Election Notes

The European elections are on 4 June. I registered for a postal vote a couple of years ago and have never ‘un-registered’. So this week my ballot paper arrived.

There are 11 parties standing, with some wired ones standing alongside the usual suspects. A few years ago the ‘Greens’ were seen as the loony element of politics; but nowadays they are positively mainstream. Especially when compared to UKIP, No2EU, the Jury Team (seriously), the BNP and the Christian Party. The full list of parties and candidates is here.

It’s interesting to note that of the four MEPs representing the Wales constituency, three are standing down at this election. They are anonymous MEPs Jonathan Evans (Conservative), Eluned Morgan and Glenys Kinnock (both Labour). That leaves only the anonymous MEP Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru) standing for re-election, and I wouldn’t recognise her if she walked in right now.

So Wales can look forward to either a new start with fresh representation for Wales in Europe, or else having four anonymous MEPs riding the Euro gravy-train.