THE DAILY EXPRESS AND ROMA

Early day motion 591, tabled 10 February 2004 by Kevin McNamara (Labour). Signed by 55 members.

That this House notes that news stories, featured in the Daily Express in particular, concerning large numbers of Roma arriving in the UK from EU accession countries have been characterised by the Minister of State for Europe as a 'rancid hate campaign'; further notes that members of the National Union of Journalists at the Express have called upon the Press Complaints Commission to assist them in resisting the instructions of their editors and management to write such articles that they believe to be in breach of the NUJ code of conduct; deplores attempts to incite racial hatred against one of the poorest and more marginalised communities in Europe; and urges the Government to make clear its abhorrence and take measures to address this deep-seated prejudice.

Signatures by party: Labour 35, Liberal Democrat 14, Labour/Co-operative 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Scottish National Party 1.