The view from the Gravy train

The Purpose, Function, Routine and Value of an MEP

Posted by admin02 on 24, January 2012 to the BNP Ideas web site

To many, the role of an MEP is somewhat obscure. What does such an MEP do in Brussels? How does he fight the nation’s corner? How does he represent his constituents? What functions does he attend?

These and allied questions are pertinent because they relate to an MEP’s function and purpose.

It is first necessary to understand the role of the Parliament. In essence the Parliament oversees the legislative proposals that have emanated from the thousands of unelected bureaucrats who run the European Commission. The Parliament scrutinises such legislation via 20 Committees, consisting of MEPs and during Plenary (Parliamentary) sessions.

The committees draw up, amend and adopt legislative proposals and reports. They consider Commission and Council proposals and, where necessary, draw up reports to be presented to the Plenary.

Ordinary legislative procedure gives the same weight to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on such areas as, for example, economic governance, immigration, energy, transport, the environment and consumer protection. The majority of European laws are adopted jointly by the European Parliament and the Council.

The Commission sends its proposals to both Parliament and the Council. They consider and discuss these via two readings. In the event of no agreement being reached, the proposals are brought before a Conciliation Committee comprising an equal number of representatives from the Council and Parliament. Representatives of the Commission also attend these discussions. Once an agreement has been reached, the wording is sent to Parliament and the Council for a third reading, to adopt the legislative text. The final agreement of the two institutions is required for the text to become adopted as a law.

Parliament may still reject the proposed law by a majority of the votes cast. In practice, however, Parliament rarely rejects a proposal and it should be noted that the vast majority of MEPs believe in and enthusiastically support the existence of the European Union, its aims and ambitions.

It should also be noted that something in the order of 75% of the national legislation of the member states originates from the EU.

An MEP’s responsibility encompasses three distinctive spheres:

1 Plenary (Parliament): By far the most strenuous task involves the scrutiny of legislation prior to daily voting at Plenary. Generally, there are two Plenary sessions per month: one at Strasbourg and, usually, a slightly smaller session at Brussels.

Legislative resolutions are normally completed, with their various tabled amendments, a day or so before voting occurs at mid-day.

Debates also occur in advance of voting. An MEP is usually entitled to a one or two minute speech, depending upon whether the speech has been tabled in advance of the debate.

Diligent MEPs and their advisors will take breakfast at 7.30pm and then head for the Parliament, usually not returning to their hotels or rented accommodation until well after 8pm but often considerably later.

A mountain of legislation awaits them: a weekly session in Strasbourg will usually encompass several thousand pages of legislative documents, which must be read, absorbed and understood before a decision on voting intentions can be determined.

Often, over a thousand votes are held at each weekly session. On occasion, over a thousand votes can be held in one daily voting session.

For the most part, Andrew Brons votes against legislation but often there occur occasions when neither a ‘for’ nor an ‘against’ and nor even an ‘abstention’ may simply be determined. Recently, for example, a vote occurred on a trade measure relating to Georgia. Whilst this measure was of benefit to EU manufacturers and EU branded goods, it was deemed to be a measure that facilitated the ultimate ambition of the Europhiles to secure Georgia as another member state within the European Union. We voted against the measure.

Occasionally, too, Andrew Brons supports legislation. A recent example related to a measure designed to reduce the volume and expense of red tape.

Diligence must be done in Plenary. Our MEP’s office keeps a careful note of our Member’s voting record at each session, with the reasons for his decision recorded. On occasion, enquiring constituents have been provided with that record and the reasoning behind it. How a member has voted is also maintained on the public register at the Parliament – unless a show of hands or a simple electronic vote has been employed.

Some MEPs are less diligent than others. The attendance of some MEPs is appalling and their voting intentions are determined by their party whip. It is doubtful whether many MEPs will know for what they have voted, after the event. Without membership of a trans-national grouping (such as the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D Group)), our MEP must carry out his research using his own resources.

The day or so that precedes voting is also an occasion to ‘catch the eye’ of the speaker and contribute to the debate. Our MEP uses these opportunities to inject satire but also philosophical and ideological viewpoints which, often, provide the only fundamental opposition to the thrust of the debate in hand, and within a public forum that may be accessed by the electorate. Andrew Brons’ speeches may be viewed on his Parliamentary website – http://andrewbrons.eu/

2 Committee: Each MEP belongs to one Committee and shadows another, at which he may also vote in the absence of his opposite number on that Committee. The Member may make verbal contributions to both.

Andrew Brons is a full Member of the Constitutional Affairs’ Committee and a shadow Member of the Civil Liberties’ Committee.

The Constitutional Committee is where all new proposals to diminish the sovereignty of nation states are channeled and it is a matter of significance that, until very recently, no Member from Ukip bothered to sit on this most important of all Committees.

The Civil Liberties’ Committee oversees what are deemed to be the liberties of the citizen but such terms must be understood in their widest context. Such liberties often concern those of the minorities imposed upon the majority and rarely the true interests of the latter.

Committee meetings, debates and votes are an ongoing feature of an MEP’s work.

3 Constituency Work: An MEP’s postbag is usually filled with representations from lobby groups, relating to legislation but also from constituents. Most of this is dealt with at the local office of the MEP.

Occasionally, however, delegations visit the MEP in his Parliamentary offices in Strasbourg or Brussels in order to seek assistance. An example, recently, was a delegation from an animal welfare charity, which sought to highlight the mistreatment of dogs on the Continent. Andrew Brons, who is also a dog owner, at once raised the matter in a Parliamentary Question to the Commission.

Occasionally, also, there will be an opportunity to raise constituents’ problems on the floor of the Parliament.

Such matters may be considered to be of questionable merit. On the other hand, they can be well recorded in the literature of the charity concerned.

Gravy Train?

It has long been stated by some that an MEP has boarded an expensive and well-furnished gravy train. Is this statement accurate? The answer is both yes and no.

Many MEPs, including those from a Euro-sceptic UK party, treat the Parliament as though it were a gravy train. Certain of these elements rarely attend and their voting record is poor and sometimes, such is their negligence, they often vote in the opposite direction to that demanded by their Party’s policy.

For those who wish to enter a merry-go-round of drinks’ parties, cocktail functions, lunches and dinners, the opportunities exist. MEPs are subjected to invitations from hundreds of different lobbying groups and vested interests.

Do Andrew Brons and his staff attend these events? Were they to do so, they would be unable to find the considerable time required to attend to their responsibilities. Throughout the term of office, to date, they have probably briefly attended three drinks’ functions – considerably less than the opportunities that would appertain, often monthly, in the commercial sphere.

A Recognised Public Forum

Membership of the European Parliament brings with it several advantages:

a) Membership of a Parliament and, in our case, election to the highest Parliamentary chamber bar Westminster.

b) The public recognition that the above bestows.

c) Attendant media publicity resulting from the above.

d) Invitations to speak at functions, schools, civic institutions, etc.

e) An ability to represent constituents via a Parliamentary platform and to bring the Council and Commission to account via the spoken word and through the facility of tabling Parliamentary questions.

The single drawback is that high ranking members of the party may be abroad when they are required at home. The answer to this criticism is simple: a deep, broadly based organisation would promote its talent so that the presence of those elected to office – at Council, Westminster or European levels – would not be missed. Until we can find a leader that is not frightened to promote talent and ability, then we shall continue to rely unduly upon that leader and his immediate appointments, however unsuitable they may be for the task in hand.

The Value of Carrying Out the Elected Task

Elected representatives have, unsurprisingly, been elected to carry out the function for which they have been awarded a mandate.

Too often, elected nationalists have failed to perform in their elected capacity. Sometimes they have remained invisible in their council chamber whilst others have failed to attend or serve out their term of office, thereby abandoning their electorates and their own members, who sought and worked for their election.

Such conduct creates an untidy image of irresponsibility and incompetence, which does not go unremarked by the media. Not least, successor candidates have later wondered why they have failed to be elected by unimpressed voters.

Whilst readers of this article will wish to condemn the Liberal Democrats, they have at least gained a reputation as worthy constituency representatives. It is equally important that nationalist members attain the same or a better reputation for competence, hard work and diligence.

When our MEP’s term of office has been completed, his record will be one of the best in the European Parliament. It has already received plaudits from fellow nationalists.

When the opportunity arises to win a seat at Westminster, the accusation that nationalist representatives are unworthy of support because they do not carry out their purpose, hopefully, will hold no water.

The suggestion that an elected representative works too hard at the task for which he has received a mandate is one that would be difficult to make up. Such imbecilic and uninformed opinion descends from those whose stamp, for the most part, has weakened the patriotic cause in the UK. [Emphasis mine].