Northern Ireland's three MEPS, recently elected, are all irrelevant in the European Parliament.
One (Bairbre de Brún) is a member of the leftist Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left (GUE/ NGL), which with 35 members (4.8% of the total) is only the sixth largest group in the Parliament.
Another (Jim Nicholson) is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), a breakaway from the European People's Party. The ECR, with 55 seats (7.5% of the total) is the fourth-equal largest group. But the EPP, that Nicholson used to be in before he followed David Cameron out into the wilderness, is the largest group by far, has just seen one of its number elected President of the European Parliament, and will dominate proceedings for 5 years. Nicholson, meanwhile, will achieve nothing.
The last Northern Irish MEP (Dianne Dodds) is not a member of any group, and falls into the rag-tag 'non-attached' category, giving her neither power nor position. She'll enjoy the salary and Brussels' fine restaurants, but she is a political nothing.
Luckily no-one in Northern Ireland appreciates how important the European Parliament is in their lives, and how its influence is growing. Otherwise the voters might be a bit unhappy about having elected three completely irrelevant members.
One (Bairbre de Brún) is a member of the leftist Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left (GUE/ NGL), which with 35 members (4.8% of the total) is only the sixth largest group in the Parliament.
Another (Jim Nicholson) is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), a breakaway from the European People's Party. The ECR, with 55 seats (7.5% of the total) is the fourth-equal largest group. But the EPP, that Nicholson used to be in before he followed David Cameron out into the wilderness, is the largest group by far, has just seen one of its number elected President of the European Parliament, and will dominate proceedings for 5 years. Nicholson, meanwhile, will achieve nothing.
The last Northern Irish MEP (Dianne Dodds) is not a member of any group, and falls into the rag-tag 'non-attached' category, giving her neither power nor position. She'll enjoy the salary and Brussels' fine restaurants, but she is a political nothing.
Luckily no-one in Northern Ireland appreciates how important the European Parliament is in their lives, and how its influence is growing. Otherwise the voters might be a bit unhappy about having elected three completely irrelevant members.
2 comments:
DUP have always been in splendid isolation no change there.Bairbre's Group doesnt actually have a Whip and doesnt actually function as a Group.
Nicholson's Group holds the balance of power along with ALDE. The EPP need its support.
The Group including Jim will have representation on all main Committees and speaking rights ahead of others. Many would argue that Conservative viewpoint was not properly heard in EPP
I see that UCUNF are in the same group as a Mr Kaminski a Polish Politican with a history of Anti-Semitic statements!
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