Ganley launches British arm of Libertas

Robin Matthews: former soldier to lead Libertas in Britain

BUSINESSMAN DECLAN Ganley has launched Libertas as a political party in Britain, telling potential voters in the European elections he wants to bring “the EU back to its people”.

The British arm of his pan-European political organisation will be led by a former British lieutenant colonel, Robin Matthews, who served in Cyprus, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was the British army spokesman in Helmand province. It hopes to field 72 candidates in the 12 electoral regions across Britain and is currently attempting to recruit candidates to run in the elections scheduled for June 4th.

“Almost 80 per cent of laws that change the daily lives of Britons come from Brussels, and those laws are drafted by unelected, unaccountable civil servants. Brussels does not want to answer to the people of Europe. We want to bring the EU back to its people,” said Mr Ganley, who told reporters he would not fund the campaign with his own money.

He said the party would rely on individual donations from small donors and businesses and attacked British prime minister Gordon Brown for “deceiving” voters by not holding a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

“The Labour government promised the people of the UK a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and then reneged on the promise. This election is the last and best chance that voters have to send a very clear message that they do not support the Lisbon Treaty,” said Mr Ganley.

Mr Matthews, who will stand as a candidate for Libertas in Britain, said yesterday more democracy was needed at EU level.

“Whatever you do with elected commissioners or an elected commission, they must be accountable to the people. Libertas is seeking such a mandate at the ballot box and that is our first task before we look at exactly ways to reform the commission, president or whatever,” he told the BBC website.

Libertas is likely to find it a tough battle to win seats in Britain, which has a host of small parties competing in the elections, such as the UK Independence Party and British National Party.

Mr Ganley will launch Libertas in France today.