Call on UK government to scrap Strasbourg circus

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 16th May 2001

Diana Wallis MEP has called on Tony Blair to support the scrapping of the European parliament meeting in Strasbourg.

At the moment the European Parliament 'ups sticks' once a month and moves in its entirety from its home in Brussels to Strasbourg at a significant cost to the taxpayer. The decision to move the Parliament in this way each month is made by national governments and not by the European Parliament itself.

Diana Wallis Liberal Democrat MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber who opposes this monthly move has called on Tony Blair as part of his election programmes to commit the UK government to shutting down the Strasbourg site as soon as possible.

Diana said, 'I am calling on Tony Blair to commit to scrapping this expensive circus. Whilst I can understand the historical and emotional reasons for having the European Parliament meet in Strasbourg, for reasons of cost and efficiency it no longer has a role to play. As part of this I have signed a motion this week which opposes the reintroduction of a Friday sitting in Strasbourg. In my opinion we should be reducing the role of Strasbourg not enhancing it. Liberal Democrats in our manifesto yesterday committed to holding meetings of the European Parliament only in Brussels to end the waste of time and money incurred by holding meetings in Strasbourg. This is something the Labour party should also commit to. '

The motion signed by Diana Wallis MEP was debated on Wednesday 16 May and, in what was an exceptionally tight vote, was agreed.