Karim nominated for European Parliament president

The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group in the European Parliament has unanimously nominated Sajjad Karim (pictured) to be its candidate for European Parliament president.

The north-west MEP was the first British Muslim to be elected to the Parliament in 2004 and was re-elected for a consecutive third term last month. He was originally a member of the ALDE political group, later joining the Conservatives in 2007 where he belonged to the EPP and now the ECR.

Sajjad says that he wants to be a president who will push through a reform agenda that includes scrapping the European Parliament seat in Strasbourg.

As the Conservative legal sffairs spokesperson, Sajjad has been at the forefront of the ECR’s reformist agenda in Europe, notably steering key reforms which have reduced EU red tape, introduced a new framework for EU legislation and increased national parliament powers.

He currently holds a number of chairmanships including the Advisory Committee on MEP Code of Conduct which seeks to shutdown corrupt practices in the Parliament.

He has also led parliament's work on an EU-India Free Trade Agreement, as the parliament's rapporteur where he successfully fought for the inclusion of the Human Rights and Democracy clause. He also holds the vice presidency of the European Parliament's Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup, and Co-Chair of the European Muslim Forum.

Sajjad was adopted as the ECR's candidate to be the Parliament's President at a meeting on Wednesday evening.

He said: "I am proud to have been nominated to run for the presidency of the Parliament. I believe that the president should be someone who acts impartially, seeks to build bridges and can appeal to a wide range of groups. The European Parliament itself needs to reform, such as by continuing to put pressure on EU leaders to stop the monthly trek to Strasbourg. I want to be the president who will pursue that reform and my first action at every European Council will be to raise the need for a single seat for the parliament.

"My decade long strong track record of getting significant reforms through the Parliament and working with different political groups is clear for all to see. I managed to successfully negotiate a deal on contentious reports in my committee such as the audit reform package.

"After the election of so many extremist elements who seek to take Europe back to a very dark period of our history,  today MEPs have a unique opportunity to think beyond purely political ideological constraints and project the EU to the world in a positive manner by supporting my presidential bid."

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