STEVENSON’S ANGER AS WESTMINSTER STRIPS SCOTLAND OF ANOTHER MEP

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has expressed his anger at the news that Scotland is to lose another MEP as a result of Westminster’s Delegated Legislation Committee’s decision.

Scotland has already suffered the loss of an MEP in 1999 when the number of Scottish representatives fell from eight to seven, meaning that with this new cut Scotland has lost 25% of its European representatives within a decade.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“This decision will make it even harder for Scotland’s MEPs to stand up for Banff & Buchan’s fishing industry in European negotiations.

“Westminster has ignored the unique geographical problems and constitutional complexity of Scotland with this decision. Scotland is the largest European region so our MEPs have to travel far more than others as it is. With just six of them remaining, the task of representing Scotland in Europe will be made even more difficult.

“We now have the ludicrous situation where Luxembourg, with a population smaller than Edinburgh, enjoys the same level of representation as Scotland. Ireland, with a population significantly smaller than Scotland, will have twelve MEPs and Finland, with an almost identical population to Scotland, will have thirteen, more than double that of Scotland.

“What is clear is that Scotland needs independence if we are to have a strong voice in Europe. Along with double the number of MEPs, Scotland would gain a seat at the Council of Ministers and a European Commissioner, where currently we go unrepresented.

“I am bitterly disappointed that yet again Scotland is being made to suffer at the Westminster’s hands while many English regions were not even considered when deciding which MEPs to eliminate”