European Liberal Democrats prioritise anti-discrimination fight

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 18th Nov 2004

Sarah with attendees at the launch of the Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup

The European Parliament group to which British Liberal Democrat MEPs belong (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, ALDE) has given resounding backing to the fight against discrimination in its decisions on which cross-party bodies or 'intergroups' in the Parliament to formally support *.

Three equality subjects - Anti-Racism and Diversity, Disability, and Gay and Lesbian - ranked among the top ten priorities for the ALDE Group when members voted in an internal ballot.

London Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford, Vice-President of both the Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup and the Gay and Lesbian Intergroup, said:

"European Liberal Democrats have demonstrated their full commitment to make the eradication of unequal treatment a top issue for Europe. Much has already been achieved in and by the EU, but there are still many challenges left to tackle.

"As we showed in helping force the withdrawal last month of proposed European Justice Commissioner Rocco Buttiglione, Liberal Democrats insist on relegation of reactionary attitudes towards gay people, women and minorities to the past."

"Since the ALDE group is also backing the Urban Intergroup, this is a vote of confidence in issues of importance to Londoners."

Note:

European Parliament 'Intergroups' are informal cross-party groups of MEPs with common interests in a particular topic, similar to an All-Party Parliamentary Group at Westminster. They bring together MEPs with common interests across party lines to act as 'ginger' groups. Each European Parliament political group can only lend its support to a certain number of Intergroups, which once formally established can use facilities like rooms and interpretation in the Parliament.