Ukip takes its cause to Brussels

Britain's hottest export to the continent, the UK Independence party, pledged to fight for an "amicable divorce" from the European Union when its new MEPs visited the European parliament yesterday.

Robert Kilroy Silk insisted he did not intend to wreck the union's only directly-elected institution. But he was "not interested in making it work" and would spend as little time there as possible.

"Our prime task is to get our country back from Brussels. That is why we are here. We have no other function, no other purpose. We want to govern ourselves."

Nigel Farage, leader of the 12 Ukip MEPs elected on June 10, said negotiations were continuing on membership of a 40-strong Eurosceptic group which includes Danes, Swedes and Dutch MEPs, as well as a Polish party which also wants to withdraw. Last parliament it was called the Europe of Democracies and Diversities. Its new name might be the Out Of Europe Group, Mr Kilroy Silk quipped.

Membership is likely to give Ukip funding of £1m a year in secretarial allowances for use in the UK. That could help its referendum campaign against the new EU constitution. It has been reprimanded for using funds improperly, including in the cause of the "metric martyr". "We'll use the money within the rules to further the objectives of Ukip back in Britain," said Mr Farage.

Mr Kilroy Silk wanted to fight fraud, waste and corruption, and highlight an unpopular and little-known parliamentary institution expensively divided between two homes in Brussels and Strasbourg.

"I cannot believe the wide variety of targets there are available," he said. "The problem is actually selecting what message, what it is we want to take back home to let the British people know about what is being done in their name."

Visiting the labyrinthine parliament building was depressing compared with first entering the mother of parliaments as a Labour MP, he said. "It was exciting and invigorating. I was part of something that meant something to the British people. We felt we could change things, change the country, and we did. Here it's anonymous, remote - not in touch. I don't feel any connection to me, to my constituents, or to my country."

Novelty ensured a good though largely Anglophone turnout for Ukip's first press conference, but it was not a lavish event by European standards. Nobody was on hand to serve coffee. The interpreter booths were empty.

Graham Watson, leader of the Lib Dem MEPs, issued a frosty welcome to Brussels for what he called the "12 angry Victor Meldrews". "With their ill-informed prejudices and their petty parochialism, they don't look or sound like the Britain I know," he said acidly.

Today's best video

  • The NSA files trailblock image


Find your MP

Today in pictures