Let’s focus on the issues in the European elections

By Mike Smith

It’s likely that 70% of the electorate will not bother to cast their vote in the European election this week. This matters, both because a low turnout could allow the BNP to gain a platform to vent their racist, small-minded propaganda and also because it disconnects people from the institutions which govern their lives.

Europe is important for Britain and the British people. Whether it’s legislating against discrimination, improving workers’ rights, investing billions in deprived regions or driving down greenhouse gas emissions, MEPs’ work affects all of our lives on a daily basis. But the role of Europe, MEPs and the differences between the parties at a European level rarely get discussed – unless it’s with reference to UKIP wanting to pull the UK out of the EU. This is especially bad for Labour, as the Tory promise to move their party to the fringes of the European Parliament seriously weakens their ability to influence EU policy. It also doesn’t do justice to the hard work and real achievements of Labour’s MEPs.

The insistence of the media, and many senior opposition politicians to frame the election not as a contest on policies of Labour or Tory MEPs in Europe, but a poll on the performance of Westminster politicians, is at least partly to blame for the lack of voter enthusiasm for the European election. This is particularly prominent in the wake of the expenses scandal, with voters being actively encouraged to disengage from the issues at stake and use the election to protest against ‘politics as usual’.

The underlying assumption of this Westminster-centric focus is that the EU doesn’t matter. Given this, is it any wonder that most voters choose not to take part and many who do see it as a chance to criticise the major parties, without having any real impact on people’s lives? To be fair, many Labour MEPs, Euro candidates and MPs have been making this very case. Jack Straw hit the nail on the head this week when he criticised the Tories for encouraging voters to use the European election to call for a general election, rather than a real debate on the policies that divide the parties.

It is often said that politicians need to ‘connect’ with voters to win elections. Never has that been more pertinent than in next week’s election. The negotiations and legislation in the European Parliament matter to the everyday lives of British people. Dismal turnout figures not only distort the outcome of the election – allowing the BNP and other minority parties to represent Britain’s voters – but also damages the European Parliament’s legitimacy and ability to do its job. Democracy is a crude measure of the voters’ will at the best of times. When people choose not to vote, this link between the people and those who represent them is broken. Until politicians and the media are able and willing to debate what difference a vote for Labour or Conservative or Lib Dem at the European election will mean, enthusiasm for the EU and voter turnout will continue to wane.