Lost on voyage: Britain and the European elections

For us oldies, this will be the first time for 45 years that we have not exercised our right as EU citizens to send representatives to Brussels and Strasbourg. Brexit deprived every Brit of the rights of EU citizenship, among which the loss of franchise in directly electing the world’s first international parliament has to be the most important.

Regional identity

The cancellation of five-yearly elections to the European Parliament is especially poignant for England, where Brexit has left a big hole in governance. When Tony Blair agreed to introduce proportional representation for the Parliament (along with the rest of the EU), the UK was split into nine English constituencies plus Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The East of England comprised the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. That constituency began to take on a political identity of its own, not least in its efforts to draw down spending from the EU budget.

Regional benefits

Regional MEPs acted as a valuable conduit to Brussels as the scope of EU laws and regulations spread widely. As a Lib Dem MEP, I would discuss current or impending EU legislation with the region’s public administration, utilities, universities, business, farmers and NGOs, many of which benefited directly from the EU’s attention to regional development. MEPs provided the regional media with valid spokesmen beyond the voices of Westminster MPs, most of whom dare not look over their local parapet.

England’s emerging regional identity encouraged the political parties to grapple coherently with some large political issues — such as Sizewell, Stansted and climate change. I saw how the planning system in the East of England, with its weak and fragmented local government, contrasted with other, richer and more progressive regions on the continent. Today, the very un-Europeanness of Britain makes it hugely difficult to build critical regional infrastructure, such as a modern light rail system for Cambridge. And as the EU’s science and environmental policies burgeon, one can only regret there is nobody now left in Brussels who can speak up for East of England interests.

Fair votes

Along with Brexit went England’s last chance (apart from the London Assembly) to enjoy a system of proportional representation where the seats won broadly match votes cast in the ballot box. MEPs elected on a proportional basis enjoyed real democratic legitimacy, working effectively through transnational party groups rather than bundled into one national delegation. Indeed, I can only recall one event when all British MEPs were gathered together, invited by Foreign Secretary Robin Cook to his official residence in Carlton Gardens. It was not a successful evening.

Nonetheless, despite party differences, most MEPs from the English regions, UKIP apart, worked cooperatively on matters of common regional or national concern, even sharing some casework. We were used to appearing on joint platforms and in studios. We spoke to the same scores of students from our regions on trips to Brussels. It helped that the broad consensus among Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green MEPs was ‘pro-European’ — at least until 2009 when David Cameron pushed his Tory MEPs rightwards, out of the European People’s Party.

The contribution of UK MEPs

Somebody might write a book about Britain’s MEPs. They would find that our contribution to the development of the institution of the Parliament itself was substantial, both in terms of debating style and rules of procedure. Some of us played leading roles in Europe’s federalist movement and in campaigns for human rights; many took a lively interest in foreign affairs and in EU enlargement. Most of us worked hard at our duties in the Parliament’s plenary, committees and delegations. When we left the Parliament, we were largely missed.

British eurosceptic MEPs, for their part, pioneered the new nationalism that rises still in many EU member states. This year’s elections will swing the European Parliament to the populist right just as the House of Commons turns left. Another reason to miss the Brits.

Unfinished business

My great regret is having been unable to complete the electoral reform of the Parliament so that a portion of MEPs are elected for a pan-EU constituency from transnational party lists. This change would force into being federal political parties, competing with each other for votes and seats across the Union. At present the EU elections are fought by national political parties, most of which are ignorant of or jealous about the rise of the European dimension. Without proper European parties, the Parliament still lacks the democratic sinews to connect the voter with the supranational authorities in Brussels. In these 2024 elections, the European media and electorate are finding it difficult to articulate truly EU policy issues from the disparate national campaigns in twenty-seven member states.

The European Union continues to grow on its journey as a polity. But the Brits have been lost overboard. Perhaps, one day, British parliamentarians will be able to return to campaigning in favour of a deeper democracy in a yet more united Europe. British people will renew their European citizenship. English regions may assert themselves again. Meanwhile, on 6 June, just pause for a while and wonder what England has lost.