Duff challenges UKIP over European Parliament (Andrew Duff MEP)

Andrew Duff MEP <info@andrewduffmep.org.uk>

Duff challenges UKIP over European Parliament

July 20, 2004 5:30 PM

Andrew Duff Euro-MP has launched a head-on attack against UK Independence Party criticism of the European Parliament, claiming instead that it is in fact more effective, more efficient and more democratic than the House of Commons.

In a pamphlet published today, and which will be submitted as evidence to the House of Commons modernisation committee, Duff claims that the European Parliament is genuinely independent and allows MEPs to behave as 'grown up' politicians who can secure major amendments in new laws rather than acting as lobby fodder for party whips.

Those who criticise the Parliament blindly either have no understanding of the Westminster reality or have put prejudice before objectivity, Duff says.

"We need to give the Parliament some teeth in those fields where it is still a talking shop, and sort out the issue of MEPs' expenses once and for all.

"But in the face of UKIP criticism it needs to be said more often that the European Parliament is doing a remarkably good job. It works in an extraordinary multinational environment, representing 450m people from 25 nations and with 20 official languages, and it is growing in authority and influence.

"The House of Commons by comparison has the relatively simple task of representing the people of one nation, speaking just one language, yet does it astonishingly badly. Its fundamental problem is that it always dances to the government's tune. There is no separation of powers between the executive and legislative bodies in the British system."

Duff points to the scrutiny of newly nominated European Commissioners, who before their appointment is confirmed by MEPs may have to answer up to fifty written pages of questions about their subject and face a 3-hour public grilling. Duff asks why Britain's legislators fail to subject new government ministers to any examination at all.

Despite alleged lax rules over expense payments, Andrew Duff claims that in many instances the rules are tighter for MEPs than at Westminster. In a sideswipe at the UK Independence Party, he says that if their members fail to turn up to vote in Strasbourg they will lose both their daily allowances and half their secretarial budgets.