Celebrating success

The Parliament Magazine’s MEP awards were well received by all of those who nominated candidates, the nominees and the winners. The internal email chatter and the number of deputies recommending support for their colleagues reflected a striking solidarity.

One or two award winners said specifically that the award was not for them but for all the MEPs on their committee. Some were simply surprised to win. The awards have been set up to mark the work done by MEPs, yet it has to be said that most of their work is under-recognised.

A recent group of 40 Scots visiting me in parliament asked me why they do not know about MEPs and what we do. Although they knew me personally, they did not know about how things worked. After they visited the hemicycle, they were so impressed by the debate on the global financial crisis that they did not want to leave.

One of them commented that they would like to come every week to hear debates in the European parliament. Now that we have an online parliament TV channel, perhaps they will be able to hear the debates more often. However, how many people know about the new channel, online at www.europarltv.europa.eu?

Information seems to be crucial but it is not information for information’s sake that is required. We must communicate in a way that connects with people. My visitors were encouraged that MEPs were trying to take action on fuel poverty.

With winter fast approaching and many pensioners on fixed incomes, struggling with rising fuel costs, they want to see their MEPs working on an issue that matters to them. They understand why working together at a European level makes perfect sense when faced with an international problem.

Now, I hope my 40 visitors will speak to their families and friends about their experiences and perhaps more people will know about the practical work of MEPs. But as they said, we need to do more to spread the word as we fast approach the European elections.

Against the background of the current global financial crisis, it is vital to show how MEPs are handling the subject and holding the commission and council to account for their actions.