2 Written explanations of Geoffrey VAN ORDEN

. – As British Conservatives we are wholly supportive of measures to protect women and girls against sexual and domestic violence, against female genital mutilation, online harassment, and revenge porn, as well as seeking to promote the overall health and well-being of young women, and indeed young men.However, the question of sex education is a sensitive issue that should be dealt with by parents and by national governments. It is not a competence of the EU. For these reasons, we have decided to abstain on the Poland Resolution.

. – The pact between two horrific totalitarian regimes, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939, was the fuse that exploded into the Second World War. The Left has for too long propagated the myth that the war was fought and won largely by Soviet Russia, ignoring the Communist complicity with Hitler in starting the War – carrying out some of the worst early atrocities, such as the Katyn massacre in April/May 1940 of some 22 000 Polish military officers and intelligentsia and intensifying their brutal oppression of the people of Central and Eastern Europe following the Nazi defeat. Furthermore, Communist cells penetrated vital diplomatic, political, intelligence and research agencies, as well as trade union and ‘peace movements’, in many Western countries, including the United Kingdom. Their efforts both during and after the war sought to undermine democracies and advance the cause of Soviet Communism. These messages provide the central thrust of this resolution, which I fully support. The controversial and altogether separate issue of ‘European integration’ should not, by the way, have been included.