Labour’s MEP lists. I’m angry and disappointed.

So, as reported on LabourList earlier, Labour’s MEP lists are now out, and I am angry and disappointed by the outcome. The full list of names, together with one line bios, website links, and Twitter usernames can be found at the end of this post, and there is a Twitter list as well here. Any errors and omissions are mine – please do comment or contact me if you want the table updated – updates will be added to the blog post, and the time of update indicated. The next stages in the selection process are explained in the LabourList piece.

But anyway, to the matter in hand: the people who have made it onto the lists.

First of all I am absolutely astounded to see the names of two former MEPs on the lists – Neena Gill for the West Midlands, and Glyn Ford for the South West. Neena’s record as a MEP in two terms (1999-2009) was not good – I worked as her Assistant for a period, and I can vouch for her incompetence. Why should she return? Glyn was a bit more effective, but he was a MEP from 1984 until 2009 – is 25 years serving in the European Parliament not enough? I am more optimistic about the return of Richard Corbett – no-one knows more about the functioning of the European Parliament than Richard does. He’s a committed European through and through, and while it would be good to see new people in the EP as well, Labour needs people like Richard.

Secondly there are a few startling omissions from the lists. I’ve already blogged about Anne Fairweather’s surprising omission, but I am surprised to not see Kevin Peel’s name listed anywhere. I am also told that Carole Tongue sought a return to the EP but was not listed either. It also seems that in the South West there’s brewing anger that Razvan Constantinescu was not listed. I’m also surprised to not see Rupa Huq or Sally Prentice listed in London, having assumed (without knowing for sure) that they would be candidates. It strikes me that some names were deliberately eliminated in order to give some candidates a more or less free run, and the number of candidates with very heavy trade union links is notable, while the number with considerable EU experience is rather fewer. [UPDATE 9.4.13, 1100]: Kevin Peel and Rupa Huq are listed as reserves, in North West and London respectively.

Thirdly, there are some welcome new names on the lists. I’m very happy to see Hadleigh Roberts listed in the South West. I’ve never met him, but his thoughtful discussion of EU matters on blogs and Twitter gives a very good impression. I’ve also met Kevin Doran a number of times over the years in Brussels – he has the knowledge and skills to make an excellent MEP. Rory Palmer and Judith Kirton-Darling give good impressions in their presence online, while Del Singh and John Howarth seem slightly atypical political characters and their presence seems welcome. I know Anneliese Dodds from student politics, and I know both her ethics and abilities are good. People I trust think highly of Clare Moody. Andrea Biondi, an EU law professor and former candidate for the Italian Partito Democratico could turn out to be genius or problematic.

Fourthly, compiling the list below proved to be more complicated than I had expected. Very few candidates have websites, and while more are on Twitter, a number are simply not Googleable. OK, I know it is about activity on the ground, but when it comes to party members choosing the order of candidates on lists then many will be doing exactly what I did – trying to work out what these people are about. Often it is very hard to know.

In the end all of this leaves a very sour taste for me. It might seem fine to do some sort of stitch up, to deny party members the very best candidates by eliminating strong people at the shortlisting stage. But, as David Hallam comments here, this means the process is not seen to be legitimate by party members, and they will be less inclined to campaign. Further if Labour ends up with weaker MEPs as a result that only plays into the hands of the EU-sceptics and the intergovernmentalists. It is not as if the European Parliament has a lot of friends in the UK as it is. A stitch up now leaves us all worse off later.

NOTE: for the sake of complete transparency. No candidate has asked me to write this post. The views within it are mine, and mine alone. I know Anne Fairweather, Richard Corbett and Kevin Doran reasonably well. I have met Glyn Ford, Sanchia Alasia and Lucy Anderson, and worked for Neena Gill. I knew Anneliese Dodds in student politics. I also know a number of the sitting MEPs (although this post is not about them). I regularly exchange tweets with, but have not met, Kevin Peel and Hadleigh Roberts.