All MEPs can compete with the A-listers

ConservativeHome has learnt that all Tory MEPs have been given regional passports to parliamentary seats.  At least three MEPs - Martin Callanan, Chris Heaton-Harris and Syed Kamall - are on the full A-list and can apply for any seat but all sitting MEPs can apply for seats within the Euro-regions they represent.

Conservative Associations may be reluctant to appoint MEPs from outside of their regions as such MEPs will then have divided loyalties but MEPs from the same region could offer powerful advantages.  Already employed to represent the locality (and armed with handsome Brussels allowances) they could be effective champions of local concerns in the media as well as in the European Parliament.

The frontpage contains newslinks to profiles of A-listers Louise Bagshawe and Adam Rickitt plus Iain Dale's reflections on not being on the list.

Comments

[Ted]

Is this a change from last time? - I recall reading that previously all sitting MEPs were automatic selections to the list.

[Anon]

SO the female quota doesnt apply to MEPs?

[EU Serf]

Does that include Caroline Jackson?

[Ted]

Presumably she could apply - unless she's defected by next election - but question is whether there is any preference for sitting MEPs or they have to compete on equal terms and if successful where on list are they put (at top?).

[Annabel Herriott]

Would ANY constituency be SO daft as to select Caroline Jackson??????

[Ted]

Unfortunately Annabel as one of our MEPS for South West Mrs Jackson has taken primary responsibility for Wilts & Gloucestershire so she's my (and the Editor's) MEP.

I suppose after 22 years in EU Parliament its not surprising she has gone native, and as a 1984 entrant she reflects the politics of the pro-Europe Party of the 70's & early 80's. Hopefully if she makes the list she will not lead it as last time.

[Jonathan Sheppard]

One question which someone may be able to help me with. How will the A list work for Euro selections? You wont be able to say A listers in future can say occupy the top three positions in a region - and then other candidates can make up the numbers. Has anyone heard any plans as to what may happen when its time to choose candidates for the Euros??

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

Are we nearing the Euro selection process? One of my MEPs has suddenly started sending Councillors a barrage of press releases... I can't remember exactly when the Euro selections took place last time, but it must be a least a year away now...

[Jonathan Sheppard]

Dont know Iain - but it will be an interesting process

[William]

Would Roger Helmer be allowed to stand? Presumably.

[Patsy Sergeant]

Annabel thats an intriguing statement, can you elaborate just a bit?

[Andrew Woodman]

Would love to see Timothy Kirkhopes face if he did William. Sonehow, I can't see Roger wanting to embark on a British Parliamentry career now though.

[michael mcgough]

DC has said he is against the Human Rights legislation that has left us with the Afghan Terrorist Hijacker benefits and asylum tourists and assorted rapists,murderers,muggers,armed robbers etc.We cannot be members of EU unless signed up to such rubbish.Therefore we must leave the EU and all Tory MEPs are free to serve as MPs.Sounds a good idea to me.

[michael mcgough]

Roger Helmer for Westminster------sounds great,he'll be so much more effective there.

[Richard]

"We cannot be members of EU unless signed up to such rubbish."

The HRA is nothing to do with the EU.

[Donal Blaney]

The HRA effects formal incorporation of the ECHR into domestic law. The ECHR and its jurisprudence have formally also become part of EU law pursuant to recent ECJ decisions (and, I believe, under the proposed EU constitution).

[Tim Aker]

Anyone for Roger Helmer as the next MP in Rushcliffe?

[William]

The full list of the 7 naughty boys according to the pro-EPP (Caroline Jackson inspired) website is -

Callanan
Deva
Hannan
Heaton Harris
Helmer
Sumberg
Van Orden

Let's have the lot in the Commons.

Plus resign the Conservative whip in Brussels to boot, and form the new grouping with the Czechs etc.

Sorry. It's not Christmas yet.

Richard's 'the HRA is nothing to do etc' LOL

[Goldie]

well

[Andrew Woodman]

It looks as though we're going to get Callanan and Heaton Harris if the commons so that's a good start. Syed Kamall is sound as well. Let's hope their MEP replacements are good Euro Sceptics.

[Rob G]

Donal: The ECHR and its jurisprudence have formally also become part of EU law pursuant to recent ECJ decisions
Is that right? The ECJ (European Court of Justice) is the EU court which decides on issues like infringements of the EU fundamental freedoms. Decisions on the European Convention on Human Rights are made by the European Court of Human Rights, which is entirely separate from the EU and the ECJ.

[Terry Keen]

Ah, I think that the MP for Rushcliffe will be Ken Clarke for the next 11-12 years. Roger Helmer would need somewhere else!

[Yet Another Anon]

The UK should leave the EU and the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights, then the UK would regain the right to pass legislation to introduce Execution & Torture for convicts and a War on Crime could then be embarked upon amnd there would be more options open in the War on Terror.

Currently if UK troops were to capture Osama Bin Laden then there is no way legally that the UK could hand him over to the USA for trial and if he was tried in the UK then he would get a jail cell on conviction, so the only way to deal with him would be to kill him "attempting to escape", either that or accidentally misplace him in the hands of US Special Forces - all examples of failures of the Human Rights Act as naturally the only right option in such an event is trial and execution preferably in some manner that would dispose of his body without record of it's location

[Yet Another Anon]

>>>>Ah, I think that the MP for Rushcliffe will be Ken Clarke for the next 11-12 years.<<<<
Ken Clarke doesn't look that healthy these days - too many cigars and partying, he won't go on for ever.

[Andrew Woodman]

'Ken Clarke doesn't look that healthy these days - too many cigars and partying, he won't go on for ever.'

I think he'll go on for a few years yet. He doesn't look that bad.

[Yet Another Anon]

There isn't much left for him to do in the House of Commons though, the last leadership election really was his last shot and he's already had many of the Departments of State and he won't want to give up his major business interests for that now, surely if he was going to do something else now it would be something in the EU or maybe in a reformed 2nd chamber, I can't see him hanging around on the bankbenches year after year as Edward Heath did.

[Andrew Woodman]

I don't know. I still get the feeling he enjoys the commons. We'll see. Plenty of people would fancy that seat in this neck of the woods.

[Richard]

"Richard's 'the HRA is nothing to do etc' LOL"

Would you like to elaborate? Are you sure you're not confusing the ECtHR with the ECJ?

[Richard]

"Torture for convicts"

You are surely having a laugh? Since when did civilised countries partake in torture? It's been outlawed in this country for 100s of years. It's one of the important standards that makes us superior to other cultures.

[William]

Richard - if only working from the point that the EU is subject to the ruling of the ECtHR, as most of the EU member states are co-signatories.

Also if the ECtHR and the Convention did not exist, it is probable that there would be now be an equivalent body of law within the aegis of the ECJ.

Your statement was sweeping in its scope, and it had the implication that the EU is in no way responsible for the fact that we are unable to protect our citizens from released criminals.

We are not permitted to deport EU citizens under EU laws, whether they be murderers, rapists or anything else.

It is the confluence of the laws enforced by the ECtHR with those of the ECJ that locks up our system of protecting ourselves from criminals.

The real world does not obligingly observe the legal niceties of what comes from which box. The Home Office has given up even trying to do its job weighed down by the totality of all the regulations.

It was the last straw that broke the camels back, and believe you me, the camel's back is well and truly broken. The ECtHR is as much part of the build up as the HRA and the ECJ.

[Annabel Herriott]

Patsy, Check out William's post at 20.09. self explanatory.

[Yet Another Anon]

>>>>It's been outlawed in this country for 100s of years. It's one of the important standards that makes us superior to other cultures.<<<<
So what difference does that make, things change - punishment isn't intended to be enjoyed so what's the difference between merely a hard prison regime and a bit of prescribed torture as part of a sentence - one is an extension of the other, and in fact you are wrong and use of more direct forms of punishment went on in the 18th and 19th century and into the 20th century - punishments such as Keelhauling, whipping, hanging wasn't intended to be pleasant; and where it is practised in a lot of the rest of the world it is under civil codes and using methods introduced and continued to be practised throughout the time of the British Empire.

While I might not agree with many of Idi Amin's ideas he was notoriously efficent in dealing with the Mau Mau because they knew that if he threatened to cut off bits of them that he mean't it. There are people who could carry out such punishments in quite a professional and unemotional way except for feeling pride in their job, they were called executioners in this country.

Surely part of the problem is that where a particular person at one time or other doesn't see a direct reason for doing something that the EU has recently restricted, or for not doing something that the EU has decided that a nation state should do that when they then find that it is desirable that suddenly they find it is no longer permissable.

[Yet Another Anon]

What has changed that makes people civilised is not methods of punishments used, it is knowledge of how the world works, there are far more sophisticated methods of identifying at least with a fair degree of likliehood the probable guilt or innocence of someone without resorting to denouncements and dubious confessions as used to happen.

Convicts should be made to suffer proportionately to their crimes, I see this as being fair, many criminals are undaunted by prison and the saying relating to being hanged for stealing a sheep is the same as being hanged for stealing a lamb at least as a metaphor still very much applies.

[Yet Another Anon]

>>>>ConservativeHome has learnt that all Tory MEPs have been given regional passports to parliamentary seats.<<<<
That doesn't make a lot of sense really, they're representing the party all ready and Conservative Party policy is not yet to withdraw from the EU so their seats will still be there so why should they get any different treatment to any sitting MP's?

[Yet Another Anon]

>>>>Let's have the lot in the Commons.

Plus resign the Conservative whip in Brussels to boot, and form the new grouping with the Czechs etc. <<<<
Surely it would be better to leave them in the European Parliament because the MEP's actually have no say over whether the UK withdraws from the EU or not, if the UK withdraws from the EU it will be parliament and the Prime Minister deciding so - in fact the Prime Minister could withdraw the UK from the EU using the Royal Perogative, the MEP's just say Yea or Nay to whatever the Commission puts in front of them and otherwise their only power is the ability to sack the Commission.

[William]

I know what you're getting at, Yet Another Anon - I think!

In a way I agree with you - that the good MEP's (there must be more than the Magnificent 7 - but the 7 are helpfully named by the pro-EPP faction as anti-EPP on their website) should stay in the EuroParliament, as they can get on with the job of forming an alliance with other parties across the EU and breaking away from the EPP.

Against that idea is that the breakaway might happen soon, and then they would be a more powerful voice in British politics at Westminster, where they could speak on Europe with great knowledge.

The silence on EU matters is not just there because Cameron, like Howard told MP's to talk about it as little as possible. It is also there because the subject is so bureaucratic and confusing to MP's and the media. Introduce Hannan and Heatin Harris to Westminster, and the silence would not last for long, and understanding would grow.

Also the MEP's that leave the Euro Parliament would be replaced with others - who hopefully would be similarly minded. Bringing MEP's to Westminster is a way to increase the communication and understanding about EU matters where the decision to leave will one day be taken.

[michael mcgough]

I note there are now 10 sitting Tory MPs who have signed up to the 'Better Off Out' campaign www.betteroffout.co.uk with the inclusion of Dick Shepherd.If some of the MEPs return home as MPs the future looks brighter.

[Patsy Sergeant]

Thankj you Annabel, William posted just after me!

[Ted]

Had my first bit of constituency literature since rejoining the party early last year - included an invite to Meet Caroline Jackson session (£13.50)later this month.....