Local Lib Dem Euro MP launches party's pre-manifesto paper

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 10th Sep 2003

Local Liberal Democrat Euro MP Diana Wallis today (Tuesday) launched her party's European pre-manifesto at the Houses of Parliament. The key themes in the document are reforming the European Union to make it more accountable to the public and reducing bureaucracy.

Alongside Liberal Democrat Leader, Charles Kennedy, and Shadow Foreign Secretary Menzies Campbell, Ms. Wallis said:

"Our proposal, to improve the UK's scrutiny of European affairs, is central to improving transparency and the understanding of the real nature of the EU, rather than believing the nonsense we see in some of the British media."

Diana Wallis MEP who is Leader of her party in the European Parliament added:

"The relationship between Brussels and Westminster needs to be much stronger. The public cannot and should not see the work of MEPs and the EU Commission as something distant, remote and therefore irrelevant to them.

The Liberal Democrats European pre-manifesto will be debated at the Party's Autumn conference on Monday 22 September. The full document can be found on the opening page of the party's website: www.libdems.org.uk

The document is the starting point for the Party's Manifesto for the next European Parliamentary elections in June 2004