Local MEP Watson withdraws from Euro Parliament's Presidential race

10.20.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 8th Jul 2009

The South West's Liberal Democrat MEP Graham Watson who was in the running to be the next President of the European Parliament announced his intention today to withdraw from the Presidential contest to give centre-right (European Peoples Party) candidate Jerzy Buzek a clear mandate of support from Parliament's three major political families.

"The EU is mired in a crisis - economic, environmental and constitutional," Mr Watson said; "and the three political families which founded our Union have decided to unite their forces to save it. The European Parliament is more divided than ever, with no stable majority possible. That is why I am withdrawing from the race to be President in support of a three-party agreement to save the EU."

"Despite renouncing my plans for the Presidency of Parliament, I will continue to argue for a stronger and more effective Institution more focussed on the interests and concerns of the citizens and more engagement with national and regional parliaments."

Editors Note;

Graham Watson MEP led the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (later Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) Group in the European Parliament for seven and a half years, two and a half years longer than any of his predecessors. He built the group from a membership of 46 MEPs in 2002 to a membership of 106 at its peak in 2008.

Last Month the UK Conservatives Withdrew from the centre right EPP-ED group in the European Parliament, to form a new Party with 55 Members.