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		Nottingham MEP to address local students Tuesday 25th January 2005 East Midlands MEP Roger Helmer is in Nottingham on Thursday 27th January to give a talk to a group of politics students at the University of Nottingham. The event was arranged at short notice after Euro enthusiast and Europe Minister Denis MacShane pulled out. Mr MacShane, the Labour MP for Rotherham, was due to talk about Britain’s place at the heart of an integrated Europe. Mr Helmer will talk to approximately 300 students about his alternative vision of a Europe based on free trade and voluntary intergovernmental co-operation. Mr Helmer will set out why he believes the proposed EU constitution will hand over power to Brussels and make the Westminster parliament almost redundant. Commenting on the event Mr Helmer said: “I am delighted to accept the very kind invitation of the politics society at the University of Nottingham. It is one of the fastest growing societies at the University and has members from a wide background of political beliefs. It should be a very lively discussion. I look forward to presenting the euro-realist case to them and am disappointed that the Europe Minister will not be present to debate with me. The question of the EU constitution, and indeed our future in Europe, is one of the most important issues facing Britain today. If we sign up to the European constitution we give up our national powers on everything from asylum and immigration to control of our foreign and defence policy. The EU constitution will leave Britain as being merely an offshore province of a country called Europe.”