July 2002

Consumers given choice on GM food""

Wednesday 03 July 2002

The European Parliament has voted a strict new law on the labelling of GM food products which will mean much better information for consumers.

London's Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has welcomed the result although she voted to go even further than the majority supported.

"I am delighted that the pro-GM lobby did not succeed in dissuading the European Parliament to abandon its tough approach to ensuring shoppers have the choice not to buy GM foods. Labelling means consumers can refuse to buy GM if they have health worries or - as in my case - are deeply concerned about the environmental and ethical consequences of GM crop-growing."

EU fights race-hate crimes

Thursday 04 July 2002

The European Parliament voted today to have Europe-wide tough new laws to outlaw crimes of racial hatred. This would mean some toughening of UK law but also means that British citizens travelling abroad would be protected against expressions of racism.

London's Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Baroness Sarah Ludford said:

"I welcome this decision as it is high-time that Europe showed we will not tolerate race-hate crimes. We are determined to make Europe a place where people of all ethnic identity race and religion can feel safe and go about their daily lives without fear of attacks this is especially important at a time where incidents of race-related attacks are rising not least against Muslims."

Visits to MEP's website jumps more than threefold

Monday 08 July 2002

In the last three months the website of London's LibDem MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has been visited more than three times as often as the same period last year.

Between April and June this year the website - www.sarahludfordmep.org.uk - was visited on 3437 separate occasions compared to the figure of 1001 during the same period in 2001.

Commenting Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP said:

"My website is an excellent way to keep in touch with my constituents. I keep it up-to-date with information about what I am doing both in the European Parliament and here in London."

London MEP welcomes Foreign Office advice for gay travellers

Monday 08 July 2002

The Foreign Office is issuing travel advice for gay men and lesbians for the first time in a step being praised by London's LibDem MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford.

Some of the advice is general and common sense such as taking out adequate insurance but there is also advice specifically affecting gay holidaymakers such as the suggestion that they should contact the British embassy or consulate where they want to travel to for localised advice.

Commenting Sarah Ludford said: "I am pleased that the Foreign Office is making it crystal clear that they are there to help gay travellers as much as anyone else. This advice will I am sure help a great many gay men and lesbians to travel in safety as sadly not everyone in the world is as enlightened as the average Londoner."

EU to end rip-off car prices

Friday 19 July 2002

In a move being welcomed by London's LibDem MEP Sarah Ludford the European Commission is breaking the carmakers' monopoly on sales and services in bid to end rip-off car prices in the EU the world's second-largest car market.

Commenting Sarah Ludford said: "From October 2003 the carmakers' lucrative monopoly on servicing and spare parts will end and the motor industry's stranglehold on the distribution of their cars will end by October 2005. That means that car dealers will soon be able to sell a wide range of cars under one roof and source them from the Continent."

"Mario Monti the European Commissioner for competition has made the right decision. The move will be especially good news for British consumers as we suffer most from the very highest car prices in Europe."

Europe-wide Design Competition for Young People launched

Friday 19 July 2002

A competition for young people aged between 10 and 15 to design an official postcard for the European Year of People with Disabilities (2003) is being promoted by Baroness Sarah Ludford the Liberal Democrat MEP for London.

Sarah Ludford said: "Your drawing could be the official European Year postcard for the UK and be sent around Europe. It could appear in national newspapers and you could win a trip to Brussels!"

"Young people are being asked to illustrate the changes they would make to ensure that disabled people get a fairer deal. At present for example average earnings for disabled people is 16% lower than those of non-disabled people."

"I would like to see a young Londoner winning this competition so please get drawing!"

Government breaking EU law on asylum-seekers

Friday 26 July 2002

Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Baroness Sarah Ludford speaking to the Medway Racial Equality Council annual general meeting has strongly criticised a Home Office decision made this week.

This banned all asylum-seekers from working however long they have waited for a decision while simultaneously announcing funding of £1 million for 'summer activities' to keep them occupied!

Sarah Ludford MEP who is European Liberal Democrat justice & home affairs spokeswoman in the European Parliament fumed:

"This crazy decision is calculated to intensify the already damaging stereotype of 'scrounging' asylum-seekers and indeed has already led to a screaming front page tabloid headline 'Asylum seekers' summer fun with your £1 million'."

New free EU helpline launched

Monday 29 July 2002

A free helpline has been launched to help Londoners - and people from right across the European Union - with any questions and queries they have about living working studying or trading in the EU.

The caller will be able to talk in English to one of a team of experts who will find out answers for them. The call is free.

Commenting London's Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford said:

"Our membership of the EU gives us many new rights and freedoms to operate in any of the 15 Member States but finding out precisely what these rights and freedoms are can seem daunting. Now this helpline offers an easy solution. Just call the experts free-of-charge and find out the answer!"

The helpline number is 00800 6 7 8 9 10 11 and this is accessible from anywhere in the EU.

Human rights court victory welcomed

Tuesday 30 July 2002

The High Court judgement that nine men detained indefinitely without trial under anti-terrorism legislation is unlawful and discriminatory under the Human Rights Act has been welcomed by London Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Baroness Sarah Ludford.

"This was a shameful example of the government purporting to defend freedom and democracy - by undermining fundamental rights!"

"In fact the UK government is the only one in Europe that resorted to breaching the European Human Rights Convention by locking up people it claimed to be terrorist suspects but without proving it in a trial."