I am still taking in the decision of the European Council earlier this morning. What is certain is that at the end of May we will be electing four members of the European Parliament. The candidates committee of the Welsh Liberal Democrats has drawn up a short-list and members are now voting on the order in which they will be presented on the ballot.
Given more time and more member participation we could have produced an ideal slate. But they are all good people on the list who would not let us down in Brussels (and unfortunately Strasbourg).
In 2009, a significant number of Liberal Democrats were elected from Scotland and England. Over the five years of that parliament, they made a major contribution to the development of the European Union, even providing chairs of two important committees. They made more progress in reining in the EU budget than the clod-hopping Cameron. Through no fault of their own, but because of a reaction to Liberal Democrats' perceived collaboration in the Conservatives austerity programme back home, all but one of the Lib Dem MEPs were voted out in 2014 and, it must be said, too many spongers and wreckers elected in their stead. One can understand that the British electorate felt the need to lash out against the political class, but the result was not good.
In 2019, it is important that we vote responsibly. It could be that Article 50 is revoked during the extension period, in which case the UK's MEPs will serve the full five years. The Parliament has influence over up to 15% of principal UK law (and rather more than that in the case of some other member states). But even if they are there only for the few months envisaged by Mrs May before her withdrawal agreement, Irish backstop and all, is accepted by MPs, it is important that they act constructively. Inside or outside the EU, we need to maintain good relations with our European neighbours. As leading Conservatives are wont to say, we may be leaving the EU but we will not be leaving Europe.
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