By Martin Banks - 15th July 2010
British MEPs are hard working and diligent
Roger Helmer
A senior UK MEP has leapt to the defence of British members who are said to have the worst attendance record in parliament.
According to a survey compiled by VoteWatch, an independent website, the 72-strong UK delegation attended an average 85 per cent of key voting sessions in the 12 months since the European elections last year.
This, according to VoteWatch, is the lowest of the 27 national delegations and below France, whose MEPs had an 88 per cent attendance record, and Germany, who MEPs has a 91 per cent attendance.
After the UK, Italy and Romania have the worst attendance record.
Top of the attendance 'league table' is Austria with one of its MEPs, Paul Rubig, said to be the MEP with the best attendance record in parliament.
The data is based on average attendance at the 12 annual "plenary" sessions when MEPs vote on draft EU legislation.
However, Roger Helmer, a UK Tory MEP, defended the attendance record of his fellow Britons.
He argued that their attendance would have been "much better" but for the UK general election earlier this year.
VoteWatch says that British MEPs' attendance actually averaged 90 per cent in the six months to December 31 2009 but this fell to 81 per cent in the second half of the current legislature when many MEPs spent more time in their constituencies for the general Election.
VoteWatch say elections in other countries, including Hungary and Greece, saw a similar fall in attendance for their MEPs but, even so, the UK average was down on the previous five-year parliamentary term.
Helmer told this website, "Let us be clear on this. British MEPs are hard working and diligent. Many of them had to be back in the UK because they were either candidates in the election or were busy canvassing for those who were."
In fact, six British MEPs managed an average of 98 per cent, these were Conservatives Giles Chichester, Malcolm Harbour, James Nicholson and Charles Tannock plus Liberal Democrats Baroness Sarah Ludford and Bill Newton Dunn.
The three British MEPs with the worst attendance record are all members of the UK Independence Party.
UKIP MEP Nigel Farage responded by saying, "Any similarity to democracy in the European parliament is purely accidental. UKIP MEPs spend more time helping constituents whose lives and livelihoods have been ruined by EU legislation.
"While we are always present for crucial votes, Britain has normally already been sold down the river by the British government long before the parliament votes on what is a foregone conclusion."
A Tory source said, "The three main UK parties average out in the mid to high 80 per cent, whilst UKIP only manage 78 per cent attendance on average. It is worth making that point. If you just took the three main parties' attendance the UK would be in the middle of the table."
A spokesman for Open Europe, a London-based think tank, said, "MEPs would argue that they were campaigning for the election, which is understandable."
"But what is important is that they are there to vote and these figures show that UK MEPs missed the most number of voting sessions, which is clearly not good enough."
“British MEPs are paid an awful lot of money to defend the interests of UK voters in Europe but it’s pretty difficult to do that if they don’t turn up to vote."
"Helping to fight the general election campaign is all very well but MEPs’ first duty is to make sure that EU laws coming out of the European parliament are good for the UK.”
A VoteWatch source said, "The fact of the matter is that MEPs are elected to serve their constituents. It may be that the authorities should look at introducing rules stating MEPs should not be allowed to take part in election campaigns in their home countries.
"That way, whenever an election comes around they would be obliged to carry out their duties in Brussels and Strasbourg for which they are elected."
