legal Eagle (above) is right - where is the evidence that Kirkhope is some egregious europhile? As far as I can see Conservative MEPs, always campaign against the Constitution, further integration etc etc and I can't believe they will take any different approach from now on.

[Rod Sellers]

What a kick in the teeth - Kirkhope was a disaster for keeping traditional Conservatives on side and will be a malign influence througtout the MEP Elections.

His limp priorities of Climate Change, Global Poverty and (in passing) returning powers to National Governments, say it all.

[christina Speight]

Alf Noakes at 19:09 , You don't understand. The Tory MEPs are the reason I shall vote AGAINST them by voting UKIP . The odd bunch that the UKIP MEPs are are better than the bunch of europhiles who make up the majority of those Tory MEPs. Sorry Dan, sorry Roger, sorry Nirj . Look what we got last time - including Chichester and Jackson. And you, Alf, expect me to ditch all my Conservative beliefs by voting for people who want to stay with the federalist EPP group. You don't have to be ion a group at all. Paul van Buitenen sits as a Dutch independent and has this week uncovered corruption in the very EU body supposed to root it out.

[Don Hoyle]

Mr Cameron's leadership election promise (to require the Conservative MEPs to leave the EPP-ID European Group in the EU Parliament) was resoundly reneged on, a gang of 13 writing to the Telegraph on 5th October 2005

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2005/10/05/dt0501.xml

publicly to say so. This was an utter disgrace, compounded by the abominable method of re-selecting these same people as candidates, again.

[Eurorealist]

@Alf Noakes

Perhaps you could comment on the honesty and integrity of Den Dover and Giles Chichester. It appears that Conservative members here are not impressed with their MEPs and their choice of leader.

FYI, Mote, Wise, RKS and Knapman will not be UKIP candidates in 2009. Ashley Mote never received the UKIP whip in the European Parliament. Tom Wise has had the whip withdrawn. Roger Knapman is standing down. Robert Kilroy-Silk was miffed when he could not force Knapman out and started Veritas.

Those who are dismissive of UKIP's appeal ought to check out the ICM poll for Global Vision in June. 55% want to leave the EU, only 35% want to say in with 10% undecided. That result was virtually identical to the Tonight referendum in Luton a few weeks ago.

Most Conservative MPs and MEPs are out of touch. The British people want to leave the EU. They know that they are Better Off Out!

[Eurorealist]

My sources tell me that Dan Hannan, Roger Helmer and Chris Heaton-Harris were the leading backers of James Elles, a fanatical supporter of the EPP. On their advice, as a Better Off Out supporter, I voted for David Cameron because he pledged to leave the EPP. I cannot take "H-block" seriously any more.

[Eurorealist]

My sources tell me that when Kirkhope lost to Chichester, the deciding vote was cast by Edward MacMillan-Scott, Kirkhope's colleague in Yorkshire & The Humber.

In 2004, EMS was number 2 and just got the last seat in Yorkshire. This time, Kirkhope is number 2. A better showing by UKIP or the BNP could cost Kirkhope his seat.

It is not surprising that Kirkhope and EMS loathe each other.

[Andrew Woodman]

Eurorealist, I believe they were only backing Elles as he was the only opponent to Kirkhope (who saw that Roger Helmer was suspended from the Party for a significant period of time). Faced with that, I would have backed any opponent of Kirkhope. The main problem is the delegation is majority Europhile and so there is no point a Eurosceptic standing. Hopefully this will change but don't think the 3 H's are Europhile because of this, after all Churchill and Stalin were allies once. Didn't make him a murderous Communist.

[Confused]

Timothy "Victoria" Kirkhope?

[Richard]

Yes why has someone called him Timothy "Victoria" Kirkhope?

[Geoffrey-Dan Van Callanan-Deva]

Yeah, someone needs to explain that one to me too... I'm puzzled.

[Tim Montgomerie]

I have no idea Richard; perhaps some sort of private joke?

Best left alone methinks.

[Eurorealist]

"Yes why has someone called him Timothy "Victoria" Kirkhope?"

You obviously don't know about what MEPs get up to in Brussels.

[Edward Huxley]

There is no doubt Mr.Kirkhope`s election as group leader will mean many more votes for UKIP.

He must know this, so what I wonder is his motive?

[Western Star]

I am not entirely sure, but I believe it is connected with the fact that he once commented that he was "not amused" - a remark famously attributed to Queen Victoria.