Emma McClarkin MEP condemns failure to support fairer deal for women drivers

Members of the European Parliament missed an opportunity to put right an unreasonable European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling which, since December last year, has adversely affected car insurance premiums for young female drivers.

East Midlands MEP Emma McClarkin has condemned those MEPs who voted to welcome the ECJ judgement as “out of touch and obsessed with equality.”

The proposals, drafted by Hungarian Socialist Party MEP Zita Gurmai, call for the European Commission to more actively police discrimination on the basis of gender, not only in the field of insurance, but for all goods and services. Miss McClarkin and her fellow Conservative MEPs voted against the plans.

Miss McClarkin said:

“I am opposed to gender discrimination, but I believe that common sense must prevail. By supporting the ECJ ruling, MEPs have shown themselves to be out of touch and obsessed with beyond common sense on equality.

“Young female drivers have consistently proved to be far safer drivers than young males and they should benefit from lower insurance premiums because of it.

“Worse still, if MEPs have their way, the Commission will be able to poke its nose not only into our insurance policies, but also into all goods and services sold in the European Union. The Socialists support an EU gender police which could pull the plug on harmless things such as ladies’ nights at restaurants and clubs.”