ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

North West MEP candidates

What would you bring to the role of MEP?

Fiona Bruce: I would work hard to connect with voters in the North West so that they know me by name as their MEP candidate, and if elected, as their MEP. I would fight for a reduction in EU regulations which burden British business, better value and accountability for taxpayers’ money spent by the EU, a fairer share of EU funds for North West areas and a better deal for our rural communities.  I have evidenced from the way in which I have worked over the past twenty five years that I am committed to making a positive difference in people’s lives.

Alexander Williams: As an MEP, I would seek a far better deal for the taxpayers of the North-West - it’s a disgrace that only £4 out of every £10 that we give to the EU is spent in the UK. Too much of our taxpayers money is wasted and too many of our law making powers have been signed away – I will fight to get them back

Peter Wilding: I was born and brought up in the area, I have 25 years campaigning experience, stood for Parliament, specialised in European law as a solicitor and am now head of the party's media operation in Brussels.

Welsh MEP candidates

What would you bring to the role of MEP?  

Emma Greenow: Should I be elected as the Member of the European Parliament for Wales I will demand that Europe works for Wales. I will bring direct European experience in representing Wales in Europe, but I also an understanding from my current role of the burden felt by business from EU overregulation. I have determination for change and dedication to the party.

Evan Price: Using my expertise and learning from and listening to others with knowledge and expertise, I will bring fresh eyes and a practical approach to laws and regulations, concentrating on simplification and an open and accountable Parliament.  If elected, I will be a Welsh Conservative member of the Parliament.  You can read more about me at my website.

Kay Swinburne: I have extensive international business, finance & healthcare experience and will be a strong ambassador for Wales. I'm a Conservative Councillor serving as Chair Health Scrutiny for an area with high Welsh users, Town Mayor, former Deputy Chair NHCA, experienced political campaigner & community activist. I have advised governments and multinationals in negotiations and transactions in many Western, Central & Eastern European countries.

Karen Robson: I believe Wales needs a strong voice in Brussels and Brussels needs a good dose of common sense from Wales!  I’ve been a voice in Wales for disadvantaged people for many years and want to use my varied transferable skills and experience on behalf of Wales, as I did in the Assembly Elections.  For Welsh Conservatives, Europe means business—not red tape! I will bring a fresh perspective to the role and passionately defend our national interests. I have a proven track record of achieving meaningful change and see my move into the political arena as an extension of my previous work for communities in Wales.

London MEP candidates

What would you bring to the role of MEP?

Warwick Lightfoot: I am a Eurosceptic City economist. As a former Special Adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Employment I understand the economic and social challenges we face. I will work to protect London’s jobs and financial services from ill-conceived European regulation that would damage London.

Bob Seely: I want the EU to be a trading union of nations. Above that our MEPs should campaign to return power to the UK Parliament; we need to strengthen democracy, freedom and accountability, not weaken them. As your MEP I will lead an honest audit on the value of the EU to Britain, so that we, the people, can judge what level of EU membership is our best interests. I never support the Euro.

Alison Sproule: I will bring a fresh, effective approach to Europe.  Using my negotiating and communication skills which have been so potent in my strategy role at Macmillan Cancer Support, I will establish efficiencies through creating a clear understanding of issues and use this to negotiate the best possible outcome for Londoners.

Jean-Paul Floru: We have let the European superstate grow for far too long and must reverse the process.  I will insist on a clear election programme which demands drastic reform of the EU within strict time limits. I will never agree to a transfer of powers or to a tax increase. I will fight for the low regulation regime through which London flourishes. I will not go native: I did not move to Britain 14 years ago in order to see it become what I fled from.

Marina Yannakoudakis: I bring negotiating skills gained as the financial director of a company working with the Europeans. Additionally a business understanding of the challenges faced by London businesses from countless EU directives. I bring a strong solid political background as a London Borough councillor. A Euro sceptic approach to defend our sovereignty.

Graham Postles: I am an experienced political campaigner and a senior manager with an insight into the challenges of creating a free trade EU gained setting up a multi-member European network. I will fight to reduce EU interference, to repatriate powers to the UK and to further the economic interests of Londoners. I believe the EU needs to stop looking at structure, form and ever more intervention and instead follow a new, outward looking agenda, focusing on the challenges where multinational cooperation make sense - globalisation, the environment and tackling global poverty.

Eastern Area MEP candidates

What would you bring to the role of MEP?

John Flack: I am a successful businessman as well as having stood for the Euro Parliament twice before. I will speak up for the Eastern Counties with common sense based on traditional Conservative principles. I seek to work with fellow Conservatives to halt and then reverse progress to a single European super-state. If elected I will be a full time MEP promoting the interests of the Eastern Counties. I will be on your side not Brussels'. (Photo is John at yesterday's IWAR lobby explaining to an OAP why we need a referendum).

Jonathan Morgan: I'm a businessman, leading one of the Region's largest professional firms, managing about £2bn of contracts - as such I'm able to bring an astute understanding of what Brussels' bureaucracy means to real businesses in the Eastern Region, and the effect it has on job and wealth creation.

Vicky Ford: I will bring exceptional energy to the role. I offer experience of international finance and business at the highest level as well as local political experience. I am committed to combating fraud, putting the East of England and Britain first, getting a fair deal for our money – I won’t forget small businesses, mums at the school gate or our farmers.  Please visit my website for more information.

Clare Whelan: I have a great deal of political and practical experience as a leading councillor, former magistrate, and director of a political pressure group.  I am used to working at local, national and European level and with multi-million pound budgets. However big the figures though I always think about how proposals impact real people.   My particular area of interest is the environment.  I am a fan of smaller government and will push for less bureaucracy and red tape and stand up for the interests of the Eastern area.

Claire Strong: Experience - from my successful business career in the IT industry combined with 13 years in local government. I am a hard working campaigner and team player with plenty of energy and used to speaking up for the community I currently serve. As an MEP I would do the same. I will campaign for a EU that is reformed to do less and be more accountable.

South East MEP candidates

What would you bring to the role of MEP?

Richard Robinson: For 20 years I have run businesses in Europe: paper in Barcelona, property and language schools in Madrid, computers in Toulouse. I speak French and Spanish. I have the knowledge and skills to get the best deals for individuals, companies and councils in the South East Region.

Niina Kaariniemi: I will use my communication skills to improve two- way information exchange. I will fight to hold each EU Commissioner personally accountable for their budget. I believe in local accountability and devolution of power from EU and I will stand up for Britain’s fair share and rights in EU

Therese Coffey: We need to gain seats and I am a campaigner. As finance director of a medium-sized business, I plan to bring some reality to Parliament and financial scrutiny of the Commission and Overseas Aid budgets. Above all - I love my country. I want to get powers back from Brussels. I will battle for Britain.

Mark Brunel-Walker: I will represent your views at the European level, ensuring European Policies remain accountable to our population and its needs. I will promote a better understanding of the relevance of the EU and its policies, working with schools, the health sector, communities and businesses. I will bring hard work, humility, pride, trust and respect to the role of MEP - characteristics that I feel define us as a Nation.

Tony Devenish: As an active Conservative for 25 years' who has lived/worked in no fewer than four of the seven South East counties , I am a proven campaigner who will use the the role of an MEP as a spring board to repatriate powers from Brussels and defeat Gordon Brown.

Sarah Richardson: Twenty years’ commitment to the Conservative Party as a campaigner, a professional, a volunteer, an activist and a fundraiser. I also have the experience of being an MEP candidate in 2004 and expertise as a journalist and councillor giving a strong voice to those that struggle to be heard.

Questions to MEP candidates

This week we have been in contact with all those candidates shortlisted for ranking by members for each region in the EU elections. We've asked them two questions about why they are standing, and five specific ones on EU issues. Several sitting MEPs have also answered the policy questions.

We'll be posting their answers on here throughout the day, starting with the regional ones. A number of candidates and MEPs were not able to answer in time so we will be updating the posts as and when they come in.

Due to the extremely strict purdah rules it can be difficult for anyone but the most dedicated and mobile members in a region to know much about the candidates they are ranking as they are not allowed to solicit support or attend hustings. Less than half have websites, and tracking down email addresses for them all wasn't easy.

We hope these Q&As will provide a level playing field and help members make more informed votes.

We would like to emphasise that comments, which some candidates may be willing to answer, should be of a constructive nature. It's only fair. As with all comments on Seats & Candidates we will moderate any that breach our guidelines - if you think we've missed one please email us.

1pm update: Policy answers will be posted tomorrow at the request of several candidates.

MEP selection - rolling update

Our understanding is that all sitting MEPs seeking re-election have been now put back at the top of every regional list.

This page will contain rolling updates on the candidates chosen to appear below the sitting MEPs on regional lists..  Each regional list will now go to a ballot of all party members and they will decide which ranking each candidate is given on each list.

SOUTH EAST ENGLAND

Therese Coffey
Tony Devenish
Mimi Harker (Withdraws to focus on Croydon Central)
Niina Kaariniemi
Sarah Richardson
Richard Robinson
Marc Brunel-Walker

EASTERN AREA

John Flack
Vicky Ford
Jonathan Morgan
Claire Strong
Clare Whelan

WEST MIDLANDS

Mike Burnett
Dan Dalton
Eveleigh Moore-Dutton
Anthea McIntyre
Mark Spelman

SOUTH WEST

Don Collier
Mike Dolley
Julie Girling
Zehra Zaidi
Emma McClarkin Withdrew for East Midlands 
Ashley Fox

LONDON

John-Paul Floru
Warwick Lightfoot
Graham Postles
Bob Seely
Alison Sproule
Marina Yannakoudakis

WALES

Emma Greenow
Evan Price
Karen Robson
Kay Swinburne

NORTH WEST

Simon Baker
Fiona Bruce
Jacqui Foster
James Walsh
Peter Wilding
Alex Williams

EAST MIDLANDS

Fiona Bulmer
George Lee
Rupert Matthews
Emma McClarkin

NORTH EAST

Sebastian A Leslie
Richard Bell
Barbara Musgrave
Gary Richardson
Emma Taylor-Smith

SCOTLAND

Gerald  Michaluk
P J  Lewis
Belinda Don
Donald  MacDonald
Helen Gardiner

Please email us if you know the names of people on other lists.

A good question to ask your MEP candidates...

The following question was asked at Saturday's SE England reselection meeting for MEPs:

“David Cameron has pledged to take Conservative MEPs out of the European People’s Party. If there were not enough parties to constitute a new Group, would you none the less honour that pledge and sit as an independent?”

All four answered "yes".

It's good to get things like that on the record.

PS Roger Helmer was also toplisted at the weekend for the East Midlands region.  We are still heading for that clean sweep of incumbent MPs being awarded the top slots at the next European Elections...

All South Eastern Region MEPs are toplisted

The South East region's four Tory MEPs - Richard Ashworth, Nirj Deva, James Elles and Dan Hannan - have all been put back at the top of the list for the next European Elections by a Regional Selection Committee.

All MEPs seeking re-election have been toplisted so far.

Will all sitting MEPs be toplisted?

Yesterday we noted MEP selections in N W England.

We are also aware that Geoffrey van Orden and Robert Sturdy were toplisted in the Eastern region (Christopher Beazley is standing down) and Syed Kamall and Charles Tannock were toplisted in London (John Bowis is retiring).

Please email us when you hear of any other selections.  We are expecting all sitting MEPs to be rubber-stamped toplisted by the Regional Selection Committees.

Saj Karim MEP adopted by Conservative selectorate for 2009 European Elections

Yesterday Den Dover, Robert Atkins and Sajjad Karim all received more than 50% of the votes from a meeting of select members of North West Tories.  ConservativeHome learnt that "there was some hostility" to Mr Karim at the meeting but he received the necessary votes to enjoy one of the top three places on the regional list.  Because of changes made by the Party Board last year ordinary members can no longer place new and potentially more Eurosceptic candidates above sitting MEPs if those sitting MEPs have already been 'toplisted' by the kind of Regional Selection Committee that convened yesterday.

Mr Karim's 'toplisting' will be controversial.  He only defected from the LibDems at the end of November after scoring badly in the LibDems' only selection vote.  66% of Tory members told ConservativeHome that they opposed special treatment for defectors.  If the selection had been left to rank-and-file members they may well have preferred a longstanding Conservative activist to represent them.  They may have also been unhappy to see Sir Robert Atkins, an opponent of David Cameron's EPP policy, from being ranked in the top three.  We will now never know.

Since Mr Karim defected to the Conservatives he has been active in supporting North West Tory candidates and was instrumental in securing last week's defection of a LibDem Manchester councillor.

The 'EPP declaration' that MEP candidates must sign

Further to last week's posting on MEP selection procedures, this is the declaration that MEP wannabes will have to sign:

"I ……………………….. hereby agree that if I am elected, I will respect the agreement made by David Cameron and Mirek Topolanek in July 2006,  “that at the commencement of the next legislature period of the European Parliament, following the elections in 2009 our delegations will establish a new parliamentary group, which other like-minded parties will be invited to join”,  and that I will become a member of whichever political Group in the European Parliament is decided upon by the Party Leader, in consultation with the Leader of the Conservative MEPs, after the 2009 European elections."

One MEP told me that they thought the declaration needed to be tighter.  They worried that "new parliamentary group" could refer to a reformed EPP and only slightly reformed at that.

Download a PDF of the full advert for European selection.

MEP selection timetable - no automatic top slot for women?

The exact process for selecting MEP candidates has been announced today:

• Seat advertisements will be sent out on Monday once sitting MEPs advise CCHQ of their intentions, with the deadline for returning CVs on Friday 4th January
• People can apply for two different regions, but only go through to the postal ballot of one of them.
• The bizarre rule that campaigning or soliciting of votes is prohibited, is reiterated.
• The first meeting of the Regional Selection Colleges will approve the reselection of sitting MEPs by a secret ballot, and decide on how many other applicants to see.
• Three women have to be seen for interviews, and in total no less than the twice the number of people than vacant slots.
• The second meeting will choose which new applicants and MEPs who weren't automatically approved should be ranked by the postal ballot, the two highest ranked women definitely will.
• Earlier this year it was said that "the highest ranked woman, after incumbent candidates, will take the next most winnable position", but while that does apply to the slots of retiring MEPs there is no mention of this here. If this means that women are going to be helped into getting to the members' ballot but aren't going to get compulsory top slots than that is very welcome and avoids a lot of resentment.

4.30pm update: John Strafford isn't impressed:

"This is control freakery gone mad. It must be the most undemocratic election ever held by the Conservative Party. Party members are being treated with the utmost contempt. Is it any wonder that membership continues to plummet? Soon there will not be any members left, and the control freaks will no longer have to go through the charade of democracy within the Conservative Party."

Another incumbent-favouring factor in MEP selection

I understand that re-standing MEPs and candidates for the list will again be banned from attending party or constituency events in their respective regions during the crucial few months of the reselection - from January 4th 2008 to the close of postal ballots on March 25th.

There hardly seems to be much point in members having a say in the ranking of candidates if there are restrictions on meeting said candidates. Other than favouring incumbent MEPs who naturally have a high profile, what are the benefits of this so-called purdah? It's rather out of step with the healthy, democratic spirit of open primaries being used for London and many parliamentary selections.

Deputy Editor

Tory MEP David Sumberg (North West) has announced he will stand down

In case you missed it... MEP selection is a bit of a controversial issue.

David Sumberg's website is here.

The European List opens but will it be worth joining?

This has just been emailed from CCHQ: "We will shortly be commencing the process for the European selections and it was agreed recently by the Committee on Candidates that a separate European List be established.  If you would like to be included in the European List, please email XX by the end of the month. It would be helpful if you could indicate in your email to XX your two preferred Party Regions.  We will write to you again by the end of May."

Related ToryDiary link on plans to disenfranchise members in the selection of Tory MEPs.