Target eastern Europeans to win in May elections, LibDem chief says

Liberal Democrat leaders are urging their supporters to target the backing from eastern European immigrants ahead of May’s Euro elections.

Issan Ghazni, the party’s national diversity adviser from 2007 to 2010, said that some of the hundreds of thousands of eastern Europeans now living in Britain were key to the party’s success in the polls.

Writing on LibDemVoice, he urged his colleagues in the East Midlands “to keep engaging with these communities” to help the party’s electoral fortunes.

He said: “Eastern Europeans will become more established in future decades. Securing their support today, at a time when they are repelled by the anti-immigration climate, will serve us well in future elections. And it may just take us over the winning post in May.”

Mr Ghazni, who is also chairman of Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats, told the website: “Doomsday predictions in the media that Liberal Democrats are set to lose all our MEPs to Ukip are wide of the mark.

“The closer we get to the Euro elections in May the greater the opportunity for us to win support from the substantial minority of voters who are pro-Europe.”

Mr Ghazni came to his conclusions after a recent visit to Boston, in the east Midlands, where he met migrant workers at five eastern European coffee shops.

He said: “People in the cafes told me they were fearful of the anti-immigration rhetoric of Ukip and the Tory Right, and many would enthusiastically support the Lib Dems if only we made contact with them.

“We must, for they could hold the key to fending off Ukip and make the difference between keeping or losing our MEPs.”

He added: “Many Eastern Europeans are unaware they had a vote. We need to spread the news that they can vote so long as they register.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...hief-says.html

I wasn't aware that foreigners can elect British MEP's - an absolute disgrace