Countdown to the European elections

The ballot, taking place on June 4 in the UK, will decide the 72 British representatives of the European Parliament who will sit until 2014.

The country is split into 12 electoral regions, with the boroughs of Richmond and Hounslow belonging to the London region, responsible for electing eight of these members.

The results will be announced on Sunday, June 7.

Votes will be cast all over Europe and the results will affect almost 500 million citizens across the continent.

The parliament meets to discuss and debate a variety of issues including legislature that affects us in our everyday life – from the cost of our shopping to the safety of the toys our children play with – as well as discussing equal opportunities and consumers’ rights.

One of the main roles of the European Parliament is to decide on the annual budget for the European Union which, in recent years, has amounted to up to £126.5bn.

This money goes towards a number of things including ensuring the safety and quality of agricultural products and crime prevention.

At the moment, however, the largest chunk of the budget is being used to create economic growth across the continent.

MEPs (Members of European Parliament) elected will come from a variety of political backgrounds and speak a total of 23 languages which, officials say, reflects the vast diversity of Europe itself.

The parliament then splits itself into political sections of centre-right, centre-left, socialists, extremists, greens and so on.

There are to be a total of 110 candidates standing in the London region – for only eight parliamentary positions.

Representatives from all the major political parties are present, including eight each from Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

Candidates from the far-right British National Party and the UK Independence Party are also standing and it is expected these groups will profit from public dismay at the ongoing expenses scandals involving politicians from the three main parties.

This does indeed appear to be the case with recent YouGov surveys suggesting that UKIP support has hit 15 per cent, just 4 per cent behind the Liberal Democrats who are on 19 per cent, while Labour and Conservatives continue to hold the top spots with 20 per cent and 29 per cent respectively.

Foreign Secretary David Milliband is, however, hopeful that the recent revelations will not be too harmful to his partys chances in the upcoming European elections but warned that extreme politics is often looked to when voters feel the Government is letting them down.

Mr Milliband said recently: “The politics of hate gets traction when people feel that the mainstream parties aren’t addressing the real issues and the real lives that people are leading.

“We’ve got to be honest about that. We’ve got to show we are in touch.”

London currently has nine MEPs but that number is to be culled as a result of the increase in size of the European Union.

Labour and the Conservative Party have three representatives apiece, with the Lib Dems, UKIP and the Green Party holding the remaining seats.

Jean Lambert has been London’s Green MEP for nine years and is campaigning for a third term this year.

She has also recently taken a major role in the Richmond and Twickenham branch of the party and is working to oppose the development of Twickenham Riverside and the expansion of Heathrow.

Speaking before her visit to the borough this month, she said the Green Party was doing a great job in the area.

She said: “The Greens have become a clear and trusted voice on issues of great importance to local people.

“They are playing a vital role in opposing the development of Twickenham Riverside – plans which would ruin this beautiful stretch of the Thames which is central to the history and character of the area.

“They are also keeping up the pressure in the campaign against the third runway at Heathrow. The wider movement will benefit a great deal from work in Richmond, one of the boroughs most vulnerable to the damage a bigger Heathrow would cause.”

More than 80 per cent of environmental legislation is passed in the European Parliament and Ms Lambert has played a major role in the progress made in recent years.

Labour MEP Robert Evans, is one London representative not standing for re-election this year.

Although his constituency covered the whole of the capital, his work focused predominantly on 10 boroughs, including Richmond and Hounslow, with his London office based in Feltham.

Among his more recent achievements in the European Parliament was the culmination of a long-running campaign to ban the trade of seal products.

The parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of the ban and Mr Evans said the huge support received from members of the public contributed greatly to the success of the campaign.

“Thousands of residents have written to me about this issue since I became an MEP and I thank them all for their support during this long campaign,” he said.

“It is very rewarding to deliver on my promise to introduce a ban on the cruel trade in seal products.”

The voting system used in the European elections – known as proportional representation – works differently to that used in the general elections in this country and means that each individual vote is of major importance.

Each party puts forward a list of eight candidates for each area – a regional list – and the public choose one of these lists, or an independent candidate to vote for. Each party is then allocated a number of MEPs according to their share of the vote.

Hounslow Councillor Mark Bowen believes making your vote count is extremely important.

He said: “It means you can have a say on the issues that affect you; from the environment to international trade and transport.”

Deputy mayor of Richmond, Councillor Geoff Acton, furthers the point, reminding people that decisions made in the European Parliament have huge implications for the local community.

He said: “It is important to vote in the European elections because it means your voice is represented in securing action on key issues, particularly during these difficult economic times,” he said.

“It is vital our Euro MPs continue to back action in Europe to create jobs, tackle climate change and environmental issues and secure funding for us wherever possible, all of which affect local people.”

Polling stations will be open across the borough from 7am until 10pm on June 4 but if you can not make it to vote in person you are encouraged to register for a postal vote.