East region Euro candidates revealed

By Graham Dines

By Graham Dines

Political Editor

NINE political parties and two Independent candidates will be fighting to win the seven seats up for grabs in the East of England at next month's elections to the European Parliament.

The number of Euro MPs to which the region is entitled has been cut from eight to seven following the enlargement of the European Union. When the seats were last contested in 1999, the Conservative won four, Labour two, and the Liberal Democrats and UK Independence Party one each.

The election is being contested once again on the controversial closed list system of proportional representation. Voters select a party, and the seats are allocated according to the percentage share of the vote. The candidates that the parties want elected are those placed highest on the list.

Voters who choose to back one of the two Independent candidates are in effect wasting six votes because should their man be returned, his quota cannot be redistributed.

The party finishing in first place – which will be the Conservatives in a region which covers Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire – is disproportionately favoured under the system. The more votes won by the unsuccessful parties, the fewer are needed for the top party to take an extra seat.

To win, a candidate is likely to have to poll in excess of 100,000 votes. It has been calculated that if the turnout is the same as 1999 – a derisory 25% – those 100,000 will equate to 11.2% of the total vote.

The voting system was devised by a Belgian mathematician and adopted by the Government as the fairest was to choose a Euro MP across nations and regions of the UK.

Polling day is June 10 and the votes will be counted on June13 to coincide with the other 24 nations of the EU.

The full list (in alphabetical order)

British National Party

1. Matthew Charles Single, Chelmsford, Essex,

2. Paul Jonathan Goodchild, Yoxford, Suffolk,

3. Patricia Hazel Richardson, Loughton, Essex

4. Ramon Paul Johns, Cheshunt, Herts,

5. Bernard Alfred John Corby, Chelmsford, Essex,

6. Sidney Albert Chaney, Laindon, Essex

7. Peter James Turpin, Loughton, Essex

Conservative Party

1. *Geoffrey Charles Van Orden, Bildeston, Suffolk,

2. *Robert William Sturdy, Little Thurlow, Haverhill, Suffolk,

3. *Christopher John Pridham Beazley Walkern, Walkern, Herts

4. Jonathan Morgan, London

5. Claire Patricia Annette Strong Ashroy, Holwell, Herts

6. Richard Normington, Wistow, Cambs

English Democrats Party

1. Robert Jervis Kay, Pettistree, Suffolk,

2. James Brian Samuels, March, Cambs,

3. Adrian Ralph Key, Southend-on-Sea, Essex,

4. Gloria Meredew, Saffron Walden, Essex,

5. Michael Thomas Martin Blundell, Westbury on Trym, Bristol

Green Party

1. Margaret Elizabeth Wright, Cambridge

2. Adrian Philip Ramsay, Norwich

3. James Edward Abbott, Witham, Essex

4. Marc Scheimann, Luton

5. Ingo Wagenknecht, Rockland St. Mary, Norwich

6. Stephen Lawrence Rackett, Watford

7. Stephen Roger Lawrence, Cambridge

Independent

Martin Bell, London,

Independent

John James Naisbitt, commonly known as Jim, St Albans, Herts

Labour

1. *Richard Stuart Howitt, Cambridge

2. Beth Kelly

3 Clive John Needle, Wymondham

4. Sandra Rose Griffiths, Caister-on-Sea, Yarmouth

5. Nigel Robert Gardner, St Albans

6. Valerie Doreen Liddiard, Grays, Essex

7. Mark Adrian Wells 1, Bramerton, Norfolk

Liberal Democrat

1. *Andrew Nicholas Duff, Cambridge

2. Christopher James White, St Albans, Herts,

3. Anne Kathleen (Kathy), Capel St Mary, Ipswich

4. Rosalind Mary Gill Radlett, Hertfordshire

5. Guillaume McLaughlin, London

6. Earnshaw Desmond Palmer, Grays, Essex,

7. Nahid Boethe, Harrow, Middlesex

Prolife

1. Sarah Teresa Anne Bell, Luton

2. Thomas Anthony Hoey, Wisbech

3. Beata Anna Klepacka Kings Lynn, Norfolk

4. John Joseph Matthews, St Ives, Cambs

5. Michael Patrick McBrien, Bury St Edmunds

6. Gregory Patrick Tagney, Wisbech

7. Clare Joan Therese Underwood, Cambridge

Respect _ the Unity Coaliton (George Galloway)

1. James Ernest Rogers, Harlow, Herts

2. Mariam Cook, Cheshunt, Herts

3. Adrian Clarke, Peterborough, Cambs

4. Hasna Matin, Luton, Beds

5. Paul Anthony Turnbull, Cambridge

6. Marie Louise Bunting, Norwich

7. Timothy William George Sneller, Benfleet, Essex

UK Independence Party

1. *Jeffrey William Titford, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex

2. Thomas Harold Wise, Linslade, Beds

3. Robin Page, Barton, Cambs

4. Stuart John Agnew, Fakenham, Norfolk

5. Bryan Garnet Smalley, Much Hadham, Herts

6. Brian Aylett, Beccles, Suffolk

7. Roger Gordon, Sudbury, Suffolk

*Denotes Euro MP seeking re-election