The Electoral Commission has published its proposals for reducing the number of British MEPs from 78 to 72. The cut is driven by the expansion of the EU, with the number of MEPs countries have being reduced so that the total size of the European Parliament doesn’t swell to ridiculous proportions.
Their proposals don’t automatically become law, but it’s extremely likely that they will. So here’s how things are likely to be looking at the next European elections: East Midlands, London, North West, South West, West Midlands and Scotland each lose one MEP.
Full details on the Electoral Commission’s website.
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This has been known to be likely in the North West for ages. With two Lib Dem MEPs, one of whom was elected 9th of 9 last time, the order on the list is going to be crucial . However, as the Party is growing in strength in the NW I am hopeful that we can retain both seats.
A devastating loss.
if those proposals had been applied in 2004, LDs would have not win the second seat in North West and their seat in East Midlands.
The East Midlands seat is probably quite easy to hold (or to notionally gain it) in 2009. LD quota was 181,964 for the 6th seat and UKIP got the 5th seat with a 183,249 quota. They got 2 seats in EM last time with Kilroy aheading their list…it’s very unlikely that they would get a similar performance next time and so it should be easy for LDs to pass UKIP’s second seat quota.
Not as devastating as yours would be, Laurence
Probably just being selfish but I particularly feel annoyed about losing a London seat as if you take into account the massive influx of people in recent years from within the UK and elsewhere, we are already significantly underrepresented.
Hmm, I think you will find London has 5 out of the UK’s 24 seats on the Committee of Regions, which is over represrentation by some measure.
And of course the process will instigated each time the EU enlarges. By the time we deal with Turkey and the Ukraine we’ll have about 50 MEPs. Not sure how that helps the EU’s democratic deficit.
Yeah – perhaps we should add that the the One Seat campaign. If we don’t have to afford the upkeep of Strasbourg maybe we can afford the expenses for a decent tally of MEP’s.
It’s hard to see the next Euro elections being stand alone. The May council elections could be moved to the same day, in which case there will be more local activity to get the vote out, or the general election will be on the same day. Maybe all three?
Either could be to our advantage and UKIP etc’s disadvantage.
I’m cheered by Andrea’s analysis of the East Midlands. We were I think the only region not to lose an MEP last time, so we have known it was almost inevitable we would be one down this time.