Ahead of the June European elections in which Poles in Britain can vote, Labour, The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have launched Friends of Poland groupings. On March 9, Labour hosted their launch at Westminster and invited media and others to meet Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who underscored his family's Polish credentials, as well as Minister of State for Europe Caroline Flint. On March 18, the Liberal Democrats will launch their Friends of Poland group in Polish centre POSK and follow it up with their London Liberal Democrats spring conference at POSK. On March 19, The Conservatives, who launched their Friends of Poland group late last year, host a reception.
We provide details of the two forthcoming events:
Liberal Democrats:
Event: a Launch of Friends of Poland (preceding the 2009 Liberal Democrat London Spring Conference)
Date /Time: Wed March 18 3 pm-5.15 pm (Conference 6-9.30 pm )
Venue: POSK, King St, Hammersmith (tube: Ravenscourt Park)
London’s Liberal Democrats invite you to their first Friends of Poland Launch Event at Posk, Hammersmith, on Wednesday March 18th.
First on the bill will be a session entitled "Poles, get involved". This will concentrate NOT on Party Politics, but on the many ways that Poles can get involved in and influence UK society, and the benefits that this can bring to the Polish community and the way it is viewed here.
You will hear from people who have already done this in a number of ways, and this non-political opening session will be chaired by one of them, Dr Jan Mokrzycki, President of the UK’s Polish Federation. Among later speakers will be the Mayor of Islington, Stefan Kasprczyk, the UK's first Polish mayor. Stefan, who is heavily engaged in fund raising for his Mayoral Charity, Islington Kids Afloat, said this week: "Poles who come to Britain have chosen to make the idea of a Europe open to all its citizens a reality, by living and working away from home. They deserve a voice in Brussels which promotes their aspirations by establishing a fair labour market."
"The Liberal Democrats are the only party who have consistently supported these aims, and who remain fully committed to the European ideal; so we are the natural choice for those seeking to build a better life for us all in a true European Community."
The programme will also include a talk from Liberal Democrat Euro-Candidate Dinti Batstone, who has just been interviewed on Radio Orla: you can tune into that on http://www.orla.fm/re-play/3985.
Dinti said this week: "The EU gives all European citizens political rights as well as economic ones. As an Italian citizen who has for many years benefited from EU freedom of movement, I want to encourage all London's Europeans to make their voices heard on 4th June - it's your London, your Europe, your vote!".
Those who are interested will also be able to take part (for half price) in the London Region Liberal Democrat Spring Conference, which will be held at POSK immediately after the Friends of Poland launch. One of its star features will be a talk by Vince Cable MP, the Liberal Democrats’ Economic spokesman, whose analysis of the economic crisis has won international acclaim.
The Conservatives:
The Cities of London & Westminster Conservative Association
www.westminsterconservatives.co.uk
The Chairman, Miss Teresa Potocka,
the organising committee
& The Conservative Friends of Poland
request the pleasure of your company at the
ANNUAL CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION
& Trade Exhibition
on Thursday, 19th March 2009
at Canning House, 2 Belgrave Square, London, SW1
from 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Guest of Honour:
H.E. Mrs Barbara Tuge-Erecińska
Ambassador of the Republic of Poland
The Cities and Westminster Conservatives have now set up a facility online to purchase tickets which
facilitates the process: http://www.westminsterconservatives.co.uk/node/101.
