Rochdale MEPs get a mid-term report

Date published: 08/08/2007

A mid-term report for Euro-MPs in the North West suggests that while some are working hard, others "could do better".

Statistics from the European Parliament website for the first three years of the MEP’s five year term show a wide variation in parliamentary activity.

The North West region of nearly seven million people is represented in total by nine MEPs: three Conservative, three Labour, two Liberal Democrat and one UKIP.

Liberal Democrat Chris Davies asked 280 parliamentary questions and made 43 speeches, topping the regional poll and ranking second of all UK MEPs. His party colleague Sajjad Karim achieved second place with 168 questions and the same number of speeches.

But the region’s Conservative David Sumberg asked only one question and made one speech, ranking him at the bottom of MEP activity in the UK.

Mr Sumberg, who recently announced his intention not to stand again, also has one of the lowest Parliamentary attendance records of any MEP.

Chris Davies, who is the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman in the European Parliament, said he was surprised to learn that his parliamentary activity was well above average.

He said: "I certainly didn’t set out to set a record but I suppose it is a reflection of the variety of work I manage to get through in the European Parliament. 

"I table questions on behalf of constituents who need information on a particular issue that concerns them, lobbyists who want to find out the Commission’s position on a topic, and of course to answer my own questions on both environmental and other issues I choose to pursue."

Commenting on this news Rochdale MP Paul Rowen said: "I know how much work our Liberal Democrat Euro MP's put into their jobs. It is vital that we are effectively represented at all levels. Both Chris Davies and Sajjad Karim are doing an excellent job for Rochdale and the huge level of questions and speeches they make shows that are doing the work. In fact both MEP's asked more questions each than the entire opposition in the North West. This shows that only the Liberal Democrats take their job seriously. Labour, The Conservatives and UKIP are guilty of a clear dereliction of duty...It's no wonder the European Parliament gets a bad press."