The European Parliament

The European Parliament has 732 Members who are elected in the twenty-five Member States of the EU for a five-year term. There are 78 MEPs for the UK and 10 MEPs for London.

Working in Brussels and Strasbourg the Parliament scrutinises the activities of the other institutions and passes the EU's annual budget. But its main task is deciding on the shape and scope of new European laws. It shares this responsibility with the Council of Ministers.

Work of MEPs

European laws effect the lives of people in every EU member country. As MEPs we examine proposals for new EU laws and can vote to change, approve or reject them. The Parliament also has the final say in approving the EU's annual budget and they also monitor how that money is spent. Irregularities that showed up in the 1998 review of spending led Parliament to launch the fight to combat waste and fraud that resulted in the Commission's resignation in 1999.

MEPs play a central role in deciding who should be appointed to key jobs in the EU. The president and members of the Commission need parliamentary approval before they can take office, and MEPs can fire the entire Commission for failing to carry out its duties. The appointment of the chairman of the European Central Bank is also subject to parliamentary approval. MEPs elect the European Ombudsman, who is responsible for investigating allegations of poor administration or wrongdoing by EU bodies.

Please see the My Work section on this website for an outline of my responsibilities. For more information about Labour in the European Parliament, see the page on the European Parliamentary Labour Party.

Elections

The last elections to the European Parliament were held in June 2004 and Labour won three seats in London. MEPs are elected using a system of proportional representation. Under this system, England is divided into nine regions including London. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each constitute a single electoral region. I hope to stay in touch with constituents through this website, monthly reports, and the many visits I make around London every week.

For Further Information:

European Parliament Website
European Parliament UK Office