Liberals call on new Tory MEPs to renounce Nazi links

7.30.46pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 23rd Jun 2009

Graham Watson MEP

Liberal Democrat MEP Graham Watson has called on new Tory MEPs Julie Girling and Ashley Fox to refuse to join the Tories' new grouping in the European Parliament which includes neo-nazis and gay-bashers. Among the Tories' new partners is the For Fatherland and Freedom Party from Latvia which celebrates its country's Waffen SS veterans; and the Polish Peasants Party which campaigns violently against homosexuals.

"Giles Chichester MEP has been among those campaigning to leave the European Peoples Party and establish this new Group", Mr Watson pointed out.

"But Julie Girling and Ashley Fox both seem to me to be reasonable people. I hope they will draw the line and refuse to join forces with such a bizarre cabal of assorted nasties and nutcases. It is certainly not in the British interest to be moving from the political mainstream to the political margins."