Funkii Munkii

Probably higher than most of gravy trainers in the EU parliament

dpb

Maybe our lot upped their game in the last 8 years...or maybe not


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ce-record.html

BMWhere?

Probably not...

http://www.mepranking.eu/8/state.php...order=ATT#meps

Farage has the lowest attendance record of all UK MEPs!

http://www.mepranking.eu/8/group.php...order=ATT#meps

The second lowest attendance of the EFDD group despite being head of the group.

He has the third lowest attendance of all MEPs, the lowest being Renato Soru (S&D) from Italy who was sentenced to 3 years in prison for tax evasion in 2016 and the second lowest is Florian Philippot (also EFDD) from France. The EFDD group in general have the lowest attendance record in the parliament, in particular the UK representatives of the group.

Farage gets a lot of media coverage because he's controversial, not because he's more active!

Attendance from UK MEP's is the second worst (84.63%), only Hungary has lower attendance (84.62%), a difference of just 0.01%!!!

dpb

This is the 52% brexit people's choice for helping you out...


https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.i...791.html%3famp

silver-sub

£40,000 an hour!!!

BMWhere?

... Plus expenses!!!!

SouthWalesSam

iTrader: (1)

Really? Is this the same ranting demagogue who hasn't even managed to get himself elected as an MP in his own UK parliament?

And since when did charisma and dogmatism become the defining traits of an effective national leader?

Funkii Munkii

Fair point BMWhere, this is what happens when we're in the middle of the worst political era of modern times where weakness abounds from all parties, you get frustrated and your mind wanders into Farage world.

Ultimately we just want someone with a backbone ***** passion and integrity to lead this country and I can't see that happening anytime soon because they're all afraid they'll upset this group or that group because we've been soft for too long and allowed these people to be pandered to far too much. We need to man up as a country.

BMWhere?

Farage sells a good story and sounds like an attractive alternative to the other lot, but the reality is that he is the epitome of what we hate about politics. He uses himself as the example of why MEPs are bad, the reality is the others are a lot better than him! He spends far too much time selling himself to the British Press/Public and not enough time doing the job he has been elected to do! Hes a self serving little ***** and an absolute disgrace to the UK - but he knows how to appeal to the angry public and the public rarely look any deeper than his appealing TV persona!

The one positive about the UK leaving the EU is that the waste of space EFDD group will pretty much disappear and the EU can get on with reform unhindered by the UKIP/Brexit party idiots who try an prevent it!

lozgti1

So BMWhere, who you voting. I really cannot think of an attractive candidate to run the UK :-(

dpb

Heidi Allan

Russell38

She is a leaver isn't she ?

lozgti1

lol. Fairly fit

BMWhere?

First up, you should not truest my opinion above anyone else on the internet, or for that matter, down the pub or even your own family. Always fact check and make up your own mind based on what you believe will be better for you, your community and your country.

Secondly, for full disclosure, I've been living out of the UK (in Germany) for more than 15 years. Thanks to a rule introduced by the previous Labour government, that means I'm no longer entitled to vote in UK elections. In 2015 (the last election I was eligible to vote in) the Tories not only promised to hold an EU referendum, they also promised to repeal the 15 year ex-pat voting law BEFORE holding an EU referendum - To this day, that Law still stands and I was not eligible to vote in the EU referendum (despite having a huge direct impact on my rights to live in the EU) and it is also unlikely I will be eligible to vote in any upcoming UK elections - providing we're still in the EU though, I will be able to vote in the upcoming EU elections, but only in Germany. Its funny though how people get all het up about the government not fulfilling election promises regards to Brexit, yet nobody complains about not fulfilling other election promises such as reinstating my right to vote as a British citizen!

Traditionally, I've always been a Conservative voter, although more on the pro-European center-right. In 2015 I voted Lib-Dem as I refuse to support Labour (even more so under Corbyn) and equally couldn't vote for a Conservative party that was willing to hold a referendum to leave the EU. Add to that, I thought that the coalition government was actually very successful and I was in favour of maintaining that.

I, like many people feel that MPs are out of touch and don't represent the people. I don't so much blame the MPs though, but more the system of democracy in the UK which means that smaller parties such as the Lib-Dems, Greens and even UKIP are seriously under-represented in UK politics. The first-past-the-post system in the UK nearly always gifts one of two parties a parliamentary majority despite only receiving typically around a third of the public vote, while a single opposition party is also massively over represented at the expense of smaller parties, who despite nationally receiving a large percentage of the public vote, gain few or no seats because they struggle to gain a majority in any single constituency. As much as I despise UKIP as a party, I don't think it is right that they have no MPs as they do command a significant public vote and deserve to have their say in Parliament. Essentially, with the current electoral system in the UK, in a general election there is little point voting unless you live in a marginal seat and support a party that has a realistic chance of winning that seat, otherwise your vote counts for absolutely nothing!

EU elections on the other hand, have a system of proportional representation which is why UKIP have been successful in the European elections. Unfortunately, turn out among UKIP supporters is extremely high while general turnout for European elections is extremely low, which means that UKIP are somewhat over-represented in the European parliament. This article is quite a good explanation of how the EU elections work in the UK https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47826886.

One of the big problems with the FPTP system in the UK, is the public only really have the choice to protest against the big two parties in either the local or EU elections, but this is a really bad idea that has consequences. As I pointed out in previous posts, UKIP misrepresents the UK in the European parliament, not voting in the interest of the UK but voting in their own interest of disrupting and discrediting the EU as a whole. You can find all the info about UKIPs voting history in the European parliament and draw your own conclusions about how well they represent the UK. The European parliament is an important body for the UK and by making a protest vote for a disruptive party you are affecting Britains ability to influence the EU for the benefit of the UK. With 73 seats in the EU parliament. we should have a significant say, but with around 1/3 of our seats being squandered by UKIP, the UK's influence is diluted. Of course, the UK press pays little attention to the European parliament, so UKIP can pretty much get away with their antics without the public being aware.

So when it comes to the upcoming EU elections, if the UK does take part, then the public should vote. You don't need to vote for the two main parties and thanks to proportional representation your vote will count. But don't protest by just voting for UK without really understanding what they're about. Its better to vote mainstream than to protest with a party which will not take their mandate seriously and represent the UK for the benefit of the country in important EU matters. Look at your local candidates (the UK still appoints MEPs to represent regional areas who are appointed according to the regional percentage of the vote for their party - so if the Greens win two seats in the national proportional vote, the MEPs will be allocated to the two regions with the highest green votes), look at what they stand for and if applicable their history in the EU parliament and vote for a party or an independent candidate that you feel will best represent the UK in the EU. Interestingly, this time round the turnout for the EU elections is set to be extremely high, not only in the UK, but across Europe as Brexit has raised interest in the EU and highlighted the importance of the elections to the voting public. Support for the EU as increased in all EU member states (including the UK) since the Brexit vote. The UK is likely to top the voting turnout list this time, and the Brexit party are set to do well too. Personally, I would probably vote for Lib-Dem if I was voting in the UK, although I'm keen to hear what the new Change UK party have to say. I definitely wouldn't vote for Labour under Corbyn though and still unlikely under a more moderate leader. If I were a Brexiteer, I'd probably vote Conservative despite the mess they are in, as they are the only real party that supports Brexit and would still represent the UKs best interests in the EU.

SouthWalesSam

iTrader: (1)

^^^ This.

Brexiteers constantly bang on about how undemocratic the EU is whilst totally ignoring the blatant lack of democracy that exists right her in the UK.
And when we had a chance to change it in the 2011 UK Proportional Representation referendum we squandered it.
I just don't get it.

BMWhere?

The referendum in 2011 was not for proportional representation, it was for the Alternative Voting (AV) system which was a fudge system designed to maintain the status quo with constituency seats still working on a winner takes all basis. It may have made a difference in a handful of marginal seats, but still massively disadvantaged any smaller parties. I voted to keep the existing system in that referendum because I though if we accepted AV, then nothing would really change and we would then be stuck with AV for another 200 years. By rejecting AV, the chance of having another vote to change the system in the near future is higher. If we're going to change, then it has to be a real change to a full PR system.

The FPTP system was probably a great solution in a time when there was no internet or telephone, it took days to travel to London by horse and carriage, only upper-class men were permitted to vote and there were anyway only two parties - the Tories and the Liberals - competing in the election. It is completely unfit for modern British politics, where women and the poor are able to vote, where news is instantly available online and people can travel the length of the country in a couple of hours and there are a multitude of political parties representing every imaginable political issue. FPTP (or AV) simply doesn't work in today's Britain and hence leads to the misrepresentation of the British public and the natural consequence of dissatisfaction with the political classes who's positions are protected by an archaic system.

lozgti1

Must admit. Do enjoy Michael Gove in action. He's good fun to watch.lol

BMWhere?

Reminds me of Pob!

dpb

Frankie Boyle's take on Gove is best.

BMWhere?

Interesting results in the local elections. Conservative and Labour have unsurprisingly been punished. Positively though, the swing has been to Lib Dem, Green and Independents rather than UKIP.

albob

An Anti-Brexit vote then ?

Sad Weevil

iTrader: (1)

Ukip lost 135 councillors, Greens gained 174. I find that rather cheering.

dpb

Can't see what other conclusion ??

albob

Neither can I -- Pity Mrs May can't see it that way...

hodgy0_2

the public don't vote for a prime minister !!! ffs

the new PM (if we have one) will be decided by members of the conservative party

lozgti1

Yes, but the parties will produce their offering and we will decide if we like it.

Perhaps I should have phrased it better. Who would be a good PM?

I can't think of one appealing, persuasive, decent, forceful, useful, interesting, charismatic, able person at all.lol

Anyway, May is on her way out. Who will lead this country?

dpb

The head of the party who's policies you best identity with , Leader should be irrelevant

of course if they've been proven to misslead the public ie most of the confirmed Leavers then that should put you off

lozgti1

lol

BMWhere?

Its on!!!!

The PM has said she's stepping down as party leader on 7th June and will remain PM until a new leader is found.

Time for some other sucker to take on this **** storm of a government

silver-sub

Please god don't let it be Boris the buffoon.