UKIP MEPs have worst European Parliament attendance record

So who are the worst?

David Bannerman. Exposed by the Sunday Times after it emerged that he was illegally paying Peter Reeve out of his EU staffing allowances. Is currently the subject of several complaints to OLAF. Serial liar who claims to be related to a former prime minister. Became an MEP due to a rigged selection process. See: LINK

The odious Paul Nuttall. Mussolini lookalike and missing link. So lacking in personality that he feels the need to model himself on Farage. He even dresses like him!


More than happy to sit with various fascist groups in the EFD. Supporter of racist organisations such as the Lega Nord. See: LINK & LINK

Godfrey Bloom. Drunkard, supporter of terrorism, brothel user and serial idiot. Best known for insulting women and making a speech in the EU Parliament whilst drunk. See: LINK & LINK & LINK

UKIP’s spin machine has been quick to claim that the trio “spend more time helping constituents whose lives and livelihoods have been ruined by EU legislation”.

The odious Paul Nuttall went further:

I’ll hold my hands up, as my attendance record is flaky to say the least. But so what? I treat Brussels with the contempt it deserves: it has no real democratic mandate and MEPs only exist as a pretence to make the EU look democratic, when in fact we all know it is not.

End of quote.

So why even bother to seek election if you feel being an MEP is pointless? Just in it for the money?

And what about those UKIP MEPs who have a good attendance record? Do you think that they are wrong and therefore should be condemned for supporting a corrupt parliament?

And why was Nuttall so keen to remove Gregg Beaman as UKIP’s lead MEP candidate before the Euro elections?

And why accept an EU salary (£90,000) when you claim to hate everything that the EU stands for? Nikki Sinclaire was prepared to donate a large part of her salary to UKIP. Why haven’t you?

So would Nuttall, Bloom and Bannerman like to provide examples of just how they have been helping their constituents? Quick calls to a few UKIPPERS in the Eastern Region, the NW and Yorkshire sadly reveals a different story!

Many branches have not heard from their MEP for months. Where are the public meetings and surgeries? Even requests for help during the GE were ignored. For instance, Bannerman was asked by several branches for a donation to their campaign funds. He refused.

Weren’t UKIP’s MEPs supposed to fight EU legislation? How can they do that from the UK?

But perhaps they lack the intelligence to understand what they are supposed to do and so wisely stay away?

One Brussels journalist recently told us that the majority of UKIP’s MEPs are “not even fit to run a parish council”.

Nuff said!

From The Telegraph:

British MEPs have worst European Parliament attendance record

British MEPs have the worst attendance record in the European Parliament, according to a survey.

The 72-strong UK delegation attended an average 85 per cent of key voting sessions in the 12 months, 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.

The data, compiled by VoteWatch, an independent website, is based on average attendance at the 12 annual "plenary" sessions when MEPs vote on draft EU legislation.

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.

The survey shows that 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 the Ukip MEPs David Campbell Bannerman, Paul Nuttall and Godfrey Bloom, each averaging under 63 per cent.

Italian MEPs tripled their rate but still have the third worst attendance record.

Nigel Farage, the Ukip MEP said, "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 Conservative Party spokesman said: "The three main parties average out in the mid to high 80-plus percentage whilst Ukip only manage 78 per cent. If you just took the three main parties' attendance, the UK would be in the middle of the table."

Stephen Booth, of the Open Europe think tank, said: "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."


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/7881559/British-MEPs-have-worst-European-Parliament-attendance-record.html