Candidates line up for Euro elections

More than 90 candidates will fight for eight North West seats in the European Parliament at elections next month.

Rochdale voters will have 12 parties to chose from — and one independent candidate — when the polls open on Thursday 4 June.

They range from the mainstream Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservatives, to one party which has resolved not to take up the seats if elected, a Christian party, one pledged to reform Europe and the BNP.

The candidates are grouped in party lists, and will be elected by the proportion of the vote their parties win.

The smaller their party’s share, and the lower down the list each candidate is, the slimmer their chances of getting a seat.

Nick Griffin tops the BNP’s list of eight candidates and his party would have to take around 10% of the North West vote to win one seat.

Veteran Labour Euro-MP Arlene McCarthy, who was first elected in 1994, and is chairman of the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, tops her party’s list.

Second for Labour is serving Euro-MP Brian Simpson, from St Helens.

Number one for the Liberal Democrats is local man Chris Davies, elected in 1999 and his party’s environment and public health spokesman.

Conservative Sir Robert Atkins, elected to Europe 10 years ago, tops his party’s list, followed by serving Euro-MP Sajjad Karim.

Mr Karim was elected five years ago as a Liberal Democrat but became a Tory in 2008.

At the last elections, the North West had nine seats, now reduced to eight to make room for the number of eastern European entrants to the Parliament after the EU expanded to 27 states.

Four serving North West Euro-MPs are standing down — Labour leader Gary Titley, UKIP’s John Whittaker, and Conservatives Den Dover and David Sumberg.

In total there are 94 candidates, eight each for Labour, Liberal Democrats, Tories, the Christian Party, English Democrats, No2EU, BNP, Socialist Labour Party, the Greens, and UKIP, seven for Libertas and six for the Jury Team.

The independent is Francis Apaloo from Blackburn.

Although the votes are cast on 4 June, the results will not be known until 7 June after the whole of Europe has voted.

Who’s who in the North-West poll battle

CONSERVATIVE: Sir Robert Atkins, Sajjad Karim, Jacqueline Foster, Alexander Williams, Gregory Morgan, Anthony Samuels, Peter Wilding, Andrew Large.

LABOUR: Arlene McCarthy, Brian Simpson, Theresa Griffin, Stephen Carter, Claire Reynolds, Riaz Ahmad, Elaine Bowes, Brian Boag.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Chris Davies, Helen Foster-Grime, Sue McGuire, Qassim Afzal, Neil Corlett, Mark Clayton,Stephen Cooke, Peter Hirst.

GREEN PARTY: Peter Cranie, Maia Whitelegg, Ruth Bergan, Samir Chatterjee, Jillian Perry, Justine Hall, Margaret Westbrook, Geoffrey Smith.

UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY: Paul Nuttall, Michael McManus, Graham Cannon, Nigel Brown, Hilary Jones, Philip Griffiths, Terence , Lisa Duffy.

BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY: Nick Griffin, Martin Wingfield, Steven Greenhalgh, Edward O’Sullivan, Jean Purdy, Michael Elliott, Derek Adams, Gary Aronsson.

JURY TEAM: Krishnamurty Tayya, Graham Ross, Carl Birchall, William Brotherston, Mary Strickland, Michael Hale.

NO2EU:YES TO DEMOCRACY: Roger Bannister, Bryan Skarratts, Craig Johnston, Alexander McFadden, Stephen Radford, Lynn Worthington, John Metcalfe, Harry Smith.

CHRISTIAN PARTY “PROCLAIMING CHRIST’S LORDSHIP”: Hans-Christian Raabe, Jill McLachlan, John Manwell, Maria Overend, Clive Morrison, Bob Ralph, Carol Jules, David Martin.

ENGLISH DEMOCRATS: Robert Abrams, Stephen Morris, Ian Logan, Derek Grue, Anthony Justice, Maurice Brookes, Valerie Morris, Kenneth Walters.

PRO DEMOCRACY: LIBERTAS.EU: Benjamin Tallis, Anthony Butcher, Paul Debrowa, William Westall, Liam Hemmings, John Humberstone, Michael O’Reilly.

SOCIALIST LABOUR PARTY: Billy Kelly, Stephen Whatham, Kai Andersen, Ronald Waugh, Dot Kelly, Lynton Bennett, Dot Entwistle, Michael Perry.

INDEPENDENT: Francis Apaloo.