Euro Elections: Use Your Vote!

The European Elections take place on June 4th, so over the next month we will be bombarded with political messages from the various parties demanding our votes.

MYTH

Unlike a General Election, the Euro's don't seem quite so sexy. With the European Parliament being based in Brussels and Strasbourg it's easy to view the European Parliament as something quite distant, with various political bods making decisions that don't effect us.

FACT

The fact is whoever represents us in Europe will have the power to approve, amend or reject new European laws. They will also have the power to approve the EU budget and new members of the European Commission. All of which will affect us here in the UK!

The European Elections don't work like local and general elections, where it's a first past the post situation. Instead they go off proportional representation, which means that really you are voting for the party rather than the candidate.

The UK is split into 12 voting regions: North West, North East, Yorkshire & Humberside, East Midlands, West Midlands, Wales, South West, South East, London, Eastern, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Each political party will have multiple candidates standing in each voting area. The votes they get collectively determines the percentage of the seats they get in the European Parliament. As little as 5 % of the vote could see a candidate getting a seat and influencing UK politics.

The work of the European Parliament has a huge impact on our everyday human rights. So when you are casting your vote, you need to think long and hard about the party who best represents you, and as lesbian, gay and bisexual voters, the party who best represents LGBT rights.

It's so important to use your vote as the last thing you want is to be represented in Europe by a party who doesn't represent you!

Are you registered to vote?

It's a popular misconception that if you are a council tax payer you are registered to vote. This isn't the case, but you can check if you are registered to vote on the about my vote website. Also, if you know you aren't registed you can get registered to have your say, here. (You must get registered before the May 19th)

Voting made easy?

Most people will vote at their local polling station on June 4th, but if you are working or find it difficult to get out of the house you can always post your vote, but you need to make sure that your vote is received by June 4th, for more info, click here. (Postal applications must be received by May 19th).

Political parties and LGBT rights

The current economic crisis will no doubt play a part in how people vote in the European Elections, and right wing organisations historically tend to do well in times of economic depression, but when voting there is so much more to consider than the credit crunch.

But what have UK political parties done in terms of LGBT rights?

Labour

There are a number of out gay Ministers in Gorgon Brown's parliament including Ben Bradshaw and Angela Eagle. Over the past 10 years the Labour Government have introduced a raft of progressive legislation which has led to or aims to lead to greater equality for LGBT people, including: Civil Partnerships, the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007, the Gender Recognition Act, and the Equality Bill.

In Europe, Manchester's Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy denounced the discrimination faced by the LGBT community in Belarus, who are subjected to homophobic attacks on a regular basis, with little done to stop the violence by the police or the criminal justice system. Gatherings of the LGBT community are frequently cancelled by local authorities.

However, it was a Labour MP who made the proposal to remove Clause 58 - the section of the Coroners & Justice Bill that promises to outlaw homophobic hate speech. They have also been criticised this week for allowing faith schools a possible get out clause in a reform of sex eduaction, which could result in gay pupils not being given equal access to information as heterosexual pupils.

The Labour Party have an active LGBT group, for more information on them, click here.

Conservative

A number of leading Conservative MP's are out, including Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Alan Duncan.

However, despite David Cameron's insistence that the Conservative Party is now moderate and supportive of LGBT equality, large numbers of Conservative MPs continue to vote against LGBT rights protections in the UK.

For example, 40% of Tory MPs who participated in the 2004 vote which brought in Civil Partnerships voted against the bill. 55% of Tory MPs voted against the Gender Recognition Bill, which allows transgendered people to marry in their adopted sex. Cameron himself has voted against gay adoption in the past, and opposed the repeal of Section 28.

Tory leader David Cameron voted against gay equality when he voted for the removal clause 58 - which bans Incitement to Homophobic Hate. All Tory MP's, bar one voted for the clauses removal.

The Conservative Party have an active LGBT group, for more information on them, click here.

Greens

The Greens have an excellent record for protecting LGBT rights in Europe. Greens in the UK supported the Dutch Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg proposal to extend discrimination protection beyond the labour market to goods and services for the discrimination grounds of sexual orientation, disability, age and religion/belief in Europe.

They have also been at the forefront of supporting Eastern European LGBT's facing homophobia. Green MEP candidate Joseph Healey said: "Many young LGBT Poles have come to the UK to escape homophobic attacks and persecution".

Much of this homophobia has been at the hands of the Law and Justice Party, a right wing party with similar ideals to certain right wing party's in the UK.

The Greens have an active LGBT group for more information on them, click here.

Liberal Democrats

In Europe, Liberal Democrat MEPs have taken the lead in promoting recognition of civil partnerships in countries across the EU, and in persuading more EU countries to accept persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity as a valid reason for seeking asylum.

Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat MEP for North West England said, 'Liberal by name and Liberal by nature, Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament are consistent supporters of LGBT Rights. Last week I was proud to vote for the Equalities Directive legislation and saddened to see Tory members sitting on their hands.'

The Liberal Democrats have an active LGBT group, for more information on them, click here.

The British National Party

The British National Party will no doubt have LGB candidates, although none of them are currently out, and from recent posts on this website it's clear that they have a groundswell of support from LGB voters.

Posts from LGB BNP supporters have made it clear that despite the BNP's dreadful record on LGBT issues, they site the perceived threat of Islamic and Muslim organisation as a major factor in them voting BNP.

The BNP would need as little as 8 % of the North West vote to get in to Europe, and although they are now seen by many as a respectable political option, it is still worth remembering there stance on LGBT issues and the LGBT community.

The BNP has a policy of tolerance to homosexuality in private, but states that homosexuality "should not be promoted or encouraged". Politically, this could mean a return to the dark days of Section 28 (brought in by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Government) when schools weren't free to discuss LGBT issues for fear of it being construed as the promotion of homosexuality, who knows what untold damage this did in terms of homophobia now being endemic in schools.

The BNP also opposed the introduction of civil partnerships in the United Kingdom.

BNP spokesman Phil Edwards and Mark Collett, former chairman of the Young BNP have both been outspoken in their homophobic views. While, one BNP spokesperson referred to HIV as a "friendly disease" because it targets gay men and black people.

On June 4th make sure you get out there and exercise your right to vote, and make sure that when you are voting you choose the party that best represents you and your LGBT rights.

The Full List of Party standing at the European Elections on June 4th:

• British National Party
• Christian Party
• Conservative Party
• English Democrats Party
• Jury Team
• Liberal Democrats
• No2EU: Yes to Democracy
• Pro Democracy: Libertas.eu
• Socialist Labour Party
• The Green Party
• The Labour Party
• UKIP
• Francis Apaloo - Independent

Download the full details here (read only)

Coming soon: all parties involved in the European Elections tell outnorthwest "Why LGBTs should vote for them?"