Ten reasons why the European Parliament elections are the most pointless in British history
Senseless MEP poll will cost the Government £100million, which is enough to train 1,552 NHS nurses
THERESA MAY’S failure to deliver the referendum result will mean that in six weeks, Britain will have to elect MEPs to sit in the European Parliament in Brussels.
But why should we? Here are ten reasons why these are the most pointless elections in British history:
1. We already voted to quit: Almost exactly three years ago, we Brits voted to leave the EU by a million-strong majority.
More people voted to get us out of the EU than have ever voted for anything in this country.
But now we are going to be asked to vote again for an institution at the heart of Brussels — despite making it clear we do not want to be there.
What part of leave don’t the politicians understand?
2. National humiliation: We voted to make our own laws, but for as long as we send MEPs to the EU Parliament, we will have to accept the decisions made there.
What self-respecting country would vote to decide its own destiny but then meekly accept that it had to take instruction from an institution in which its own representatives were outnumbered ten to one?
3. The Establishment are delighted: Ever since Britain voted to leave the EU, senior civil servants, Brussels lobbyists and former Prime Ministers such as Tony Blair have pushed to try to stop Brexit.
They will be thrilled these elections are taking place.
Why? A new set of elections to the European Parliament allows them to claim that things have moved on since the referendum result. Anything to avoid actually having to do what we voted for.
4. What are we voting for?: Thanks to ridiculous European election rules, you cannot vote for individual candidates. You have to vote for a party. But what do the parties stand for in this election?
Most of us just want Brexit sorted in a way that most of us can live with
Douglas Carswell
Some Conservative MEPs have been campaigning heroically to make sure the referendum result is delivered.
But most sitting MEPs seem more interested in keeping their jobs — and the lavish perks that go with it.
How do you vote for one, but not the other? You can’t.
Labour is sitting on the fence. Those parties such as the Lib Dems or their new rivals Change UK are clear that they want to ignore the referendum result.
But how can they persuade people to vote for them with a campaign based on ignoring how people vote?
Only the Brexit Party seems to have a clear, concise message to the voters — vote for us if you want to leave the EU — which is why they seem to be soaring in the polls.
But that hardly helps bring the country together.
5. Bring out the worst in us: Like most Brits, I have friends and family who voted on either side in the referendum.
Most of us just want Brexit sorted in a way that most of us can live with. Yet now, these elections provide a platform for publicity-seeking egotists on either side. Speaking of which . . .
6. . . . Think of Guy Verhofstadt: Sorry to bring up such an unpleasant subject, but imagine what these elections would mean for this shouty Belgian politician, who seems to loath our country.
Theresa May’s Brexit fiasco has made one thing clear — most ministers simply aren’t up to the job
Douglas Carswell
Mr Verhofstadt dominates the European Parliament, and sending over several dozen MEPs to serve as his minions will inflate his already continent-sized ego.
7. The cost: The official cost to the taxpayer of the last set of elections to the European Parliament was £108,689,344.
That eye-watering sum included £65million for returning officers’ expenses and more than £41million to pay for the cost of the candidates sending you their propaganda through the post.
Not holding elections to the European Parliament would mean enough cash to train an extra 1,552 nurses or 230 doctors.
8. It won’t improve Britain: Theresa May’s Brexit fiasco has made one thing clear — most ministers simply aren’t up to the job.
We need to be throwing career politicians out of office, not voting to give some of them a whole new lease of life.
9. The European Parliament doesn’t work: Europe’s economy has stalled. Almost every other part of the planet is now growing faster.
Rather than deal with this, the European Parliament makes it worse, with more red tape.
While America and China spawn successful tech giants such as Netflix, Amazon and Alibaba, the EU Parliament has just passed more regulations that will drive ideas and entrepreneurs elsewhere.
Despite all that, there is one reason why I’ll still be voting on May 23.
10. Let’s get Mrs May out: Theresa May is easily the most useless Prime Minister in living memory — she makes Blair look trustworthy and Gordon Brown competent.
Despite her bungling, ministers in her own Cabinet sit on their hands, hoping no doubt to inherit the top job if they stay silent.
The only avenue left is for the rest of us to treat the Euro elections in May as a referendum on May.
If she does catastrophically badly, it will force the Tories to replace her with a new leader who believes in Brexit and is prepared to deliver it.
So we should help them to get her out and move the country forward. Let’s do it!
- Douglas Carswell’s new book, Progress And Parasites, which explains why our political system is failing, is published in June.
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