Following the resignation of Martin Callanan a fortnight ago, the new leader of Britain's Conservative MEPs has been announced as South East England MEP Richard Ashworth. He was elected today by fellow Tory MEPs to lead the Party's delegation in the European Parliament.

Richard is the Conservative spokesman on the European Parliament Budget committee and has been involved in negotiating the EU's next Multi-Annual Financial Framework to set spending parameters from 2013 to 2020. He also sits on the Policy Challenges and Agriculture committees.

Before entering the European Parliament in 2004, Richard Ashworth owned his own business processing and retailing dairy products. 

Richard commented on his election:

"It is a great honour to be chosen by my colleagues to lead them. These are challenging times - but I intend to continue the work of making Conservative principles heard in Europe as the voice of economic good sense and a driving force for competition and growth. We will work for better value for taxpayers' money in Europe - for greater efficiency, less waste and less red tape holding back enterprise and prosperity. For a flexible Europe that benefits Britain instead of dictating to it."