FIRST PAST THE POST AND FUTURE ELECTIONS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Early day motion 1490A4, tabled 26 June 2002 by Richard Burden (Labour). Signed by 35 members.

leave out from 'UK' to end and add 'notes that honourable Members who support proportional voting systems, along with organisations such as the Electoral Reform Society, Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform and Make Votes Count, all cautioned against the introduction of the closed list system which was used in the last European Parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom, and during the passage of the European Parliamentary Elections Act, secured from Ministers a commitment to review the system after that round of European elections; requests the Government to report progress on such a review; believes that to promote democracy, any new system adopted for European Parliamentary elections should both allow voter choice between candidates as well as between parties, and provide for the number of seats won broadly to reflect the proportion of votes cast for each party; registers its concern at the increasing disconnection between citizens and the political process both in the United Kingdom and in other parts of Europe, revealed in both low turnouts and the rise of the far right; and urges the Government to look at creative ways of empowering voters and promoting citizenship to address these threats to democracy.'.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 20, Labour 12, Labour/Co-operative 3.