Verbatim report of proceedings

Thursday, 16 January 2020 - Strasbourg

Institutions and bodies in the Economic and Monetary Union: Preventing post-public employment conflicts of interest (B9-0047/2020)

  John Howarth (S&D). – Madam President, I am happy to support this resolution as there is no doubt that the public wishes to see transparency in these senior roles, particularly in the world of finance.

Since European economic and monetary union became a reality, we’ve been told by the sceptics, populists and Brexiteers that it was a disaster and that the euro was certain to collapse. Well, they were wrong. Given the circumstances, the euro has done remarkably well and I suggest that it will still be around long after their baboonery has been forgotten.

Timing is everything. I appear to be the last UK MEP to address this Chamber. I may or may not speak again in the Brussels session but if you’ll bear with me, there’s some people who need to be thanked: yourself and the other Vice-Presidents, and my friends, colleagues and opponents but never enemies, in this Chamber.

Most of all, you are as good as your staff, so public thanks are in order to Kay Wilcox, Sarah McKinley and Kim Chapman in my UK office, Mat Hogarth, Sive Thompson and, lately, Jenny McConnel, in my Brussels team who have been challenging and fabulously loyal to the last and have shared many things, including, I’m afraid, this cold. So thank you and gan canny.

When I was re-elected in May, however, I did the usual thanking of the police and the electoral staff and I forgot to mention one person who I could not have done any of this without and that of course is the absolutely fabulous Jane Coney. So Jane, it doesn’t get more public than this. The worst aspect of this job is having to be away from you. So thank you for everything. I love you. People keep asking me what I want next, and you know, I want you.