AN Oxfordshire MP is not concerned about the company his Conservative party keeps in European human rights debates.

Henley MP John Howell is part of the UK’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The Council is the debating chamber for issues related to the European Court of Human Rights.

But constituents of his who are part of a pro-EU campaign group called the European Movement raised concerns about the British Tories' allies on the council, describing them as ‘anti-Muslim’, ‘anti-immigration’ and ‘anti-LGBT’.

Conservative MPs are part of the European Conservatives and Democratic Alliance (EC/DA) in the Council’s parliament.

The alliance formed from two separate right-leaning groups earlier this year and agrees to take a common line on some policies.

Its members include the far right parties Alternative fur Deutschland, Italy’s La Liga, and Spain’s Vox party.

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The European Movement’s Oxfordshire Branch head Graham Jones said: “These are parties out of step with traditional British Conservative values. Mr Howell is a decent man and must feel embarrassed rubbing shoulders with them.”

The European Movement has called on Mr Howell to resign as treasurer of the EC/DA and urged the Tories to join a different group on the Council.

But Mr Howell has refused and said the Conservatives did not give fringe views legitimacy by being part of a group with these political parties.

He added the European Movement was trying to ‘make trouble’.

The Henley MP said his overall aim on the Council was ‘to ensure that human rights are maintained in Europe’.