The Tory candidate (an ex MP who lost his seat in 97 I think) who I had a bit of an argument with was a patronising jerk but he seemed moderately impressed anyway and wrote down my name at the end, no doubt to start digging up dirt on me.
Here’s the story in my Uni’s online paper sheffieldbase I’m the one on the right in the photo.
European candidates questioned by students
Mark Tallentire
candidates for the up-coming European Parliament elections were questioned by an audience of students on Wednesday.
Around 150 students filed into the Auditorium to question representatives from Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems, the Greens, and Respect.
The event comes as the political establishment prepares itself for what is expected to be a pitifully low turnout in the European and local council elections next month.
All candidates stressed that students should use their vote, with Linda McAvan, a Labour MEP, saying it was important not to tell the British National Party gain a foothold in the area.
Ms McAvan, deputy leader of Labour’s MEPs, said she was pleased to see so many people at the debate and MEPs had a responsibility to increase understanding of what the European Parliament does and does not do.
She added that Labour MEPs had a strong record on making real changes to the lives of real people.
Ian Bruce, a Conservative candidate, attacked Labour’s acceptance of the European Constitution, and said the Tories wanted to see a Europe which worked for the people of Europe.
Voting forms will be sent out at the end of this month Diana Wallis, leader of the Liberal Democrat MEPs, was not able to attend the event. In her place, a Lib Dem spokesman said his party would bring power away from Brussels and central European institutions, to the local level.
He also said that the war on Iraq showed that Europe needs a common foreign policy and foreign minister, to be able to stand up to America.
Linda Duckenfield, a Green party candidate, said the European Union was a ‘business club’ and attacked the mainstream parties for seeing EU enlargement as a chance to make money from Eastern European countries.
Ms Duckenfield, who is a lecturer at Sheffield College, also criticised the decision to go to war in Iraq saying it showed the ‘absolute determination of the United States to get its hands on the world’s resources’.
The newly-formed Respect/Unity coalition party did not have a candidate speaker but a representative said the party was against all forms of imperialism and in favour of equality.
Students asked questions on Iraq, the rights and treatment of asylum seekers, the benefits of further European integration and the alleged militarization of Europe.
Voting in the European elections is by post and forms will be sent out at the end of this month.
