I won’t resign from supervisor post, says Socialist defector

Date: 14/03/02

By Laurence Frost

THE MEP who caused a stir by defecting from the Socialists to the conservative European People's Party (EPP) has rejected calls to resign as senior Parliamentary supervisor.

Richard Balfe confirmed he would not put his position as a quaestor to another vote. Newly sworn-in as a UK Conservative, the MEP came under attack by former party colleagues in Strasbourg this week. Dutch Socialist Michiel van Hulten called for Balfe to resign from the post, arguing that he was elected to it on the basis of his Socialist principles.

Balfe refused, saying he had stood as an independent after defying instructions from the Labour group not to stand for re-election.

Balfe joked that his move would actually bring him closer to UK premier Tony Blair, his former party leader, whose alliance with the conservative governments of Spain and Italy has drawn fire from other European socialists. The leader of the EPP, Hans-Gert Pöttering, also voiced unease over the 'axis' in European politics, linking Blair with Italy's Silvio Berlusconi and Spain's José-María Aznar.

'Building cooperation between governments may never be allowed to lead to a situation where others are dominated in Europe,' the German Christian Democrat said.

Pöttering said EU leaders shared a responsibility to respect the decision-making role of community institutions. He welcomed Balfe's defection, saying it would force UK Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, who he described as 'not the most committed supporter of Europe' to accommodate Balfe's pro-integrationist views in the party.

Richard Balfe, the MEP who caused a stir by defecting from the Socialists to the conservative European People's Party (EPP), has rejected calls to resign as senior Parliamentary supervisor.