Sonia gets short shrift on 'Thought Crime' motion
OCTOBER 2010: ON the face of it, Written Declaration No. 59 on a Clean Parliament seems quite reasonable. No self-respecting MEP would want to see terrorists, members of the Mafia, or those convicted of corruption, sitting in the European Parliament.
But the motion is not exactly what it seems.
Written Declaration 59 demands "Candidates for European elections must not have been convicted of corruption, abuse of public office, **** **** **** or crimes relating to involvement with mafia groups, organised crime or terrorism."
Now there's nothing wrong with that, but it's the three missing words that the motion is really all about . . . "incitement to racism".
This written declarations seeks not only to stifle discussion on immigration but effective to bar any candidates who campaign on an anti-immigration platform from being able to take their seat in the European Parliament.
So when Italian Liberal MEP Sonia Alfano (right) wrote to Nick Griffin asking him to sign the Written Declaration, it was not surprising that she received short shrift from the MEP for the North West of England.
Sonia wrote:
You have not yet signed Written Declaration No. 59 on a Clean Parliament.
"Candidates for European elections must not have been convicted of corruption, abuse of public office, incitement to racism or crimes relating to involvement with mafia groups, organised crime or terrorism."
I should be very grateful if you would sign the declaration in the register situated outside the Chamber during the part-session
Thank you in advance for your support."
Nick replied:
"I have no intention of signing a motion that would debar those convicted of 'thought crimes' from taking their seats. Substitute "class hatred" for "racism" if you need educating as to the full undemocratic monstrosity of the proposal.
Nick Griffin MEP (with a conviction under a law that states that "telling the truth is no defence").
But the motion is not exactly what it seems.
Written Declaration 59 demands "Candidates for European elections must not have been convicted of corruption, abuse of public office, **** **** **** or crimes relating to involvement with mafia groups, organised crime or terrorism."
Now there's nothing wrong with that, but it's the three missing words that the motion is really all about . . . "incitement to racism".
This written declarations seeks not only to stifle discussion on immigration but effective to bar any candidates who campaign on an anti-immigration platform from being able to take their seat in the European Parliament.
So when Italian Liberal MEP Sonia Alfano (right) wrote to Nick Griffin asking him to sign the Written Declaration, it was not surprising that she received short shrift from the MEP for the North West of England.
Sonia wrote:
You have not yet signed Written Declaration No. 59 on a Clean Parliament.
"Candidates for European elections must not have been convicted of corruption, abuse of public office, incitement to racism or crimes relating to involvement with mafia groups, organised crime or terrorism."
I should be very grateful if you would sign the declaration in the register situated outside the Chamber during the part-session
Thank you in advance for your support."
Nick replied:
"I have no intention of signing a motion that would debar those convicted of 'thought crimes' from taking their seats. Substitute "class hatred" for "racism" if you need educating as to the full undemocratic monstrosity of the proposal.
Nick Griffin MEP (with a conviction under a law that states that "telling the truth is no defence").
