Allister makes maiden speech in European Parliament
21 July 2004
Today, Jim Allister MEP made his made his maiden speech in the European Parliament.
"Mr President, in my first remarks in the House I wish to state that the great sense of honour that I feel derives not from membership of this institution, but from the confidence in me manifested by the people of Northern Ireland in making me their first choice in terms of representation in this Parliament.
"It is to them, not to the institutions of Europe, that I owe my allegiance. My purpose in being here is to defend and promote the interests and good name of Northern Ireland and to secure for its people their fair share of European funding.
"Turning to the Irish presidency, I am sure that Mr Ahern will remember my illustrious predecessor telling him six months ago in this House, with characteristic humour, that the most beneficial thing likely to emerge from the Irish presidency would be that Mr Ahern would have less time to meddle in the affairs of British Northern Ireland. And so it proved to be that meddle time - happily - was at a premium. That apart, the legacy on the constitutional front which this presidency bequeaths to us is not, in my opinion, welcome or happy. The new constitution is nothing to be proud of for anyone who believes in democratic control and its essential companion, national sovereignty. It is an affront to and an assault upon both.
"I appeal for honesty in the presentation of this Constitution, for recognition that it is a charter designed to facilitate and build a European superstate with ever-diminishing national powers and ever-increasing centralised powers and all the apparatus of statehood. Statehood properly lies in nation states and that is where it should remain.
"Finally, I compliment and reassure Mr Ahern on his continuing mastery of the English language so that he might have the confidence to abandon the foolish notion of wasting millions of euros of taxpayers' money on making Irish an official language of these institutions. I say to him to leave such archaic nonsense to Sinn Féin, from whom one expects no better."
Link to this and other speeches made by Jim Allister in the European Parliament
