European Elections

Also, mayoral elections too.

I actually think the EP is an unnecessary tier of European government/decision making. Although I take the point that a democratically elected chamber acting as a check on what the Member State governments and the Commission are doing (and how much it is spending in order to do it) is healthy, in practice it isn't really performing that function. And they are chronically incapable of reforming their scandalous system of perks and expenses.

I don't have a problem with the European Parliament per se. I feel that a lot of the EP's intentions are good, but it does have a serious image problem. I don't know anyone who actually uses this website: http://www.europarl.eu.int/home/default_en.htm whereas it is supposedly there for any member of the public to consult.

He's done a good job but as a labour party member doen't deserve my first preference vote.

London Assembly: undecided but probbaly green. No idea why I votegreen their environmental policy is good but their economc policy is unrealistic and their global policy is naive.

Europe: Lib Dem, won't vote green as they are anti integration, won't vote labour because of being a neo-thatcherite party. I agree with close European integration albeit much more democratically than has beeen the case up to now.

Local: undecided but I'm not sure it makes much difference really.

I realise I am not voting for 'coialist choices' in any of the other elections but I am trying to get certain objectives met. I'm wavering away from the greens in the LA and moving towards the LDs. I want the next London assembly and mayor to ramp up the conjestion charge and heavily tax company car parking.

i haven't had my flipping polling card yet (i know i can just take some id, but that's NOT THE POINT). we have had next to no leaflets through the door either, compare it to islington borough bye-elections when we got about 5 bits a day, i suppose all the apparachiks are doing big important things what with there being all these elsections at once.

also also will we be getting results on thursday night? i seem to recall it taking ages for the last euro ones, the drawback of PR of course...

Here's an oversimplified explanation: there are two ways the EP is involved in legislation.

On some issues they have the right to be consulted only (so the EP can express an opinion, suggest changes to legislation etc. but the Council of Ministers can and usually does ignore them). To be fair the number of policy issues where the consultation procedure applies has been reduced significantly over the years and the changes to the Treaties proposed in the new EU constitution will probably reduce that by a bit more.

For other legislation, the EP is more of an equal partner in the process (but they still come to it after the Commission and the Council have decided what they want). The EP can pass amendments to the legislation and it then goes back to the Council. If the Council can't agree the changes there is a long-winded 'conciliation' process.

The EP can add value in that is the forum most likely to take on board the views of business and individuals. So in small ways it can improve laws to e.g. remove unnecessary burdens on business. But it is also just as much a hostage to individual government intervention from the big Member States. A good example being the failed attempt to bring in a new Takeovers Directive, which Germany got their MEPs to vote down (having failed to block it in the Council).

I am, I'll admit, a bit biased, having worked both for the Commission and a Member State government on EU legislation. But I do think the current set up isn't working well, and don't see the new constitution improving the situation for the better. What I would prefer to see is national Parliaments much more involved at an early stage in proposals for EU legislation, with national electorates given the chance to express their views via that route.

The original point of setting up the Constituional Convention that produced the proposed new EU Constitution was to make the EU more accountable and accessible, but under Giscard's direction it soon ended up as the usual power struggle between the three institutions and wranglings over voting weights and vetos.

x-post, thanks jeff, that's the bunny.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3792877.stm

And Kilroy-Silk = 'man of the people': absolutely absurd. It's strange how he somehow seems to have won a lot of popularity, considering that he was never that popular a TV presenter... shows how unsophisticated and 'star-dazzled' the electorate must be. Summed up, really, by UKIP achieving their strongest result, by a good 3% plus, in the East Midlands, rather than as one would expect, the South-East or South-West.

I tell you what, though; the results make me a bit more heartened about the north; the UKIP significantly lower there, and the Tories (who won in the NW and Yorks in 1999) losing out big time, to the LibDems and Labour just about doing okay, considering. Though I am of course forgetting the BNP... who did far too well, even if they didn't win a seat; between 5-8% across t' north, which, as a popular vote shocks me. One could well imagine that sort of vote or more in the odd place - Burnley, Oldham, Bradford etc. - but considering the high 40%+ turnouts in the north, I hadn't expected this across the entire region.