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Parties divide over prospect of first Euro BNP member
11/12/2003
THE prospect of a
British National Party Euro MP in the North West appears to have
split the two main parties.
At a press briefing on next May's Euro elections one sitting Conservative MEP implied that a success by the extreme right racist candidate would be accepted by the European Parliament.
Asked what his attitude to a BNP Euro MP would be, Conservative Den Dover said: "If they do get elected, good luck to them, they will be accepted as part of the European Parliament."
This caused anger among Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs at the briefing.
North West Euo-MP leader Terry Wynn said:" We will not be on any platform with the BNP during the Euro elections. If they get elected representatives it does not mean that I have to work with them."
The BNP believe they can take a North West Euro seat because of the proportional representation voting system used in the Euro-elections.
This awards parties Euro Parliament seats in direct proportion to the strength of their total regional vote.
There are nine Euro MP seats in the North West so a party needs just over 11 per cent of the total votes cast will win a seat.
The BNP claim to have been averaging a 17 per cent vote in the various local elections it has contested in the region and believe they can net at least one seat in May.
Another result of the election could be the first Asian origin Euro MP. The Liberal Democrat have placed an Asian candidate second on their list of nine meaning that if the party wins just over 22 per cent of the total votes cast he will be elected.
At a press briefing on next May's Euro elections one sitting Conservative MEP implied that a success by the extreme right racist candidate would be accepted by the European Parliament.
Asked what his attitude to a BNP Euro MP would be, Conservative Den Dover said: "If they do get elected, good luck to them, they will be accepted as part of the European Parliament."
This caused anger among Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs at the briefing.
North West Euo-MP leader Terry Wynn said:" We will not be on any platform with the BNP during the Euro elections. If they get elected representatives it does not mean that I have to work with them."
The BNP believe they can take a North West Euro seat because of the proportional representation voting system used in the Euro-elections.
This awards parties Euro Parliament seats in direct proportion to the strength of their total regional vote.
There are nine Euro MP seats in the North West so a party needs just over 11 per cent of the total votes cast will win a seat.
The BNP claim to have been averaging a 17 per cent vote in the various local elections it has contested in the region and believe they can net at least one seat in May.
Another result of the election could be the first Asian origin Euro MP. The Liberal Democrat have placed an Asian candidate second on their list of nine meaning that if the party wins just over 22 per cent of the total votes cast he will be elected.
l A
Conservative councillor in Halifax had defected to the British
National Party. Councillor Geoffrey Wallace says he has changed
parties because of the Tories support for political correctness and
their failure to oppose interference in British affairs by European
Economic Union.
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