Tory East Midlands MEPs dubbed "worst" by Friends of the Earth

2.10.58pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 7th Apr 2004

Tory MEPs Roger Helmer and Chris Heaton Harris have been dubbed the "worst" MEPs by Friends of the Earth today.

In a list of how MEPs voted on ten key environmental issues, Roger Helmer is ranked as one of the "top twelve worst voting MEPs", with Chris Heaton Harris close behind. Eleven of the twelve 'worst' MEPs are UK Tories, having voted for only one of ten eco-friendly proposals.

The NGO recorded the votes by MEPs on 10 key environmental decisions taken by the current European Parliament. The votes covered recycling, pesticides, GMOs, nuclear materials, environmental liability, energy tax, transport, air quality, water and chemicals.

Bill Newton Dunn, Liberal Democrat MEP for the East Midlands, had a much better voting record, together with his Liberal colleagues. 86.1% of the votes cast by the European Liberal Group (within which the UK Lib Dems sit) were eco-friendly, compared with just 26.7% of the votes cast by the Group of the European People's Party and European Democrats (within which the Tories sit).

The Lib Dem Euro-MP condemned the Tory result. "It is vital to look after the environment within which we live. We have only got one chance to prevent irreparable damage to our region, and to the wider world. Environmental protection is a priority for Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament. With an estimated 90% of UK law in this area coming from Europe, it is crucial that MEPs adopt a strong eco-friendly stance. It is clear that the Tories are not willing to do so."

The voting records and information on the content of the proposals being voted are available on: www.EU-votewatch.org.

ENDS

The percentage of eco-friendly votes cast by the Group of the Party of the European Socialists, within which UK Labour MEPs sit, was 91%.

Labour MEPs Mel Read and Philip Whitehead scored 7 and 8 respectively out of ten possible 'eco-friendly' votes. Lib Dem MEP Bill Newton Dunn scored 7. Tory MEPs Roger Helmer and Heaton Harris scored 1.