PDs act to remove rules anomaly that barred non-EU members

The Progressive Democrats party has moved to change its membership rules after it emerged that non-EU citizens were barred from joining.

In an embarrassing development for the party, a report published yesterday showed that the PDs was the only political party which had such a limit on its membership.

Its president, Mr Michael McDowell, said the rule was an anomaly which should be revoked as soon as possible. "It is a concern to the party that a rule contained in our constitution has the undesired consequence of preventing non-EU nationals from becoming members of the Progressive Democrats," he said.

"Ironically, it arose out of an attempted inclusive measure to broaden the party membership to include citizens of the EU.

"In any event, no membership application from a non-EU citizen resident here has ever been refused by the party.

"Several non-EU nationals are currently active members of the Progressive Democrats."

The report, Positive Politics, was commissioned by the Africa Solidarity Centre and found that all parties were failing to actively attract non-nationals into politics.

It was based on responses to questionnaires to all parties on the inclusion of immigrants in politics.

Mr McDowell said the party's national executive was proposing to broaden its membership and revoke the rule.