GARY TITLEY, LEADER EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY LABOUR PARTY

BREAKING NEWS.

Gary Titley, Labour MEP for the North West Region and current Leader of the European Labour Party (EPLP), is to stand down as EPLP Leader on 14 January next year.

This means that the EPLP will have to elect a new leader to take Labour into the European Elections in June 2009.

We could have an intersting contest on our hands. Watch this space.

WOMEN IN POWER

Forty percent of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament are women. Eight out of 19 Labour MEPs are women - a slightly higher percentage. Gender equality is more advanced in the EPLP and the Socialist Group in the European Parliament than the House of Commons where Labour has 256 MPs, 94 of whom are women- that's just 27%.

I have recently published "Women in Power" - a guide to women MEPs. If you would like a copy please contact me.