Overview

This bill amends the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002, changing how Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected in Great Britain and Gibraltar. It replaces the existing system with a regional open list system, aiming to improve representation.

Description

The bill repeals Section 2 of the 2002 Act and introduces a new regional open list system for MEP elections in Great Britain and Gibraltar (excluding Northern Ireland). This means:

• Voters choose a party or individual candidate.
• Seats are allocated proportionally based on the number of votes received, using a highest-average method (d'Hondt method).
• Parties submit lists of candidates, and seats are filled by those on the list with the most votes.
• Registered parties (as defined by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000) can participate.

The Secretary of State will create regulations for nominations.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify changes to government spending. The costs associated with implementing the new electoral system (e.g., updating electoral materials, training election officials) would likely be borne by the government, but no figures are provided in the bill itself.

Groups Affected

Groups affected include:

• Political parties: They will need to adapt to the new system of submitting candidate lists and campaigning.
• Voters: They will experience a change in how they vote and how representatives are elected.
• Electoral Commission: Responsible for overseeing the election, they will have to adapt their processes.
• Candidates: They will need to understand and participate in the new system.

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