UK power in the EU institutions is falling

in Politics

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The EU has grown from nine to twenty-eight member countries.

Having begun as a coal and steel trading bloc, the EU has expanded vastly over the last century. This expansion has meant less representation for UK voters and less accountability for EU officials.

Regulations and legislation emanate from the European Commission, which is entirely unelected.

The European Parliament has substantially less authority than the Commission: it cannot propose new legislation. While this institution is directly elected, only 73 of 751 of its members represent UK voters. UK voters have very little influence over decisions in the European Parliament.

In the Council of Ministers, consisting of government ministers from each member state, just one in twenty-eight has been elected by UK voters.

How can the EU give us global influence if our influence is small and falling within the EU?

Screen Shot 2016-06-15 at 14.15.45

[Source: European Commission, European Parliament, Council of Ministers]

The British people have shown in both General and European Parliament elections that they place more faith in and importance upon our Westminster Parliament.

In 2015, 66.4 percent of UK voters turned out to vote for their MPs, whereas no more than 40 percent have ever voted in European Parliament elections:

electionturnout

[Source: UKPolitical, UKPolitical]

When we leave and take back control, elected Members of Parliament in Westminster will again have the freedom transparently to decide all aspects of UK law, for which UK voters will be able to hold them to account.

For the change we need, vote to Leave on 23 June.

5 Comments

  1. Jake
    19 June 2016 @ 17:34

    So Steve, how are positions in the EU commission assigned? Are they not nominated by members of the U.K. Parliament?

    Also, by saying just 73 of 751 members of the EU Parliament are elected by British voters, don’t you think you’re unfairly representing a democratic set up that actually favours us compared to the size of population?

    You can manipulate the figures all you’d like, the EU is good for us. Stop bending figures to lie to people

    • Steve Baker
      20 June 2016 @ 9:40

      Commissioners are not nominated by MPs, no. The PM nominates our commissioner.

      No, I do not agree on MEPs. UK voters have slight influence on a small minority of MEPs.

  2. Jan David
    19 June 2016 @ 17:42

    Don’t leave

  3. Andy Davies
    22 June 2016 @ 9:15

    I like the pie charts but by the same rationale wouldn’t the House of Lords be 100% orange (unelected)?