Overview

This bill proposes to change how Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected in Great Britain and Gibraltar. It replaces the current system with a regional open list system, aiming to improve representation and fairness in elections.

Description

The bill repeals Section 2 of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 and introduces a new system for electing MEPs in Great Britain and Gibraltar (excluding Northern Ireland). This new system is a regional open list system.

Key features of the new system:

• Registered parties submit lists of candidates (no more than the number of MEPs to be elected per region).
• Voters can vote for either a party or an individual candidate on the list.
• Seats are allocated using a highest-average method. The party or individual with the most votes gets the first seat. Subsequent seats are allocated using a divisor method (votes divided by seats allocated +1), ensuring proportional representation.
• Once a party's or individual's allocated seats equals the number of candidates on their list, their votes are no longer considered in further seat allocation.
• Within a party, the candidates with the most votes fill the allocated seats.

Government Spending

The bill does not explicitly state any changes to government spending. The costs will likely relate to updating electoral systems and running elections under the new system, but there are no specific figures provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Political Parties: Will need to adapt to the new nomination and campaigning strategies required by the regional open list system.
• Voters: Will experience a change in the way they vote and potentially see altered representation within their region.
• Electoral Commission: Will be responsible for implementing and overseeing the new electoral system.
• Candidates: Will need to adjust their campaigns to the nuances of the regional open list system.

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