BNP flouting MEPs’ independence

HOPE not hate | Wednesday, 4 March 2009 | Click here for original article

A legal practitioner in Finland has commented on our report that any BNP MEPs will have to stand down after four years of their five-year term. Ralf Grahn, who lectures on EU law and politics, says any such agreement between the party and its MEPs would be invalid.

He writes:

If the allegation is true that British National Party members of the European Parliament would have to step down after four years, it is not only a question of political morals.

The so called MEPs’ Statute, officially the Decision 2005/684/EC, Euratom of the European Parliament of 28 September 2005 adopting the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, declares such agreements null and void.

Article 2 of the MEPs’ Statute (published in the Official Journal of the European Union 7.10.2005 L 262/1) reads like this:

Article 2

1. Members shall be free and independent.

2. Agreements concerning the resignation from office of a Member before or at the end of a parliamentary term shall be null and void.

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Is it clear enough for everybody? Even for the BNP?