Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, decision time is now upon us. We have had more candidates, we have had more debate, and we have had more openness. It represents a change in the method, in the way we have done our business. It is a good change and I hope it is a signal of an appetite throughout this House to engage in the years which come and the balance of this mandate in a culture of transformation of how we do our business. The campaign reveals many perspectives, not least about the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates – and I have my share of both. I read about myself in polite journals that I am loquacious. I live in Ireland, where we are all loquacious, near Blarney where there is a stone and a castle. When visitors come there and kiss that stone, they say in Hibernian English that they leave with the gift of the gab, meaning loquacious in polite journals. I may be that, but the more important part of this campaign is that it has offered the opportunity to listen and to learn. I have listened and I have learned that there is an appetite for change, that there is a great feeling in this House that we need to do more politics in the best and visionary sense of that word. I have learned that we want less voting and less technicalities and more capacity to be politicians and to bring our influence to bear. In other words, we want more vitality in how we manage our affairs. We need to bring closure to many of the issues of reform that have been before us for so long. The complex Members' statute is difficult and the hard work led by Nicole Fontaine is testament to that. But we must continue to try. I tell this to Members: I will, in a hands-on way, try to achieve that reform, but never over the heads of the Members of this House. It will be done in the fullest, most transparent and open shared consultation. (Applause) I have learned here how good we are at legislating on and talking about equal opportunity and gender equality, but how bad we are sometimes as an institution at putting it into practice. I pledge today before this House that, should I have the privilege to lead at the end of the day, I will promote the equality of gender in various ways, but most visibly and at the outset by it being apparent in the construction of the Cabinet. Since 1998 I have had the privilege to lead the Liberal Democrat Group and together, I believe, with my colleagues, we have established a capacity for doing politics, which is the business of this institution. We are 626 Members, we are a Parliament. I am not seeking, Mr Bonde or other colleagues who share your fears, to be the sixteenth president or prime minister of the sixteenth state. I am proud to be a parliamentarian and we must bring our parliamentary and democratic vision to bear on the great issues of the day in Europe. We must make Europe fit for a future on a continental scale and we must make the democracy in this House fit to offer a real leadership and act as a counterweight and check and balance against the excesses of technocracy or bureaucracy. I want to say to Hans-Gert Poettering and to the Group how greatly I appreciate his and their unswerving commitment to be full and faithful partners to an agreement which we made. But I want to say this also: I have had the privilege to visit many groups, many committees, many intergroups. I want, if I can, to lead a Presidency which is a stakeholder Presidency, open to build on the talents of those who will contribute. I ask you for your support. Finally, Mr President, smaller groups in this House do not find themselves with the credible possibility that my Liberal Democrat Group finds it has today. I do not know what the final result will be, but I know this much: I cannot see how those who say that they value more openness, a change in the system, who would like to see a fairer share for all, can reconcile this with voting for a large-group candidate, not because of any fault with the candidate, but because of the nature of the system we have. If you wish to transform the system, today's vote will be the first mark of whether we are dedicated to transformation and change. That is my appeal; I ask for your support. I should love to have the privilege to lead; but the choice now rests with you.

Political group: ELDR