British politics has featured heavily in the news over the last few weeks, but it is the European elections which should have our attention, says City Editor David Bartlett

LABOUR’s candidate list is topped by Euro-veteran Arlene McCarthy, who has been an MEP for the past 10 years. She is well known locally for having campaigned for the release of jailed Liverpool FC fan Michael Shields and for helping the family of murdered Gary Dunne in their three-year battle to have his body returned from Spain.

She has been active in getting new rules to force mobile phone companies to reduce “rip-off” roaming charges.

She has also campaigned for better safety measures for children’s toys.

“For me, the EU is about delivering improved prosperity to the region and laws that protect local people,” said Mrs McCarthy.

“I think these elections are extraordinarily difficult to predict. My objective is to make sure we get as strong a team as possible to represent the North West.”

Sitting MEP Brian Simpson is next on Labour’s list, followed by Theresa Griffin from Liverpool, and Stephen Carter.

CONSERVATIVE Jacqueline Foster is hoping to make a return to the European Parliament following a five-year break.

Mrs Foster, who lives on the Wirral, and works as a consultant on European affairs, lost her seat in the 2004 elections.

She is third on the Tories’ list after Sir Robert Atkins and former Liberal Democrat Sajjad Karim.

Last night, she said: “We had three MEPs after the last election. Hopefully we will get a strong team back for the North West, and hopefully it will include me.

“Clearly the events over the past couple of weeks in the House of Commons is having an effect.”

She said people often mentioned the bureaucracy and red tape that comes out of the European Union as their biggest gripes.

LIBERAL Democrat Chris Davies tops the party’s list after having served 10 years in the Parliament. He resigned as leader of the Lib-Dems in Europe following an email exchange in which he insulted a member of the public. He is the party’s spokesman on the environment.

“The biggest gripe I hear about is that we are being pushed around by the EU. But the reality is that the EU is a mechanism that allows 17 countries to find solutions to common problems,” he said.

“Things are done by and large by consensus. It is deadly boring, but it does not mean that it is not useful.

“It’s like a motor in a car, it provides the driving force but you don’t open the bonnet and look at it very often.

“I am assuming that the Conservatives will get two seats, Labour one, the Liberal Democrats one, UKIP one and where the other three seats will go I don’t know.” He is followed by Helen Foster-Grime and Sue McGuire on the list.