13/09/2008 – Euro Election Roundtable in Sheffield

Getting the rest of the world to agree on global pacts to fight climate change, ensuring workers’ rights all over the European Union, and helping the countries in the developing world. These were the three reasons for voting in the next European elections due in June 2009 given by Yorkshire MEPs at a public roundtable in Sheffield on 15 September 2008 organised by the UK Office of the European Parliament.

Richard Corbett and Linda McAvan, Labour MEPs, and Timothy Kirkhope, one of the two Conservative MEPs from the region, took questions from the public in a lively debate moderated by BBC Yorkshire’s Political Editor, Len Tingle. The Liberal democrats and the UKIP, each of them with an elected MEP from the Yorkshire and Humber region were unable to attend but had supporters in the audience.

The European representatives were asked to comment on two recurrent criticisms about the EU: its alleged transformation into a superstate that would challenge national sovereignties and the presumed cost to the UK of EU membership.

Dr Corbett rejected the myth of the superstate claim, and pointed out that the European Commission was smaller in size than many municipal and local authorities’ bureaucracies. Responding to those who fear a loss of national sovereignty, Dr Corbett explained that all European legislation proposed by the Commission has to be approved and decided by the Council of Ministers (which comprises a minister from each state) and the European Parliament, whose members are directly elected by voters in each of the member states. Mr Kirkhope said he shared many of the criticisms regarding ‘red tape’ but dispelled the notion of a European superstate: “We don’t have a superstate, we are not likely to have that, and people in the member states would not like that.” Linda McAvan stressed her firm belief in local government and taking decisions close to the people. She argued for taking decisions on each issue at the right level: “I don’t think you could run a health service at a European scale, but for some rules you need such a European level, as it happens with the environment.”

The concerns about the costs to Britain of EU membership, voiced by one of the UKIP members in the audience, were rebutted as exaggerated by the MEPs. Dr Corbett said that any of the costs of being a contributor member (the UK gives more than it receives from the EU) were compensated by the access to the EU market, “the biggest trading block in the world.” Mr Kirkhope and Ms McAvan also highlighted the pro-European stance of most businesses. The Conservative MEP said almost every piece of new legislation is accompanied by an impact and cost-effectiveness analysis on its actual application. Ms McAvan stressed that businesses favoured supranational European laws that enforce common standards as being more effective and fairer than the pre-1993, pre Single Market situation of having to meet the very divergent requirements of individual national regulations.

The referendum on the EU Constitution

“Why have we been denied a referendum on the EU Constitution?” asked a member from the public. Dr Corbett said that, contrary to popular claims, the British Government had never suggested the idea of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. “There was an argument to have a referendum on the Constitution, not on a treaty”, he said. “Britain has never ratified an international treaty through a referendum”, he contended. Previous European Treaties like Amsterdam or Nice were approved in the national Parliament, as Lisbon recently was. Mr Kirkhope deemed Dr Corbett’s reasoning as “cynical”, because in his view the Lisbon Treaty contained broadly the same text as the Constitution. He declared himself in favour of the Lisbon treaty, but supported a referendum on it. Ms McAvan cautioned about the populist appeal of referendums. “If asked whether there should be a referendum on any issue, the majority will say yes”, said the Labour MEP. She did not favour a popular vote on the Treaty, and defended representative democracy: “We elect politicians to take decisions.” Britain has ratified Lisbon in line with parliamentary procedure. The chairman asked the audience what their position on a referendum was. A small minority favoured one; the majority opposed one and a few people abstained.

Jonathan Arnott, the young leader of the UKIP, asked MEPs about the alleged mismanagements of EU accounts. The European representatives rejected the accusations of fraud in the EU, put the issues in perspective and underlined that the locus of responsibility for this lay in the member states where there was, in some cases, mismanagement. The member governments deal with the implementation of the funds provided by the EU.

The debate ended with a call for participation in the next European elections. Dr Corbett said that, besides fighting against climate change and for workers’ rights, UK voters have an extra reason for going to the polls next June: preventing the entry of the British far right in the European Parliament. If the Yorkshire region elected a British National Party representative, it would be “a shame for the country”, lamented Dr Corbett. Linda McAvan backed her Labour colleague on this issue: Electing a BNP as a European representative would be “a disaster.” “Make sure Yorkshire is represented by mainstream parties”, she added.

The roundtable with Yorkshire MEPs was held at a conference room in Sheffield Cathedral and was part of a larger event, the European Festival, organised in Sheffield by the UK Office of the European Parliament. This special day, which included dance, theatre, and music performances of a wide range of cultural backgrounds, celebrated the 2008 European Year of InterCultural Dialogue and 50 years of the European Parliament.

For a set of photos please click bellow: