Summary
THERE is an old saying in Washington DC that warns of bad politicians being sent to Congress by good people who don't bother to vote. With turnout at the European elections expected to be, as usual, woefully low, this may be a good time to remind those who have lost all faith in key aspects of Britain and Europe's democratic systems that while voters sometimes look as though they no longer decide the outcome of policy issues, they still decide who it is that takes these big decisions. Europe in particular is the epicentre of many of our laws, the location where key trade deals are made and broken, the forum where the direction of Europe as a powerful alliance is determined. A European constitution is round the corner, although the Irish, and perhaps the UK electorate if David Cameron delivers on his promise of a future referendum, may yet have a say in that. The point here is that Britain's and Europe's future are now inter-linked and yet our emotional and political attachment to Europe remains a hands-off, out-of-sight relationship where once every fi ve years we have the opportunity to send representatives to Brussels, representatives most of us can barely name even within the constituencies where we live.
With the absence of any high-profi le campaigning, the European vote can do little other than reflect national rather than European issues. This Thursday's vote will be a measurement of anger or support with an inward focus, looking inside the UK borders, not outside them. The timing of the parliamentary expenses scandal is convenient in that the government can blame electoral disenchantment not on their dismal record, but on public anger at elected representatives of all political parties who may have operated within the rules but whose judgement is now regarded as warranting investigation and possibly sackings.See the full content of this document
Extract
Expenses Row Must Not Influence Vital Voters
Again, conveniently for the leadership of the main parties, the big guns seem to be left alone, while backbench scapegoats are being...
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