Britannist

The following is an extract from an article written by Mr. Iain Dale (a Conservative candidate in Norfolk at the last General Election) which has been published on his blog today:

“On Vox Politix last night, UKIP Deputy Leader David Campbell-Bannerman made an astonishing claim. He reckons that, under a little noticed clause in the new EU Constitution Reform Treaty, British political parties will not be able to put up their own candidates at the 2014 European Parliamentary Elections. Instead, they will have to go under their European Group banners. My ghast is well and truly flabbered. David insisted it was true and has promised to send me the evidence. Is UKIP spreading one of these EU myths that we hear so much about or are they telling it as it is?”

To read the responses to this article from readers of Mr. Dale’s blog please click on the following link, scroll down the page after doing so and select the comments link below the article:

Iain Dale's Diary

Britannist

There's more on the EU 'Amending Treaty' (EU Constitution re-heated) at:

"Bottler" Brown "washes down wine" at "last supper" as he hands over UK powers to EU

steve fowler

Sorry ian its the truth.

Petrina

He`s telling it like it is I suspect ,although I didn`t know the date when they intended to bring it in .

This has been the plan for some time ,the Tories have made a deal with the Christian Democrats in Germany ,( so they know what is happening even if Dale doesn`t )planning for the day when national parties have to link together in order to comply with the rules ,and when any EU citizen can stand in any EU country`s list for the EU Elections .

After all it is perfectly logical ,no point in manufacturing a stateless Empire if you stick to national borders for the Empire`s elections is there ?

Britannist

There will be some who will now take the view that the Cameron-Conservatives might use as their excuse for not leaving the EPP group in the EU 'Parliament' in 2009 the fact that they are being forced to form a group with the German Christian Democrats (CDU - the largest party in the EPP group) to fight the 2014 EU Elections.

As we all know, David Cameron has already not kept his promise (made during the 2005 Conservative Party leadership contest) to pull the UK Conservatives out of the EPP group "in months not years" - having said last year that the UK Conservatives will not now quit the EPP until "after" the 2009 EU Election.

brian lee

I believe all anti-EU parties putting up candidates for EU Election until 2014 should do this on the basis of UKIP as originally founded, that if elected they would not take their seats to emphasis the lack of democracy in the EU and the futility of taking part in any of its activities.

In 2014 it looks like it will be, 'man the barricades'.

tito

What the **** is going on???

I go to school, and by the time I come back the EU has into overdrive.

__________________
For life, Liberty and Prosperity
http://lpuk.org/

Independent UKIP

Fair enough for yourselves. The EDs if you still exist in 2014 can go down that route of refusing to represent those who vote for you combined with all comparable fellow EU parties. The OMRLP will have to get well established throughout the EU if you want to be able to put up candidates though.

brian lee

MEPs do not represent anybody but themselves. The size of their constituencies prevents that. They are just window dressing to make the EU look democratic. You will note that as the EU gets bigger, the number of MEPs in each region is reduced. Unless you are a party of national government you have no say in what the EU does. In the case of the UK that is done by representatives of the governing party in Westminster.

Instead of Nigel Farage having his fag inside the EU buildings he might just as well stand outside the door for all the good he can do in the Parliament. His grandstanding speeches may make members of UKIP feel good but they have no effect on the EU Institution or on the UK getting out of it.

Anti EU MEPs have another disadvantage. Whereas Pro EU MEPs can claim credit for getting money for their constituents, when that happens all the antis can do is say, "You are only getting your own money back".

Britannist

The fact that UKIP holds 9 seats in the rival 'Parliament' in Brussels means that the pro-EU media in the UK (such as the BBC) have to report UKIP and anti-EU opinion.

That is reason alone for UKIP existing and contesting seats in EU Elections.