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		Strasbourg: Enough is enough, says local MEPs Friday, 12th September 2008 There is now no viable argument for the European Parliament's monthly move to Strasbourg, Roger Helmer, East Midlands Conservative member in the European Parliament, said today. As MEPs wound-up their extraordinary Brussels sitting, and news came in that the next Strasbourg session had been cancelled, local Conservative MEPs Roger Helmer and Chris Heaton-Harris are calling on Gordon Brown to make a stand in the Council of Ministers and demand the two seat operation of the parliament is finally scrapped. In early August, a large portion of the ceiling collapsed in the hemicycle (the main chamber). It is estimated that the ten tonnes of collapsed rubble could have killed or seriously injured 20 to 30 people. The reconstruction operation meant the first September plenary session could not be held there and, in an unprecedented move, the session this week was held in Brussels. It was announced today that the ongoing safety inspection and repairs have meant the session due to be held at the end of September will also be moved to Brussels. Mr Helmer said: "If this week were a trial for a permanent Brussels parliament, it passed with flying colours. "We have always said there is no need to decamp to strasbourg, and this week has underlined the point. for example, following the eu brussels summit on monday, the french foreign minister was able to report back to meps instantly because we were also in brussels. if we had been in strasbourg we would have been out of the loop." Mr Heaton-Harris commented that: "The desire to scrap the parliament's two-seat operation is shared by most nationalities and all political persuasions. It is one of the few issues that unites almost all MEPs. "MEPs continue to denounce to the monthly move, but unless the national leaders takes a stand on this, the farce will go on. It is high time Gordon Brown showed some leadership in Europe and told the French President that enough is enough".