Henley MP’s links with Euro far-right groups challenged

JOHN Howell, the MP for Henley and Thame, is facing calls for him to reconsider his decision to remain the  Treasurer of a pan-European grouping that a Thame constituent believes includes ‘representatives from extreme right-wing parties which deny climate change and advance anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and nationalist policies’.  

The request has come from the European Movement in Oxfordshire and relates to the MP’s role within the Council of Europe, which was co-founded by Britain in the wake of World War II to uphold  human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Following a recent change, the  Conservatives have been part of the European Conservatives and Democratic Alliance Group, where  Mr Howell is its Treasurer.  

Among the better-known members of the EC/DA it is alleged, are Poland’s Law and Justice Party, which opposes LGBT rights, and Vox in Spain, which proudly calls itself anti-feminist and has campaigned to  repeal the country’s gender-violence legislation. The group also contains representatives  from the Danish People’s Party (anti-immigration), the Swedish Democrats (anti-Muslim) and  Alternatif für Deutschland, one of whose legislators described the Holocaust as ‘certain misdeeds’.  

The European Movement’s intervention came after it was alerted by a Thame constituent of Mr  Howell, Roy Mottram, who had written to Mr Howell, only to be told that he ‘would not make a very good  investigative journalist’.

The Oxford Region’s chairman, Graham Jones, said:  “There are more than 120 of Mr Howell’s constituents signed up to the cross-party European  Movement and I am sure they will be deeply disappointed at Mr Howell’s response. 

“These are parties out of step with traditional British Conservative values. Mr Howell is a decent man and must feel embarrassed rubbing shoulders with them. 

“Given that the UK was a founding member of the Council of Europe after the war, creating our cross-party European Movement at the same time, is it really appropriate for his party to be associating with these unsavoury, populist politicians, and for him to be aiding their activities? 

“How does it square with the government’s stated mission: “to make the Council of Europe better able to protect the UK’s goals in Europe on improving human rights, democracy and respect for the rule of law? 

“I would ask him to think again and not only resign his role as its treasurer, but also seek to have the Conservatives align with a different grouping that more closely reflects the values of the people in the constituency.”

SOURCE: Contributed
Ed. You can read John Howell’s description of his work with the Council of Europe on his website HERE

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