EPP-ED group to expel British conservative member

The EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament said it will expel one of its MEPs, British Conservative Daniel Hannan, following his comments in the plenary session on Thursday morning when he compared the conduct of the parliamentary session by president Hans-Gert Poettering to the Hitler dictatorship in Nazi Germany. The incident arose when Parliament was approving a procedural measure to prevent "abuse" of its rules on roll call votes and points of order.

During the debate, Mr Hannan was accused of comparing a proposal confirming the powers of the assembly's president with the 1933 Enabling Act that gave Hitler unlimited power.

Mr Hannan's words were brought to the immediate attention of EPP-ED Group president Joseph Daul who condemned these comments. "These comments are unqualified and disgraceful," he said.

"I respect Mr Hannan as an MEP but his remarks are incompatible with the EPP-ED Group's values. It is for this reason that I will ask the Group to proceed with the expulsion of Mr Hannan, according to our rules of procedure and after consultation with the members of the British delegation." The decision by the largest group at the European Parliament caught Mr Hannan by surprise. He declared he had no regrets on what he said and denied the allegations made, adding that following his expulsion from the EPP-ED he would sit as a Conservative member.

The British Conservatives, who form part of the EPP-ED Group, have already declared they will be trying to form another political group after the next European elections scheduled for 2009.