The European Elections Should Not Be About Europe

I recently got a letter from the Prime Minister, David Cameron, urging me to get a postal vote for May's elections to the European Parliament. And I am quite disappointed:

For the first time since the Eurozone crisis, you get to have your say on Britain's relationship with the EU.

And this is followed a bit later on with:

This election is a chance to send a message to Brussels that the EU must work for Britain if we are to remain a member.

So apply for a postal vote today and help us secure an in-out referendum by voting Conservative in this year's crucial European elections.

The first thing I have to say about these three statements is "No, no, no".

What are these elections about? I am never a big fan of the "send a message to the Government" (or "give the Government a bloody nose") over an election that isn't about the Government. In this country, we seem to have difficulty grasping what local and European elections are actually about. They're not about telling the Government that you don't like this or that policy - in May, when we vote for Southampton City Council, the crucial question is which party do you trust most to run Southampton and which individual do you want to represent you on the Council. Not who do you want to be in Downing Street.

And similarly with the European elections. When they get to Brussels or Strasbourg, then Members of the European Parliament (at least the ones who take part are) aiming for the European Union to "work for Britain". It's just that they have different viewpoints. I do not believe that any Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat or Green MEP is there with the intention of making the EU work against Britain.

For the average Conservative MEP, Britain's best interests are served by them supporting conservative policies; for the average Labour MEP, Britain's best interests are served by them supporting socialist policies; for the average Liberal Democrat MEP, Britain's best interests are served by them supporting liberal policies; and for the average Green MEP, Britain's best interests are served by them supporting green policies.

So, please spare me the idea that these elections are there to "send a message to Brussels".

The European Parliament has no say on the "cost of living crisis", or Waitrose's free coffees, or the spare room subsidy, or tuition fees, or whatever people want to turn this into a referendum on. MEPs are there to do one job - to vote on matters that are within the European Parliament's legislative competence.

The results of the European election is not about having my "say on Britain's relationship with the EU". I will have that if there is an in-out referendum. What I want to have my say in May on is - who represents me in the Parliament? What vision of the EU appeals to me most? (and I don't mean the choice between one where we're a member and one where we aren't, but what policies do I want to see).

Of course, you could fold your arms and say that you don't want the EU to have any policies regarding the UK. You're entitled to that opinion, but as long as we are in the EU, the political reality is that the Parliament does legislate on certain areas and we need to ask ourselves which party would we prefer to be doing that legislating.

I am confused why Cameron suggests "help us secure an in-out referendum by voting Conservative in this year's crucial European elections". That referendum will only happen if there is a Government led by the Conservatives following the May 2015 general election. Even if the Conservatives won all of Great Britain's 70 seats in the European Parliament in May, it would not enable them to have an in-out referendum if they lost the 2015 election.