Liberal climb down on Commission vote typical disgrace

Scottish National Party MEP Mr Alyn Smith has reacted with derision to the news that the Liberals in the European Parliament have, despite a series of grandstanding performances in the past few weeks, decided to vote for the deeply flawed proposed European Commission in a process which demeans the European Parliament.

The SNP MEP said:

"They talked a good game to be fair, they sounded like they would stick firm against a flawed Commission and a flawed process. But there was a part of me having seen their antics in the Scottish Parliament which was just waiting for them to cave in. And I was not disappointed, how disgraceful.

"The Parliament has a choice tomorrow of 'back them all or sack them all' and the Liberals will now be backing them all, all 25, despite the outrageous anti- homosexual comments of Mr Buttiglione, despite the questions unanswered by the Dutch and Danish candidates over alleged conflicts of interest, and some poor poor performances from the others.

But my objection is bigger, and I'm so disappointed the Liberals have strung people along for so long. If you interview 25 people for 25 jobs, only to make one decision to back them all or sack them all it makes a mockery of the whole process. The Liberals by blowing with the wind in this way have made a mockery of their own principles into the bargain and I hope people take notice."