Nigel Farage’s disappearing fish act

By Mary Reid | Tue 12th February 2013 - 4:55 pm

Last week I drew attention to the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, which amongst other improvements ends the practice of discards. Chris Davies MEP has been a leading advocate for reform, and had garnered cross-party support.

Even Nigel Farage had said:

First let me stress that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has been a complete environmental, economic and social disaster and UKIP uses what say it has in the EU “Parliament” to vote against discards and protect British fishing.

So it is rather intriguing to learn that in the historic vote last week to end discards and protect British fishing, UKIP MEP’s voted thus:

Nigel Farage: did not vote
All remaining 9 MEPs: abstained

So what is the difference between not voting and abstaining? It seems that a non-voter is actually present in the building but does not vote, whereas those who abstained were absent. Any ideas where Nigel Farage was hiding?

You can view the voting record here. You need to scroll down, then select these two filters: Group – EFD; Member State – United Kingdom.

* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.

3 Comments

Martin Lowe 13th Feb '13 - 8:16am

It’s almost as if the UKIP political position is merely a stance to get elected whilst the real aim is personal enrichment with as little work as possible!
Tony Miller 13th Feb '13 - 10:03am

It would be useful to know if Nigel Farage actually abstained, or was just absent. We can’t let any institution butcher the English language to the extent that we don’t know those who abstain (=the deliberate act of being present but not participating) and those who don’t vote (=being absent for any reason). I hope the EU Parliament records those present when a vote is taken and who don’t register one as being abstentions, and those who are absent as non-voters, and not as Mary suggests.
Martin 13th Feb '13 - 8:48pm

The question is whether he really was in the building. We have heard too many tales of politicians registering a presence and then bunking off – I believe it is a trick played in the Lords too. Something to do with claiming expenses.