Roger Helmer

Roger Helmer, MEP

Roger Helmer (born 25 January 1944, London) is a British MEP, who represented the Conservative and Unionist Party from 1999 until March 2012. In March 2012 the self-proclaimed Eurosceptic announced his intention to defect from the Tories to the UK Independence Party because of his increasing disillusionment with Conservative policy over Europe.

Affiliations

• Former Honorary Chairman (from April 2007- January 2011), the Freedom Association Stepped down on 'doctor's orders'. Remains on the TFA Council.

Parliamentary Affiliations

Member:

20.07.1999 / 19.07.2004 : Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats

21.07.1999 / 16.01.2001 : Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy

06.10.1999 / 14.01.2002 : Delegation for relations with the Member States of ASEAN, South-east Asia and the Republic of Korea

17.01.2001 / 14.01.2002 : Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy

17.01.2002 / 19.07.2004 : Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

07.02.2002 / 19.07.2004 : Delegation for relations with the Member States of ASEAN, south-east Asia and the Republic of Korea

20.07.2004 / 07.06.2005 : Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats

21.07.2004 / 14.01.2007 : Committee on Petitions

21.07.2004 / 14.01.2007 : Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

15.09.2004 / 13.03.2007 : Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula

08.06.2005 / 13.07.2009 : Non-attached Members

15.01.2007 / 30.01.2007 : Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

15.01.2007 / 30.01.2007 : Committee on Petitions

31.01.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

14.03.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula

10.05.2007 / 04.02.2009 : Temporary Committee on Climate Change

14.07.2009 / ... : European Conservatives and Reformists

16.07.2009 / 18.10.2009 : Committee on Regional Development

16.07.2009 / ... : Committee on Petitions

16.09.2009 / ... : Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula

19.10.2009 / ... : Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Substitute:

21.07.1999 / 14.01.2002 : Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

13.12.2000 / 29.11.2001 : Temporary committee on human genetics and other new technologies in modern medicine

17.01.2002 / 19.07.2004 : Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy

17.01.2002 / 19.07.2004 : Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism

13.03.2002 / 30.04.2004 : Delegation to the EU-Slovak Republic Joint Parliamentary Committee

22.07.2004 / 07.06.2005 : Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

24.09.2004 / 07.06.2005 : Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

19.01.2006 / 14.01.2007 : Temporary Committee on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transport and illegal detention of prisoners

31.01.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Committee on Constitutional Affairs

31.01.2007 / 23.10.2007 : Committee on Petitions

20.03.2007 / 23.10.2007 : Delegation for relations with Japan

09.05.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee

07.01.2008 / 13.07.2009 : Committee on Petitions

21.07.2009 / 18.10.2009 : Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

16.09.2009 / ... : Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia

Record and Controversies

Declaration of Financial Interests

• Nothing to declare.

Record of Parliamentary Votes

• Voted against the directive on "establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy" (A5-0027/2000). The directive covers all water management aspects in order to achieve a 'good status' of all waters by 2015.
• Voted in favour of the directive on "national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants" (A5-0063/2000). The amendment allows setting less ambitious national emission ceilings for sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which would result in more damage to human health and the environment.
• Voted in favour of the Commission White Paper on "Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy" (A5-0356/2001). The amandment helps avoid the necessary precautionary approach towards some chemical substances that are not proven to be completely safe.
• Voted against the directive on "waste electrical and electronic equipment" (A5-0100/2002). The amendment sets higher reuse and recycling rates for IT and telecommunication equipment. Rejected due to lack of absolute majority.
• Voted in favour of the report on "Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network" (A5-0135/2002). The Trans-European Network of Transport (TEN-T) is a network of so-called 'transport corridors' through Europe. This amendment calls for a full Strategic Environmental Assessment of these transport corridors and calls on the Commission to improve methods for analysing the environmental and economic impact of the TEN-T.
• Voted against the regulation concerning "traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms and traceability of food and feed products produced from genetically modified organisms" (A5-0229/2002). The amendment allows customers the right to choose GM free food.
• Voted against the report towards a "thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides" (A5-0061/2003). The amendment proposes to ban or severely restrict use of pesticides in areas around sources of drinking water and nature protected zones.
• Voted against the directive on "environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage" (A5-0145/2003). According to the amendment, polluters have to pay for environmental clean-up, and it supports an EU-wide regime which makes polluters liable for the damage they cause to wildlife, water and land.
• Voted against the directive on restructuring the "Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity" (A5-0302/2003). The amendment aims at giving tax benefits to environmentally friendly sources of energy, which would make them cheaper and more competitive to conventional (more polluting) sources of energy. It also gives tax benefits to environmentally friendly uses of energy for transport, for instance trains. Rejected due to lack of absolute majority.
• Voted against the amendment on Bulgaria’s progress towards accession (A5-0105/2004). The report objects to extending the life of the nuclear power stations in Bulgaria.

Advice to homosexuals

In January 2011 Helmer attracted significant criticism after commenting that "homosexuality could be treated as a mental health problem". His comments have been condemned by gay rights group Stonewall and some users of the social networking site 'Twitter' where he published his comments. Mr. Helmer 'tweeted'::"Why is it OK for a surgeon to perform a sex-change operation, but not OK for a psychiatrist to try to 'turn' a consenting homosexual?"

After the public reaction, he defended his remarks by stating he was only pointing out to the fact that homosexuals have the right to seek professional counselling and advice if they wish to - "I have not suggested homosexuality is something that needs to be cured"."

Upon his unfortunate remarks and his language, he also received negative criticism from fellow party members.

Climate science scepticism

Helmer is a vocal climate change sceptic. Speaking at a 2007 Conservative conference fringe event entitled "Let Cooler Heads Prevail" and held by the Freedom Association, a right wing pressure group whose management committee includes Conservatives MEPs and MPs, he told the assembled audience:

"You either believe it or you don't. And in my case, I don't! This whole issue has got completely out of hand. It has become a new religion. You have to believe it. If you do not believe it, you are a heretic. They would like to burn us at the stake - using recycled faggots!"

In 2011 he gave a speech titled "The Global Climate Change Debate and Tax Payer-Funded Environmentalism" at a conference organised by Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOI).In his blog, he says the strict environmental measures applied by the EU are green-propaganda driven, supported by the EU itself and the green NGOs mostly paid by the EU. He says:

"The NGOs constantly say that use of palm oil for biofuels forces up food prices, that palm oil development drives deforestation and contributes to CO2 emissions, and that palm oil cultivation threatens endangered habitats and in particular the orang-utan. These points, it seems, are greatly overstated or just plain wrong ... ."

His speech at the conference was not recorded, but according to Business Times, Roger Helmer not only denied climate change effects and the environmental consequences of palm tree plantations, he also suggested that Malaysia should stay visible and be in touch with the European Commission, as the Commission is currently thinking about some plan of policy. Mr. Helmer also "described environmental NGOs as 'agents of the state', receiving large sums of funding to support their campaigns and activities."

Lack of transparency with the expenses

Leo Hickman of The Guardian argues on his Environment Blog that, although he found that "all his trips were legitimately funded using his MEP expenses allowance," as with all other Conservative MEPs (but unlike Liberal Democrat MEPs), Roger Helmer fails to present a breakdown of such expenses. He discusses that it represents "a worrying lack of transparency."

Views on fracking

This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project

Helmer has called fracking "the greatest new economic opportunity for our country in our lifetimes".

Personal Information

Curriculum Vitae

• BA, Cambridge University (1965).
• MA, Cambridge University (1967).
• Various senior marketing and general management appointments with major multinationals in the UK and overseas (1965-1998) including well-known multinationals like Procter & Gamble in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Readers Digest, National Semiconductor, Coats Viyella and the whisky firm United Distillers, now part of the drinks conglomerate Diageo. During the course of his business career he lived and worked in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Korea, and ran businesses in the Philippines, Vietnam, Guam and Saipan.
• Member of the European Parliament (since 1999).

Contact

Address:

Parlement européen

Bât. Willy Brandt

05M081

60, rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60

B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel

Phone:

+32 (0)2 28 45764

Fax:

+32 (0)2 28 49764

Email:

roger.helmer AT europarl.europa.eu

Website:

http://www.rogerhelmer.com

This article is part of the MEPedia project of Spinwatch.

Resources

• BBC News, "MEP Roger Helmer defends Twitter gay comments," 18 January 2011.
• Damodaran, Rupa, "Visiting MP calls for Malaysian CPO rep," Business Times, 25 February 2011, accessed 02 February 2011.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Roger Helmer, 20 January 2009, accessed 03 February 2009.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Roger Helmer, 22 June 2009, accessed 15 October 2009.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Roger Helmer, accessed 03 February 2009.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Roger Helmer, accessed 17 November 2010.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Roger Helmer, accessed 02 February 2011.</ref>
• Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
• Hickman, Leo, "Tory MEP advises palm oil lobbyists how best to neuter Brussels," 02 February 2011, accessed 02 February 2011.
• Roger Helmer MEP, "Maybe the Green NGOs Aren't Always Right," 26 January 2011, accessed 02 February 2011.