Green Party deputy leader MOTHIN ALI, who will speak at the International Anti-War Conference in London on June 20, says Britain needs to rethink its priorities – and its allies
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The European Parliament: An expensive fig leaf misnamed ‘democracy’
by John Boyd
From Global Counsel to Arden, SOLOMON HUGHES finds firms linked to discredited politicians are still calling the shots in Britain
KEVIN COURTNEY explains why Reform UK is no friend to workers or trade unions, but just another party of the super-rich
EMMA DENT COAD explains why she is stepping down from the council after 20 years and how the legacy of the fire still haunts the area
While international attention focuses on ceasefire frameworks, Israel is openly advancing plans for a permanent expansion of its control over Gaza, writes RAMZY BAROUD
Researchers PAUL HOLDEN and JESSICA MURRAY are calling for whistleblowers and documentary records to uncover how Labour Together helped build the parliamentary majority that now dominates the Labour Party
The European Parliament first appeared in 1952 as an ad hoc assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). In 1970 this assembly gained powers to oversee the budget and after 1975 was able to reject the whole budget but not write one.
From 1979 the assembly was directly elected. Following the 1986 Single European Act, the assembly was renamed a parliament but given no powers. Proportional representation was introduced in 2004.
Currently there are 751 MEPs who sit in eight pan-EU political groups and 14 sit as “independents.” This EU institution votes by simple majority. Britain has 73 MEPs. Groups over a particular size receive substantial finances amounting to millions for activity and have privileges including meeting rooms. Each MEP costs £1.6 million, which goes towards their own salary, support staff in European Parliament buildings and offices in their own country. The largest group is the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) with 217 seats. The 21 Tory MEPs belong to the European Conservatives and Reformists Group of 74 MEPs. Twenty Labour MEPs are part of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats with 190 seats. The 22 Ukip MEPs are part of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group, which has 45 seats. The European United Left-Nordic Green Left has 52 seats.Those on the “left” can nearly gain a majority on some issues.
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