Duff bid for treaty observer role

The UK MEP Andrew Duff is trying to find ways to become an observer MEP in the intergovernmental conference that will begin in July to negotiate a new EU treaty. Tradition dictates that the European Parliament has two observers, one from each of the two biggest groups, the centre-right European People's Party-European Democrats (EPP-ED) and the Socialists. But Liberal Democrat Duff represented the Parliament on the Convention that drew up the (rejected) constitution and is not ready to take off the mantle (or anorak?) of constitutional expert. Unhappily for Duff, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering is reluctant to nominate a third MEP and would prefer instead to send his chief of staff Klaus Welle to represent him as his sherpa.