stat

Thursday 11 February 2016

The Nuclear Option - Why Moderate Labour MPs Should Vote For An Early Election

Toby Perkins, the Labour MP for Chesterfield, has raised the prospect of an early general election, noting:

In June, decades of Tory infighting are set to reach a crescendo with the referendum on membership of the European Union. The prospect of the Prime Minister standing down in the event of a vote to leave has been often mooted. However, I believe that the forces unleashed within the Conservative party are so great that, whether Cameron wins or loses, many of their MPs and activists will feel it is time for a change at the top. Cameron fired the starting gun on the race to succeed him when he announced that he will not fight another general election and, as Tony Blair can testify, once the lid is off the bottle it can be very difficult to re-seal it.

In the event that Cameron goes, I expect his successor to look very keenly at whether the Labour party is capable of fighting a snap general election. The new Conservative leader would, of course, insist this was nothing to do with naked political calculation. You can already imagine the argument, a new Tory leader arguing that “unlike Gordon Brown, I am not going to be an unelected Prime Minister”.

Many people assume that the Fixed Term Parliament Act would prevent the Tories from cutting and running but they are wrong. The Act, designed to hold the coalition together, does allow an early general election to be called if agreed by two thirds of the House of Commons. If a new Conservative leader demanded a general election it is impossible to imagine how Labour could refuse to go to the country.

Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011, the dates of the next general election is 7 May 2020, followed by 1 May 2025 - as long as there is nothing that triggers an early election. As Perkins notes, one method is the two-thirds vote:

2 Early parliamentary general elections

(1) An early parliamentary general election is to take place if—

(a) the House of Commons passes a motion in the form set out in subsection (2), and

(b) if the motion is passed on a division, the number of members who vote in favour of the motion is a number equal to or greater than two thirds of the number of seats in the House (including vacant seats).

(2) The form of motion for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) is—

“That there shall be an early parliamentary general election.”

With there being 650 MPs (including the Speaker and 3 Deputy Speakers who only cast a vote in a tie, and 4 Sinn Féin ones who don't take their seats), 434 MPs need to vote for such a motion. Even in the Labour landslide of May 1997, it was 22 seats short of two-thirds. Apart from wartime coalitions, we have to go back to November 1935 to find an elected Government with over two-thirds the seats in the Commons (and, ironically, that was a Parliament that postponed the subsequent election).

Note that such a motion doesn't actually set the date for the early election:

(7) If a parliamentary general election is to take place as provided for by subsection (1) or (3), the polling day for the election is to be the day appointed by Her Majesty by proclamation on the recommendation of the Prime Minister (and, accordingly, the appointed day replaces the day which would otherwise have been the polling day for the next election determined under section 1).

Hence, it simply returns to the Prime Minister the power to set the election day - and interestingly, there is no time limit specified. Theoretically, there is nothing to stop the House of Commons voting today for an early election, and 312 years down the line using that vote to hold an election a few months early.

The Conservatives currently have 329 MPs - hence need the support of a further 105 MPs to trigger an early election. Where could this support come from?

The third largest group in the Commons is the Scottish National Party, with 54 MPs (2 of the SNP MPs elected in May 2015 sit as Independents). They have only 3 target seats:

Seat Swing needed Held by
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale 0.77% Conservative
Orkney & Shetland 1.80% Liberal Democrat
Edinburgh South 2.68% Labour

While it would be tempting for the SNP to go for an early election to try and get a clean sweep of Scottish constituencies - especially if the May election to the Scottish Parliament shows them still having momentum - there are risks of losing seats if the Conservatives and/or Liberal Democrats pick up support. Labour isn't really much of a threat to the SNP - the only seats where the SNP majority over Labour is less than 10% are Renfrewshire East (6.55%) and Edinburgh North & Leith (9.65%).

The next group to look at is the Unionist contingent from Northern Ireland (8 Democratic Unionist Party, 2 Ulster Unionist Party and 1 Independent Unionist). May 2015 was a good election for Unionism, with 2 seats being picked up from non-Unionists - the DUP gained Belfast East from the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and the UUP gained Fermanagh & South Tyrone from Sinn Féin. However, these were both due to Unionist pacts, which may or may not be present at the next election, and in Fermanagh & South Tyrone there is the possibility of some of the remaining Social Democratic & Labour Party vote going to Sinn Féin to give them back a seat with a Nationalist/Republican majority.

The only targetable Nationalist/Republican seat is the interesting 4-way marginal of Belfast South, which a Unionist pact could win from the SDLP (which could backfire if - as at the May 2010 general election - Sinn Féin chooses to step down to help the SDLP, or UUP supporters prefer to vote for the APNI rather than the DUP).

And in the DUP seat of Upper Bann, the Unionist vote could split in such a way that - along with tactical voting by SDLP supporters - this seat falls to Sinn Féin.

At the moment, you can go from Northern Ireland's westernmost point to its northernmost or its easternmost with the entire journey in Unionist seats. For Unionism, the current position is as good as it gets.

Next are the Liberal Democrats, who are down to 8 seats:

Seat Majority Over
Westmorland & Lonsdale 18.29% Conservative
Ceredigion 8.20% Plaid Cymru
Norfolk North 8.18% Conservative
Leeds North West 6.70% Labour
Sheffield Hallam 4.24% Labour
Orkney & Shetland 3.59% Scottish National Party
Carshalton & Wallington 3.17% Conservative
Southport 3.00% Conservative

The Liberal Democrats stand on a precipice. Only their leader, Tim Farron, in Westmorland & Lonsdale, is safe. In 2015, there was clearly tactical voting in Sheffield Hallam, with Conservatives protecting Nick Clegg - at the time the Liberal Democrat leader and Lord President of the Council - from a Labour onslaught, but any reason to protect him has now gone. To be blunt, if an early election were held in the near future, then Clegg is out, with Labour winning all of Sheffield.

But, for the Liberal Democrats, there is a prize that could be won if they gamble on an early election. Just look at the seats they would win on a 5% swing:

Seat Swing needed Held by
Cambridge 0.58% Labour
Eastbourne 0.69% Conservative
Lewes 1.07% Conservative
Thornbury & Yate 1.54% Conservative
Twickenham 1.63% Conservative
Dunbartonshire East 1.97% Scottish National Party
Kingston & Surbiton 2.39% Conservative
St Ives 2.56% Conservative
Edinburgh West 2.93% Scottish National Party*
Torbay 3.42% Conservative
Sutton & Cheam 3.93% Conservative
Bath 4.06% Conservative
Burnley 4.08% Labour
Bermondsey & Old Southwark 4.36% Labour
Yeovil 4.67% Conservative
Fife North East 4.80% Scottish National Party

[* Michelle Thomson, the MP for Edinburgh West, no longer sits for the SNP]

These are all seats which the Liberal Democrats lost in 2015. Although they will be fighting against first term incumbents in most of these, the party would be able to argue that it has moved on from the days of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition, and is under new management, and one that Labour supporters can vote tactically for. While it would not stand a chance of overtaking the SNP to become the third largest party, a credible fourth place is possible.

It will be the circumstances in other parties will determine what the Liberal Democrats will be in the next Parliament - in my lifetime they have gone from being a home for those on the left who felt Labour was too left-wing (the Liberal/Social Democrat Alliance era), to being a home for those on the right who felt the Conservatives were too right-wing (the Ashdown era), to being a home for those on the left who felt Labour was too right-wing (the Kennedy era) and then being part of a centre-right Government (the Clegg era).

Next is Plaid Cymru, with only 3 seats:

Seat Majority Over
Dwyfor Meirionnydd 18.20% Conservative
Carmarthen East & Dinefwr 14.21% Labour
Arfon 13.67% Labour

These are all quite safe seats, and there's only 2 seats which would fall to Plaid Cymru on a swing of less than 5%:

Seat Swing needed Held by
Ynys Môn 0.33% Labour
Ceredigion 4.10% Liberal Democrat

Even if a motion for an early general election received the support of all the non-Labour voting MPs, this still would not be enough for the two-thirds needed. Hence, there would need to be some Labour MPs willing to press the button and send their party into an election which not only would it not win, but would see it do worse than in 2015.

Turkeys need a very strong motivation to vote for Christmas. So, why would a Labour MP do this?

Firstly, it could stop Momentum's momentum. As the Daily Mail notes:

Labour is done for a generation. If the Corbynites are successful in their efforts to seize control of every aspect of the internal machinery, to deselect non-hard-Left MPs, and to turn a potential party of government into a puritanical protest movement, Labour is done for good.

A snap election would be before this scenario has played to completion. Constituency Labour Parties would have to find candidates as short notice. Any Corbynite group wanting to deselect their MP would suddenly find they had a much shorter timescale in which to get their plans together, and would be wrong-footed. A generation ago, Labour MPs knowing the hard Left would deselect them had nothing to lose by defecting to the Social Democrats. In this generation, Labour MPs knowing that Momentum will get them deselected in time for 2020 have nothing to lose by forcing an election in 2016.

Secondly, and associated with this, Corbynism will have faced its test at the ballot box - and have been rejected. Just as the June 1983 election result made Labour realise it had to move back towards the centre to win, losing the next election would tell Labour the same.

And, connected with that is the third reason - it brings the next Labour-led Government forward. At the moment, Labour clearly will not win in 2020, and will be back in office at the 2025 election at the earliest. But the 2011 Act has timetabling rules:

Date of next election Scheduled date of following election
Up to 28 April 2016 7 May 2020
5 May 2016 to 27 April 2017 6 May 2021
4 May 2017 to 26 April 2018 5 May 2022
3 May 2018 to 25 April 2019 4 May 2023
2 May 2019 to 30 April 2020 2 May 2024

Naturally, there is not going to be an early election before May this year, but if a snap one were held post-referendum, this would bring the subsequent one forward to May 2021. Labour has to experience defeat before it comes to its senses.

But I have to say that - despite seeing Labour's opinion poll rating going south since he became Leader of the Opposition - Jeremy Corbyn is an asset to Labour. He has played a significant role in uniting the Left, and bringing politically passionate people into Labour who were disillusioned during the Blair/Brown Government. The challenge for his successor will be to win back the types of voters who gave Labour its landslides around the turn of the century without alienating those Corbyn has brought back. If he or she does that, Labour's biggest electoral successes lie in the future. One of the first acts of the next Labour leader should be to make Corbyn the Labour Party Chairman.

The fourth reason is that due to a clause in the Electoral Registration & Administration Act 2013, the Boundary Commissions will present their reports to Parliament in September 2018, and these will be the new constituencies used at the 2020 election - or at any early election after late 2018.

And these are likely to be bad new for Labour. There should be provisional boundaries produced soon, giving parties a more specific idea of how the changes will impact them. It would be in Labour's interests to get the next general conducted on the current boundaries - and hence, out of the way before the new constituencies are formally approved.

The fifth one might sound - at first - to be an odd reason. Namely, it will reinforce the Anglicisation of the Labour party.

During the Blair era - and especially the Brown era - there were the predictable Daily Mail stories that we had a Government dominated by Scots. For example, take the sextet of senior members of the Government that took office in 1997:

  • Prime Minister - Tony Blair (born in Scotland)
  • Environment, Transport & Regional Affairs Secretary - John Prescott (born in Wales)
  • Lord Chancellor - Derry Irvine (Scottish)
  • Chancellor of the Exchequer - Gordon Brown (Scottish)
  • Foreign & Commonwealth Secretary - Robin Cook (Scottish)
  • Home Secretary - Jack Straw

Out of the six, only Straw would be English enough for the Daily Mail.

Although it has to be said that it was North East England - rather than Scotland - dominating that Government. In addition to Blair (representing Sedgefield), there was South Shields's David Clark as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Redcar's Mo Mowlam as Northern Ireland Secretary.

Although Clark was dismissed in the July 1998 reshuffle, out of the four new members of the Cabinet, only Margaret Jay - as Lord Privy Seal, Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for Women - was not an MP for North East England (actually, she wasn't an MP for anywhere), with Newcastle-upon-Tyne East & Wallsend's Nick Brown becoming Agriculture Minister, Tyneside North's Stephen Byers as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Hartlepool's Peter Mandelson as Trade & Industry Secretary.

Even Mandelson's resignation in December 1998 didn't reduce the North East contingent, as Byers replaced him and was, in turn, replaced by Darlington's Alan Milburn.

Mowlam being moved to Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in October 1999 and replaced by a returning Mandelson brought the number of Cabinet members sitting for North East constituencies up to 6 - which was over one-quarter of the Cabinet from Great Britain's smallest region.

However, the perception remained of the Government being dominated by Scots - and, when we look at elections, we can see why Scotland would punch above its weight in Labour Governments:

Election Labour MPs % from Scotland
UK Scotland Labour MPs All MPs
July 1945 393 37 9.41% 11.09%
February 1950 315 37 11.75% 11.36%
October 1951 295 35 11.86% 11.36%
May 1955 277 34 12.27% 11.36%
October 1959 258 38 14.73% 11.27%
October 1964 317 43 13.56% 11.27%
March 1966 363 46 12.67% 11.27%
June 1970 287 44 15.33% 11.18%
February 1974 301 40 13.29% 11.18%
October 1974 319 41 12.85% 11.18%
May 1979 268 44 16.42% 11.18%
June 1983 209 41 19.62% 11.08%
June 1987 229 50 21.83% 11.08%
April 1992 271 49 18.08% 11.06%
May 1997 418 56 13.40% 10.93%
June 2001 412 55 13.35% 10.93%
May 2005 355 40 11.27% 9.13%
May 2010 258 41 15.89% 9.08%
May 2015 232 1 0.43% 9.08%

I should clarify what the percentages are. The first one is the percentage of Labour MPs that were elected for Scottish constituencies, and the second the percentage of all MPs that were elected for Scottish constituencies.

If the first percentage is in bold, then it is an increase from the previous election's. And what we see is that, as Labour support falls, normally this leads to the Scottish section of the Parliamentary Labour Party increasing its numerical influence in the PLP - with a peak at the 1987 election when the Conservatives losing around half their Scottish seats to Labour meant that 21.83% of Labour MPs were representing Scottish constituencies.

For most of the post-war period Scotland (and, indeed, Wales and North East England) have been areas where Labour is entrenched. However tough it gets elsewhere, these are places where Labour keeps on winning. Hence, during the low points for Labour, these areas carry the load and hit above their weight.

But now Labour has lost Scotland. In the polling for the Scottish Parliament election it is tying with the Conservatives, which would lead to a close battle for second place, when you run the results through the Scotland Votes website:

When we looked at the Liberal Democrat target seats, we saw that Dunbartonshire East and Edinburgh West would fall back on less than a 3% swing. Third on the Conservative target list is Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk, which needs just a 0.30% swing. However, as I noted earlier, Labour needs a swing of 3.28% to have a second Scottish seat - and is at risk of losing the one it has.

Picture then, a general election which sees Labour - if it has any Scottish MPs - reduced to being Scotland's fourth party in terms of Westminster seats. Gone would be the days of the Blair/Brown Government, where there was the perception that Labour was favouring Scotland above England. Instead, it would enable voters in England to see Labour as a quintessentially English party.

In addition, Labour support in Wales is falling, and the boundary changes will hit Wales more than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, as it would lose around one-quarter of its seats.

For Labour, things will just get worse as this Parliament continues. The best thing for their long-term future is an early election - however damaging that will be in the short-term.

Monday 8 February 2016

The Composition Of The 1994-1999 European Parliament

The overall result for the European Parliament elected in 1994 as supplied to me by the Historical Archives Unit of the European Union's Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services was:

  • Party of European Socialists (PES) - 198 (including 62 Labour and 1 Social Democratic & Labour Party)
  • European People's Party (EPP) - 158 (including 18 Conservative and 1 Ulster Unionist Party)
  • European Liberal Democrat & Reform Party (ELDR) - 42 (including 2 Liberal Democrat)
  • European United Left (EUL) - 28
  • Non-attached (NA) - 28 (including 1 Democratic Unionist Party)
  • Forza Europa (FE) - 26
  • European Democratic Alliance (EDA) - 26
  • Greens (Grn) - 23
  • European Radical Alliance (ERA) - 19 (including 2 Scottish National Party)
  • Europe of Nations (EN) - 19

Note that no single group could achieve the 284 MEPs needed for an overall majority - and the only pairing that could would be a Party of European Socialists/European People's Party one.

The earliest Member of the European Parliament was Astrid Lulling (EPP) from Luxembourg's Christian Social People's Party (the party which Jean-Claude Juncker, the current President of the European Commission, is from) who was appointed in October 1965 - however, she had left the Parliament in July 1974, and had not returned until being elected in June 1989.

Next was Doeke Eisma (ELDR) from the Netherlands' Democrats 66, who was appointed in March 1973, and left the Parliament in October 1974, not returning until filling a vacancy in June 1981.

Third was John Corrie (EPP) from the Conservatives, who had a couple of appointed terms (March to December 1975 and March 1977 to July 1979), and wouldn't return until elected MEP for Worcestershire & South Warwickshire in 1994 (the constituency I was living in at the time).

Joint fourth were Winnie Ewing (ERA) from the Scottish National Party, who was the longest continually-serving MEP, having been appointed in July 1975 and elected as MEP for Highlands & Islands at every election since then; and Niels Kofoed (ELDR) from Denmark's Left party, who had stepped down in September 1978 and returned at the 1989 election.

We can now look at the day-by-day changes:

19 July 1994: 4th European Parliament commences [PES 198, EPP 158, ELDR 42, EUL 28, NA 28, FE 26, EDA 26, Grn 23, ERA 19, EN 19]

26 September 1994: Resignation of Luis Sá (EUL, Portugal) [PES 198, EPP 158, ELDR 42, NA 28, EUL 27, FE 26, EDA 26, Grn 23, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

28 September 1994: Appointment of Honório Novo (EUL, Portugal) [PES 198, EPP 158, ELDR 42, EUL 28, NA 28, FE 26, EDA 26, Grn 23, ERA 19, EN 19]

16 October 1994: Resignation of Lydie Wurth-Polfer (ELDR, Luxembourg) [PES 198, EPP 158, ELDR 41, EUL 28, NA 28, FE 26, EDA 26, Grn 23, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

25 October 1994: Appointment of Charles Goerens (ELDR, Luxembourg) [PES 198, EPP 158, ELDR 42, EUL 28, NA 28, FE 26, EDA 26, Grn 23, ERA 19, EN 19]

15 December 1994: Enrico Ferri (NA, Italy) and Marilena Marin (ELDR, Italy) join Forza Europa [PES 198, EPP 158, ELDR 41, EUL 28, FE 28, NA 27, EDA 26, Grn 23, ERA 19, EN 19]

21 December 1994: Lilli Gyldenkilde (Grn, Denmark) joins European United Left [PES 198, EPP 158, ELDR 41, EUL 29, FE 28, NA 27, EDA 26, Grn 22, ERA 19, EN 19]

1 January 1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden join the European Union and interim MEPs appointed by their national Parliaments (Austria - PES 8, EPP 6, NA 5, ELDR 1, Grn 1; Finland - ELDR 6, PES 4, EPP 4, Grn 1, NA 1; Sweden - PES 11, EPP 6, EDLR 3, Grn 1, NA 1) take their seats [PES 221, EPP 174, ELDR 51, NA 34, EUL 29, FE 28, EDA 26, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19]

5 January 1995: Bengt Hurtig (NA, Sweden) and Marjatta Stenus-Kaukonen (NA, Finland) join European United Left, which is renamed European United Left-Nordic Green Left [PES 221, EPP 174, ELDR 51, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, FE 28, EDA 26, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19]

23 January 1995: Resignation of Christos Papoutsis (PES, Greece) [PES 220, EPP 174, ELDR 51, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, FE 28, EDA 26, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

24 January 1995: Appointment of Yiannos Kranidiotis (PES, Greece) [PES 221, EPP 174, ELDR 51, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, FE 28, EDA 26, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19]

18 May 1995: Resignations of Yves Galland (ELDR, France) and Jean-Pierre Raffarin (EPP, France) [PES 221, EPP 173, ELDR 50, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, FE 28, EDA 26, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19. vacant 2]

19 May 1995: Appointments of Jean-Antoine Giansily (EDA1, France) and Jean-Thomas Nordmann (ELDR, France) [PES 221, EPP 173, ELDR 51, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, FE 28, EDA 27, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19]

30 June 1995: Resignation of Walter Posch (PES, Austria) [PES 220, EPP 173, ELDR 51, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, FE 28, EDA 27, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

3 July 1995: Death of Alexander Langer (Grn, Italy) [PES 220, EPP 173, ELDR 51, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, FE 28, EDA 27, Grn 24, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 2]

5 July 1995: Forza Europa and European Democratic Alliance merge to form Union for Europe [PES 220, EPP 173, UFE 55, ELDR 51, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, Grn 24, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 2]

11 July 1995: Appointments of Albrecht Konecny (PES, Austria) and Gianni Tamino (Grn, Italy) [PES 221, EPP 173, UFE 55, ELDR 51, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19]

15 September 1995: Resignation of Maritto Segni (EPP, Italy) [PES 221, EPP 172, UFE 55, ELDR 51, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

18 September 1995: Appointment of Vincenzo Viola (EPP, Italy); death of Jean Gol (ELDR, Belgium) [PES 221, EPP 173, UFE 55, ELDR 50, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

20 September 1995: Pier Casini (UFE, Italy) and Enrico Ferri (UFE, Italy) join European People's Party [PES 221, EPP 175, UFE 53, ELDR 50, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

30 September 1995: Resignation of Celia Villalobos Talero (EPP, Spain) [PES 221, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 50, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 2]

2 October 1995: Appointment of Jorge Hernández Mollar (EPP, Spain) [PES 221, EPP 175, UFE 53, ELDR 50, NA 32, EUL-NGL 31, Grn 25, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

8 October 1995: Swedish interim MEPs (PES 11, EPP 6, EDLR 3, Grn 1, EUL-NGL 1) leave the Parliament [PES 210, EPP 169, UFE 53, ELDR 47, NA 32, EUL-NGL 30, Grn 24, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 23]

9 October 1995: Elected Swedish MEPs (PES 7, EPP 5, Grn 4, ELDR 3, EUL-NGL 3) take their seats [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 50, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 28, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

11 October 1995: Jup Weber (Grn, Luxembourg) joins European Radical Alliance [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 50, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 1]

15 October 1995: Resignation of João Soares (PES, Portugal) [PES 216, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 50, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 2]

17 October 1995: Appointment of Carlos Candal (PES, Portugal) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 50, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 1]

19 October 1995: Resignation of Manuel Monteiro (UFE, Portugal) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 52, ELDR 50, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 2]

25 October 1995: Appointment of Philippe Monfils (ELDR, Belgium) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 52, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 1]

28 October 1995: Resignation of António Vitorino (PES, Portugal) [PES 216, EPP 174, UFE 52, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 2]

30 October 1995: Appointment of Quinídio Correia (PES, Portugal) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 52, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 1]

31 October 1995: Appointment of Rui Vieira (UFE, Portugal) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19]

6 December 1995: Resignation of Mercedes de la Merced Monge (EPP, Spain) [PES 217, EPP 173, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 1]

12 December 1995: Appointment of Felipe Camisón Asensio (EPP, Spain) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19]

14 January 1996: Resignations of Lilli Gyldenkilde (EUL-NGL, Denmark) and Mathias Reichhold (NA, Austria) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 32, NA 31, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 2]

15 January 1996: Appointment of John Iversen (EUL-NGL, Denmark) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 31, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 1]

17 January 1996: Appointment of Klaus Lukas (NA, Austria) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19]

24 January 1996: Resignation of Gerfrid Gaigg (EPP, Austria) [PES 217, EPP 173, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 1]

25 January 1996: Appointment of Paul Rübig (EPP, Austria) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19]

1 February 1996: Resignation of Heinke Salisch (PES, Germany) [PES 216, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 1]

6 February 1996: Appointment of Dietrich Elchlepp (PES, Germany) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19]

26 March 1996: Resignation of María Aramburu del Río (EUL-NGL, Spain) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 32, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19, vacant 1]

28 March 1996: Appointment of Abdelkader Mohamed Ali (EUL-NGL, Spain); resignation of Marco Pannella (ERA, Italy) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 19, EN 19, vacant 1]

31 March 1996: Appointment of Olivier Dupuis (ERA, Italy) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 53, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 19]

15 April 1996: Philippe-Armand Martin (EN, France) joins Union for Europe [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18]

21 April 1996: Death of Robert Hersant (EPP, France) [PES 217, EPP 173, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18, vacant 1]

22 April 1996: Appointment of André Fourçans (EPP, France) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18]

25 April 1996: Resignations of Susanne Riess-Passer (NA, Austria) and Karl Schweitzer (NA, Austria) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 30, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18, vacant 2]

26 April 1996: Appointments of Wolfgang Jung (NA, Austria) and Franz Linser (NA, Austria) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18]

6 May 1996: Resignation of Abel Matutes Juan (EPP, Spain) [PES 217, EPP 173, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18, vacant 1]

10 May 1996: Appointment of José Pomés Ruiz (EPP, Spain) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18]

10 July 1996: Antonio González Triviño (Spain) leaves Party of European Socialists [PES 216, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18]

17 July 1996: Antoinette Fouque (ERA, France) joins Party of European Socialists [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 33, Grn 27, ERA 19, EN 18]

19 July 1996: Resignation of Frédérique Bredin (PES, France) [PES 216, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 33, Grn 27, ERA 19, EN 18, vacant 1]

20 July 1996: Appointment of Marie-Arlette Carlotti (PES, France) [PES 217, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 33, Grn 27, ERA 19, EN 18]

2 September 1996: Death of Kenneth Stewart (PES, United Kingdom) [PES 216, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 33, Grn 27, ERA 19, EN 18, vacant 1]

17 September 1996: Resignation of Isidoro Sanchez Garcia (ERA, Spain) [PES 216, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 33, Grn 27, ERA 18, EN 18, vacant 2]

18 September 1996: Appointment of Alfonso Novo Belenguer (ERA, Spain); Antonio González Triviño (NA, Spain) joins European Radical Alliance [PES 216, EPP 174, UFE 54, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18, vacant 1]

19 September 1996: Leonie van Bladel (PES, Netherlands) joins Union for Europe [PES 215, EPP 174, UFE 55, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 33, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18, vacant 1]

1 October 1996: John Iversen (EUL-NGL, Denmark) joins Party of European Socialists [PES 216, EPP 174, UFE 55, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 32, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18, vacant 1]

2 October 1996: Resignation of Friedrich König (EPP, Austria) [PES 216, EPP 173, UFE 55, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 32, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18, vacant 2]

29 October 1996: Resignation of Michael Spindelegger (EPP, Austria) [PES 216, EPP 172, UFE 55, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 32, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 18, vacant 3]

1 November 1996: Anne Poisson (EN, France) joins Union for Europe [PES 216, EPP 172, UFE 56, ELDR 51, EUL-NGL 32, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 17, vacant 3]

6 November 1996: António Capucho (ELDR, Portugal), Carlos Costa Neves (ELDR, Portugal), Arlindo Cunha (ELDR, Portugal), Eurico de Melo (ELDR, Portugal), Nélio Mendonça (ELDR, Portugal), Carlos Pimenta (ELDR, Portugal), Manuel Porto (ELDR, Portugal) and Helena Vaz da Silva (ELDR, Portugal) join European People's Party [PES 216, EPP 180, UFE 56, ELDR 43, EUL-NGL 32, NA 32, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 17, vacant 3]

10 November 1996: Austrian (PES 8, EPP 4, NA 5, ELDR 1, Grn 1) and Finnish (ELDR 6, PES 4, EPP 4, EUL-NGL 1, Grn 1) interim MEPs leave the Parliament; resignation of Enrico Montesano (PES, Italy) [PES 203, EPP 172, UFE 56, ELDR 36, EUL-NGL 31, NA 27, Grn 25, ERA 20, EN 17, vacant 39]

11 November 1996: Elected Austrian (EPP 7, PES 6, NA 6, ELDR 1, Grn 1) and Finnish (ELDR 5, PES 4, EPP 4, EUL-NGL 2, Grn 1) MEPs take their seats; Georges Berthu (France), Johannes Blokland (Netherlands), Jens-Peter Bonde (Denmark), Charles de Gaulle (France), Philippe de Villiers (France), Edouard des Places (France), Hervé Fabre-Aubrespy (France), James Golsmith (France), Thierry Jean-Pierre (France), Lis Jensen (Denmark), Ole Krarup (Denmark), Ulla Sandbæk (Denmark), Françoise Seillier (France), Dominique Souchet (France), Frédéric Striby (France) and Leen van der Waal (Netherlands) leave Europe of Nations; appointment of Pasqualina Napoletano (PES, Italy) [PES 214, EPP 183, UFE 56, NA 49, ELDR 42, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 1, vacant 1]

12 December 1996: Election of Richard Corbett (PES, United Kingdom) [PES 215, EPP 183, UFE 56, NA 49, ELDR 42, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 1]

13 December 1996: Alessandro Fontana (UFE, Italy) joins European People's Party [PES 215, EPP 184, UFE 55, NA 49, ELDR 42, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, EN 1]

31 December 1996: Noël Mamère (ERA, France) joins Greens [PES 215, EPP 184, UFE 55, NA 49, ELDR 42, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, EN 1]

1 January 1997: James Janssen van Raay (EPP, Netherlands) joines Union for Europe and Bernard Kouchner (PES, France) joins European Radical Alliance [PES 214, EPP 183, UFE 56, NA 49, ELDR 42, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, EN 1]

13 January 1997: Georges Berthu (NA, France), Johannes Blokland (NA, Netherlands), Jens-Peter Bonde (NA, Denmark), Charles de Gaulle (NA, France), Philippe de Villiers (NA, France), Edouard des Places (NA, France), Hervé Fabre-Aubrespy (NA, France), James Golsmith (NA, France), Thierry Jean-Pierre (NA, France), Lis Jensen (NA, Denmark), Ole Krarup (NA, Denmark), Jim Nicholson (EPP, United Kingdom), Ulla Sandbæk (NA, Denmark), Françoise Seillier (NA, France), Dominique Souchet (NA, France), Frédéric Striby (NA, France) and Leen van der Waal (NA, Netherlands) form Independents for a Europe of Nations [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 56, ELDR 42, EUL-NGL 33, NA 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1]

17 January 1997: Resignation of Rui Vieira (UFE, Portugal) [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 55, ELDR 42, EUL-NGL 33, NA 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1, vacant 1]

18 January 1997: Appointment of Maria Cardona (UFE, Portugal) [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 56, ELDR 42, EUL-NGL 33, NA 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1]

1 February 1997: Luigi Caligaris (Italy) leaves Union for Europe [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 55, ELDR 42, NA 34, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1]

3 February 1997: Resignation of Yiannos Kranidiotis (PES, Greece) [PES 213, EPP 182, UFE 55, ELDR 42, NA 34, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1, vacant 1]

4 February 1997: Resignation of Bernard Tapie (ERA, France) [PES 213, EPP 182, UFE 55, ELDR 42, NA 34, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 17, EN 1, vacant 2]

5 February 1997: Appointment of Michel Scarbonchi (ERA, France) [PES 213, EPP 182, UFE 55, ELDR 42, NA 34, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1, vacant 1]

6 February 1997: Appointment of Anna Karamanou (PES, Greece) [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 55, ELDR 42, NA 34, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1]

19 February 1997: Luigi Caligaris (NA, Italy) and Stefano de Luca (UFE, Italy) join European Liberal Democrat & Reform Party; Umberto Bossi (Italy), Gipo Farassino (Italy), Marco Formentini (Italy) and Luigi Moretti (Italy) leave European Liberal Democrat & Reform Party [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1]

30 April 1997: Resignation of René-Emile Piquet (EUL-NGL, France) [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 32, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1, vacant 1]

1 May 1997: Appointment of Jean Querbes (EUL-NGL, France) [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 17, EN 1]

5 June 1997: Resignations of Elisabeth Guigou (PES, France), Bernard Kouchner (ERA, France), Pierre Moscovici (PES, France) and Catherine Trautmann (PES, France) [PES 211, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 17, EN 1, vacant 4]

6 June 1997: Appointments of Jean Cottigney (PES, France), Olivier Duhamel (PES, France), Georges Garot (PES, France) and Marie-Noëlle Lienemann (PES, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 17, EN 1]

15 June 1997: Resignation of Philippe de Villiers (IEN, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

17 June 1997: Appointment of Eric Pinel (NA, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1]

15 July 1997: Resignation of Nicole Pery (PES, France) [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

17 July 1997: Appointment of Marie-José Denys (PES, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1]

19 July 1997: Death of James Goldsmith (IEN, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 15, EN 1, vacant 1]

20 July 1997: Appointment of Stéphane Buffetaut (IEN, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1]

31 July 1997: Resignation of Jack Lang (PES, France) [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

2 August 1997: Appointment of Henri Weber (PES, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1]

11 August 1997: Resignation of Noël Mamère (Grn, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

13 August 1997: Appointment of Henri de Lassus Saint Genies (ERA, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

31 August 1997: Resignation of Christian Jacob (UFE, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 53, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

1 September 1997: Resignation of Leen van der Waal (IEN, Netherlands) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 53, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 15, EN 1, vacant 2]

2 September 1997: Appointments of Pierre Lataillade (UFE, France) and Rijk van Dam (IEN, Netherlands) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

17 September 1997: Resignation of Henri Weber (PES, France) [PES 214, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

18 September 1997: Appointment of Marie-Thérèse Mutin (PES, France) [PES 215, EPP 182, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

2 October 1997: Resignation of Dominique Baudis (EPP, France) [PES 215, EPP 181, UFE 54, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

3 October 1997: Appointment of Roger Karoutchi (UFE2, France) [PES 215, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

6 October 1997: Resignation of Siegbert Alber (EPP, Germany) [PES 215, EPP 180, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

10 October 1997: Appointment of Rainer Wieland (EPP, Germany) [PES 215, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

1 January 1998: Hugh Kerr (PES, United Kingdom) joins Greens [PES 214, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

12 January 1998: Ken Coates (PES, United Kingdom) joins European United Left-Nordic Green Left [PES 213, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

31 March 1998: Resignation of Norman West (PES, United Kingdom) [PES 212, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

21 April 1998: Death of Spalato Bellerè (NA, Italy) [PES 212, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

24 April 1998: Resignation of Bernard Stasi (EPP, France) [PES 212, EPP 180, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 3]

25 April 1998: Appointment of Bernard Lehideux (EPP, France) [PES 212, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

30 April 1998: Resignation of Raymonde Dury (PES, Belgium) [PES 211, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 3]

1 May 1998: Appointment of Claude Delcroix (PES, Belgium) [PES 212, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 37, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

6 May 1998: Appointment of Luciano Schifone (NA, Italy) [PES 212, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

7 May 1998: Election of Linda McAvan (PES, United Kingdom) [PES 213, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

22 May 1998: Death of Francisco Lucas Pires (EPP, Portugal) [PES 213, EPP 180, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

25 May 1998: Luciano Pettinari (EUL-NGL, Italy) joins Party of European Socialists [PES 214, EPP 180, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

8 June 1998: Appointment of José Mendes Bota (EPP, Portugal) [PES 214, EPP 181, UFE 55, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

15 June 1998: Guido Podestá (UFE, Italy), Giacomo Santini (UFE, Italy), Umberto Scapagnini (UFE, Italy) and Guido Viceconte (UFE, Italy) join European People's Party [PES 214, EPP 185, UFE 51, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

16 June 1998: Antonio Tajani (UFE, Italy) joins European People's Party [PES 214, EPP 186, UFE 50, ELDR 40, NA 38, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

6 July 1998: Aldo Arroni (UFE, Italy), Claudio Azzolini (UFE, Italy), Monica Baldi (UFE, Italy), Gian Boniperti (UFE, Italy), Ombretta Colli Comelli (UFE, Italy), Alessandro Danesin (UFE, Italy), Pietro di Prima (UFE, Italy), Luigi Florio (UFE, Italy), Riccardo Garosci (UFE, Italy), Giacomo Leopardi (UFE, Italy), Giancarlo Ligabue (UFE, Italy), Franco Malerba (UFE, Italy), Eolo Parodi (UFE, Italy) and Luisa Todini (UFE, Italy) join European People's Party [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 28, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

13 July 1998: Carlo Ripa di Meana (Grn, Italy) joins European United Left-Nordic Green Left [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1]

2 August 1998: Resignation of Gijs de Vries (ELDR, Netherlands) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 39, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

25 August 1998: Death of Allan Macartney (ERA, United Kingdom) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 39, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

31 August 1998: Resignation of Nel van Dijk (Grn, Netherlands) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 39, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 26, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 3]

1 September 1998: Appointments of Robert Goedbloed (ELDR, Netherlands) and Joost Lagendijk (Grn, Netherlands) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

14 September 1998: Resignation of António Capucho (EPP, Portugal) [PES 214, EPP 199, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

15 September 1998: Appointment of Carlos Coelho (EPP, Portugal) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

2 October 1998: Resignation of José Apolinário (PES, Portugal) [PES 213, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

3 October 1998: Appointment of Elisa Damião (PES, Portugal) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

4 October 1998: Resignations of Birgitta Ahlqvist (PES, Sweden) and Tommy Waidelich (PES, Sweden) [PES 212, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 3]

6 October 1998: Appointments of Veronica Palm (PES, Sweden) and Yvonne Sandberg-Fries (PES, Sweden) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

7 October 1998: Resignation of Alfonso Novo Belenguer (ERA, Spain) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 18, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

8 October 1998: Appointment of Manuel Escola Hernando (ERA, Spain) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

11 October 1998: Resignation of Achille Occhetto (PES, Italy) [PES 213, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

14 October 1998: Resignation of Jaak Vandemeulebroucke (ERA, Belgium) [PES 213, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 18, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 3]

16 October 1998: Appointment of Nelly Maes (ERA, Belgium) [PES 213, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

19 October 1998: James Moorhouse (EPP, United Kingdom) joins European Liberal Democrat & Reform Party [PES 213, EPP 199, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

26 October 1998: Resignation of Giampaolo d'Andrea (EPP, Italy) [PES 213, EPP 198, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 3]

11 November 1998: Appointments of Gaetano Carrozzo (PES, Italy) and Giuseppe Mottola (EPP, Italy) [PES 214, EPP 199, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 1]

18 November 1998: Resignation of Claudia Roth (Grn, Germany) [PES 214, EPP 199, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 26, ERA 19, IEN 16, EN 1, vacant 2]

19 November 1998: Thierry Jean-Pierre (IEN, France) joins European People's Party [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 26, ERA 19, IEN 15, EN 1, vacant 2]

23 November 1998: Appointment of Ozan Ceyhun (Grn, Germany) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 19, IEN 15, EN 1, vacant 1]

26 November 1998: Election of Ian Hudghton (ERA, United Kingdom) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 15, EN 1]

2 December 1998: Marie-France de Rose (EN, France) joins European People's Party [PES 214, EPP 201, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 36, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 15]

16 December 1998: Roberto Mezzaroma (UFE, Italy) joins European People's Party [PES 214, EPP 202, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 35, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 15]

29 December 1998: Raymond Chesa (UFE, France) joins Independents for a Europe of Nations [PES 214, EPP 202, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16]

5 January 1999: Resignation of Josu Imaz San Miguel (EPP, Spain) [PES 214, EPP 201, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 20, IEN 16, vacant 1]

21 January 1999: Appointment of José Posada González (ERA3, Spain) [PES 214, EPP 201, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 16]

31 January 1999: Resignation of Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza (PES, Spain) [PES 213, EPP 201, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 16, vacant 1]

4 February 1999: Appointment of Carlos Bru Purón (PES, Spain) [PES 214, EPP 201, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 16]

28 March 1999: Resignation of Outi Ojala (EUL-NGL, Finland) [PES 214, EPP 201, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 16, vacant 1]

29 March 1999: Resignation of Kirsi Piha (EPP, Finland) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 16, vacant 2]

30 March 1999: Resignations of Sirkka-Liisa Anttila (ELDR, Finland) and Fernando Morán López (PES, Spain) [PES 213, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 16, vacant 4]

9 April 1999: Appointment of Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia (PES, Spain) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 40, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 33, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 16, vacant 3]

13 April 1999: Appointments of Inna Ilivitzky (EUL-NGL, Finland), Ritva Laurila (EPP, Finland) and Samuli Pohjamo (ELDR, Finland) [PES 214, EPP 201, ELDR 41, NA 38, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 16]

19 April 1999: Charles de Gaulle (France) leaves Independents for a Europe of Nations [PES 214, EPP 201, ELDR 41, NA 39, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 15]

22 April 1999: Resignation of Marlies Mosiek-Urbahn (EPP, Germany) [PES 214, EPP 200, ELDR 41, NA 39, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 15, vacant 1]

23 April 1999: Appointment of Michael Gahler (EPP, Germany) [PES 214, EPP 201, ELDR 41, NA 39, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 15]

10 June 1999: Election for 5th European Parliament held in Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

11 June 1999: Election for 5th European Parliament held in Ireland.

13 June 1999: Election for 5th European Parliament held in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

14 June 1999: Resignation of Laurens Brinkhorst (ELDR, Netherlands) [PES 214, EPP 201, ELDR 40, NA 39, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 15, vacant 1]

20 June 1999: Resignation of Jesús Cabezón Alonso (PES, Spain) [PES 213, EPP 201, ELDR 40, NA 39, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 15, vacant 2]

28 June 1999: Resignation of Anne-Marie Neyts-Uyttebroeck (ELDR, Belgium) [PES 213, EPP 201, ELDR 39, NA 39, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 15, vacant 3]

30 June 1999: Resignation of Georges de Brémond d'Ars (EPP, France) [PES 213, EPP 200, ELDR 39, NA 39, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 15, vacant 4]

1 July 1999: Resignation of Nélio Mendonça (EPP, Portugal) [PES 213, EPP 199, ELDR 39, NA 39, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 15, vacant 5]

12 July 1999: Resignation of Laura de Esteban Martin (EPP, Spain) [PES 213, EPP 198, ELDR 39, NA 39, UFE 34, EUL-NGL 34, Grn 27, ERA 21, IEN 15, vacant 6]

19 July 1999: Term of 4th European Parliament expires.

Notes:

1 Giansily was replacing Raffarin - at a national level, Giansily was from the National Centre of Independents & Peasants, a small party which was allied with Raffarin's Union for French Democracy.

2 Baudis was from Union for French Democracy (which was part of the EPP group), while Karoutchi was from Rally for the Republic (which was part of the UFE group). These parties had fought the 1994 election on a combined list.

3 Imaz San Miguel was from the Basque Nationalist Party, which contested the European election as part of the National Coalition - Posada González was from another regionalist party in the National Coalition, viz. the Galician Coalition.

We can look at the initial breakdown of seats country-by-country:

Country Group
PES EPP ELDR EUL NA FE EDA Grn ERA EN
Belgium 6 7 6 0 3 0 0 2 1 0
Denmark 3 3 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 4
France 15 13 1 7 11 0 14 0 13 13
Germany 40 47 0 0 0 0 0 12 0 0
Greece 10 9 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 0
Ireland 1 4 1 0 0 0 7 2 0 0
Italy 18 13 6 5 13 26 0 4 2 0
Luxembourg 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Netherlands 8 10 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
Portugal 10 1 8 3 0 0 3 0 0 0
Spain 22 30 2 9 0 0 0 0 1 0
United Kingdom 63 19 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0

The rules on group forming in the Parliament were a lot more relaxed - the current rules require 25 MEPs from at least one-quarter of member nations (i.e. 7).

If such rules had been in place after the 1994 election, then Forza Europa would fail to meet the criteria (its MEPs were from only one country) and the Greens, European Radical Alliance and Europe of Nations would not have enough MEPs. In those circumstances, it is reasonable to assume that the merger of Forza Europa and the European Democratic Alliance would have occurred when the Parliament first met, and the merger of the Greens and the European Radical Alliance to form a single group (which happened in July 1999) would have happened 5 years earlier.

The 1989 European Election Results On The 1994 Boundaries

At 4 elections - June 1979, June 1984, June 1989 and June 1984 - Great Britain elected our Members of the European Parliament using Single Member Plurality (often called First Past The Post). The way that the Parliament has changed in size can be seen in the table below:

Election MEPs Nations
United Kingdom In total
June 1979 81 410 9
June 1984 81 434 10
June 1989 81 518 12
June 1994 87 567 12
June 1999 87 626 15
June 2004 78 732 25
June 2009 72 736 27
May 2014 73 751 28

Until 1994, the number of MEPs that "The Nine" (Belgium, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, United Kingdom) had remained constant, and the four largest nations (France, Germany, Italy, UK) each had 81 MEPs. The expansion in the Parliament's size was Greece being given 24 MEPs when it joined in January 1981, and Portugal and Spain being given 24 and 60 MEPs respectively when they joined in January 1986.

By 1994 there had been two major changes. Firstly, the old German Democratic Republic had been absorbed into the Federal Republic in October 1990, and as a consequence, the parity in seats for the four largest nations ended. Germany received an additional 18 seats (bringing it up to 99), while France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom each received an extra 6 seats, Span received an extra 4, with Belgium, Greece and Portugal (all of whom had had 24 MEPs) received an extra seat each - creating an extra 49 seats. The second big change was the Treaty of Maastricht coming into force in November 1993, replacing the European Communities with the European Union, and giving the Parliament more powers.

January 1995 saw Austria (21 MEPs), Finland (16 MEPs) and Sweden (22 MEPs) join, pushing the Parliament up to 626 seats.

The Treaty of Nice came into force in February 2003, setting an upper limit of 732 MEPs (which could be breached, temporarily, if new countries joined between elections).

In May 2004 there was a major expansion of the EU, with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joining, bringing the EU to 25 member nations. The Parliament elected the following month saw many countries have a reduction in MEPs in order to keep the Nice cap.

In January 2007 Bulgaria (18 MEPs) and Romania (35 MEPs) joined the EU, brinng the Parliament up to 785 MEPs. As this was mid-term, breaching the Nice cap was not an issue, but the size of the Parliament was reduced by 49 members for the 2009 election. Croatia - with 12 MEPs - joined in July 2013, bringing the Parliament up to 748.

The Treaty of Lisbon came into force in December 2009, which set the size of the Parliament at 750 members from the 2014 election, with each nation being entitled to a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 96 seats. Historically, France, Italy and the United Kingdom had the same number of seats, but this Treaty put France on 74, the United Kingdom on 73 and Italy on 72. To ensure Italy was treated equally as the United Kingdom, the size was increased to 751 members.

The June 1989 European election had given the result:

  • Labour - 45
  • Conservative - 32
  • Scottish National Party - 1
  • Democratic Unionist Party - 1
  • Social Democratic & Labour Party - 1
  • Ulster Unionist Party - 1

The 1989 election was controversial as the Greens obtained their best ever result - 14.42% of the vote - but won no seats. This was the first election I was really aware of, as - although I was too young to vote - most of the students at my sixth-form college were able to. Our European constituency - Dorset East & West Hampshire - was one where the Greens came second.

Labour's 38.72% was their best result in a national election since the October 1974 general election, and ended up being their highest share of the vote under Neil Kinnock's leadership (the April 1992 general election saw their share of the vote fall from 1989). The Conservatives' 33.54% was their worst result in a national election since the April/May 1859 general election.

The 1989 election was also the last national election with Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister.

The following 26 seats were unchanged:

  • Birmingham East
  • Birmingham West
  • Durham
  • Fife & Mid Scotland
  • Glasgow
  • Highlands & Islands
  • Leeds
  • London Central
  • London East
  • London North
  • London North East
  • London North West
  • London West
  • Lothians
  • Merseyside East (renamed Merseyside East & Wigan)
  • Merseyside West
  • Midlands West
  • Northern Ireland (3-member constituency)
  • Northumbria
  • Scotland North East
  • Scotland South
  • Strathclyde East
  • Strathclyde West
  • Thames Valley
  • Tyne & Wear
  • Yorkshire South

Next we can look at how the 1984/1989 constituencies were split up for 1994:

Constituency Percentage New constituency
Bedfordshire South 56.81% Bedfordshire & Milton Keynes
29.94% Hertfordshire
13.25% Essex West & East Hertfordshire
Bristol 75.11% Bristol
24.89% Wiltshire North & Bath
Cambridge & North Bedfordshire 72.66% Cambridgeshire
27.34% Bedfordshire & Milton Keynes
Cheshire East 57.96% Cheshire East
14.31% Peak District
14.30% Cheshire West & Wirral
13.44% Staffordshire West & Congleton
Cheshire West 86.05% Cheshire West & Wirral
13.95% Cheshire East
Cleveland & North Yorkshire 86.80% Cleveland & Richmond
13.20% North Yorkshire
Cornwall & Plymouth 87.77% Cornwall & West Plymouth
12.23% Devon & East Plymouth
Cotswolds 72.61% Cotswolds
14.67% Worcestershire & South Warwickshire
12.73% Buckinghamshire & East Oxfordshire
Cumbria & North Lancashire 89.27% Cumbria & North Lancashire
10.73% Lancashire Central
Derbyshire 63.62% Peak District
24.63% Staffordshire East & Derby
11.75% Nottinghamshire North & Chesterfield
Devon 75.43% Devon & East Plymouth
13.14% Dorset & East Devon
11.44% Somerset & North Devon
Dorset East & West Hampshire 62.44% Dorset & East Devon
37.56% Itchen, Test & Avon
Essex North East 67.30% Essex North & South Suffolk
32.70% Essex South
Essex South West 50.28% Essex West & East Hertfordshire
49.72% Essex South
Greater Manchester Central 61.58% Greater Manchester Central
25.23% Cheshire East
13.20% Greater Manchester West
Greater Manchester East 62.24% Greater Manchester East
37.76% Greater Manchester Central
Greater Manchester West 86.65% Greater Manchester West
13.35% Lancashire South
Hampshire Central 42.92% Hampshire North & Oxford
42.74% Itchen, Test & Avon
14.34% Wight & South Hampshire
Hereford & Worcester 51.27% Worcestershire & South Warwickshire
35.48% Hereford & Shropshire
13.25% Cotswolds
Hertfordshire 70.73% Hertfordshire
29.27% Essex West & East Hertfordshire
Humberside 70.61% Humberside
29.39% Lincolnshire & South Humberside
Kent East 87.22% Kent East
12.78% Kent West
Kent West 74.34% Kent West
25.66% East Sussex & South Kent
Lancashire Central 56.83% Lancashire Central
43.17% Lancashire South
Lancashire East 39.08% Lancashire South
35.99% Greater Manchester East
24.93% Lancashire Central
Leicester 61.56% Leicester
24.59% Coventry & North Warwickshire
13.86% Nottingham & North West Leicestershire
Lincolnshire 64.28% Lincolnshire & South Humberside
23.09% Nottinghamshire North & Chesterfield
12.63% Leicester
London South & East Surrey 85.61% London South & East Surrey
14.39% Surrey
London South East 91.31% London South East
8.69% London South Inner
London South Inner 89.01% London South Inner
10.99% London South West
London South West 85.97% London South West
14.03% London South & East Surrey
Midlands Central 71.94% Coventry & North Warwickshire
28.06% Worcestershire & South Warwickshire
Norfolk 86.75% Norfolk
13.25% Suffolk & South West Norfolk
Northamptonshire 87.09% Northamptonshire & Blaby
12.91% Leicester
Nottingham 62.48% Nottingham & North West Leicestershire
24.66% Nottinghamshire North & Chesterfield
12.85% Peak District
Oxford & Buckinghamshire 75.14% Buckinghamshire & East Oxfordshire
24.86% Hampshire North & Oxford
Sheffield 74.20% Sheffield
25.80% Nottinghamshire North & Chesterfield
Shropshire & Stafford 51.36% Hereford & Shropshire
36.74% Staffordshire West & Congleton
11.89% Staffordshire East & Derby
Somerset & West Dorset 75.35% Somerset & North Devon
13.20% Bristol
11.45% Dorset & East Devon
Staffordshire East 51.68% Staffordshire East & Derby
35.93% Staffordshire West & Congleton
12.39% Nottingham & North West Leicestershire
Suffolk 70.63% Suffolk & South West Norfolk
15.25% Essex North & South Suffolk
14.13% Cambridgeshire
Surrey West 85.83% Surrey
14.17% South Downs West
Sussex East 66.46% East Sussex & South Kent
33.54% Sussex South & Crawley
Sussex West 55.63% Sussex South & Crawley
44.37% South Downs West
Wales Mid & West 58.28% Wales Mid & West
41.72% Wales South West
Wales North 86.46% Wales North
13.54% Wales Mid & West
Wales South 69.11% Wales South Central
30.89% Wales South West
Wales South East 80.63% Wales South East
19.37% Wales South Central
Wight & East Hampshire 70.88% Wight & South Hampshire
29.12% South Downs West
Wiltshire 61.14% Wiltshire North & Bath
25.72% Hampshire North & Oxford
13.14% Itchen, Test & Avon
York 71.87% North Yorkshire
28.13% Humberside
Yorkshire South West 88.08% Yorkshire South West
11.92% Sheffield
Yorkshire West 86.51% Yorkshire West
13.49% Yorkshire South West

We can now identify the 1984-1994 constituencies with their successors (if any) and will also look at which MEPs were seeking re-election in 1994:

Constituency MEP Standing for re-election? Successor constituency
Bedfordshire South Peter Beazley No Bedfordshire & Milton Keynes
Birmingham East Christine Crawley Yes Birmingham East
Birmingham West John Tomlinson Yes Birmingham West
Bristol Ian White Yes Bristol
Cambridge & North Bedfordshire Fred Catherwood No Cambridgeshire
Cheshire East Brian Simpson Yes Cheshire East
Cheshire West Lyndon Harrison Yes Cheshire West & Wirral
Cleveland & North Yorkshire David Bowe Yes Cleveland & Richmond
Cornwall & Plymouth Christopher Beazley Yes Cornwall & West Plymouth
Cotswolds Henry Plumb Yes Cotswolds
Cumbria & North Lancashire Richard Fletcher-Vane [a] Yes Cumbria & North Lancashire
Derbyshire Geoff Hoon [b] No Peak District
Devon Charles Strachey [c] Resigned seat May 1994 Devon & East Plymouth
Dorset East & West Hampshire Bryan Cassidy Yes Dorset & East Devon
Durham Stephen Hughes Yes Durham
Essex North East Anne McIntosh Yes Essex North & South Suffolk
Essex South West Patricia Rawlings Yes Essex West & East Hertfordshire
Fife & Mid Scotland Alex Falconer Yes Fife & Mid Scotland
Glasgow Janey Buchan No Glasgow
Greater Manchester Central Eddie Newman Yes Greater Manchester Central
Greater Manchester East Glyn Ford Yes Greater Manchester East
Greater Manchester West Gary Titley Yes Greater Manchester West
Hampshire Central Edward Kellett-Bowman Yes Hampshire North & Oxford
Hereford & Worcester James Scott-Hopkins No Worcestershire & South Warwickshire
Hertfordshire Derek Prag No Hertfordshire
Highlands & Islands Winnie Ewing Yes Highlands & Islands
Humberside Peter Crampton Yes Humberside
Kent East Christopher Jackson Yes Kent East
Kent West Ben Patterson Yes Kent East
Lancashire Central Michael Welsh Yes Lancashire Central
Lancashire East Michael Hindley Yes None [d]
Leeds Michael McGowan Yes Leeds
Leicester Mel Read Yes Leicester
Lincolnshire Bill Newton-Dunn Yes Lincolnshire & South Humberside
London Central Stan Newens Yes London Central
London East Carole Tongue Yes London East
London North Pauline Green Yes London North
London North East Alf Lomas Yes London North East
London North West Nicholas Bethell [e] Yes London North West
London South & East Surrey James Moorhouse Yes London South & East Surrey
London South East Peter Price Yes London South East
London South Inner Richard Balfe Yes London South Inner
London South West Anita Pollack Yes London South West
London West Michael Elliott Yes London West
Lothians David Martin Yes Lothians
Merseyside East Terry Wynn Yes Merseyside East & Wigan
Merseyside West Kenneth Stewart Yes Merseyside West
Midlands Central Christine Oddy Yes Coventry & North Warwickshire
Midlands West John Bird No Midlands West
Norfolk Paul Howell Yes Norfolk
Northamptonshire Anthony Simpson Yes Northamptonshire & Blaby
Northumbria Gordon Adam Yes Northumbria
Nottingham Ken Coates Yes Nottingham & North West Leicestershire
Oxford & Buckinghamshire James Elles Yes Buckinghamshire & East Oxfordshire
Scotland North East Henry McCubbin Yes Scotland North East
Scotland South Alex Smith Yes Scotland South
Sheffield Roger Barton Yes Sheffield
Shropshire & Stafford Christopher Prout Yes Hereford & Shropshire
Somerset & West Dorset Margaret Daly Yes Somerset & North Devon
Staffordshire East George Stevenson [f] No Staffordshire East & Derby
Strathclyde East Ken Collins Yes Strathclyde East
Strathclyde West Hugh McMahon Yes Strathclyde West
Suffolk Amédée Turner Yes Suffolk & South West Norfolk
Surrey West Tom Spencer Yes Surrey
Sussex East Jack Stewart-Clark Yes East Sussex & South Kent
Sussex West Madron Seligman No Sussex South & Crawley
Thames Valley John Stevens Yes Thames Valley
Tyne & Wear Alan Donnelly Yes Tyne & Wear
Wales Mid & West David Morris Yes Wales Mid & West
Wales North Joe Wilson Yes Wales North
Wales South Wayne David Yes Wales South Central
Wales South East Llew Smith [g] No Wales South East
Wight & East Hampshire Richard Simmonds No Wight & South Hampshire
Wiltshire Caroline Jackson Yes Wiltshire North & Bath
York Edward McMillan-Scott Yes North Yorkshire
Yorkshire South Norman West Yes Yorkshire South
Yorkshire South West Tom Megahy Yes Yorkshire South West
Yorkshire West Barry Seal Yes Yorkshire West
None Essex South
None Itchen, Test & Avon
None Lancashire South
None Nottinghamshire North & Chesterfield
None South Downs West
None Staffordshire West & Congleton
None Wales South West

[a] Fletcher-Vane became the 2nd Lord Inglewood a week after the 1989 election.

[b] Hoon was elected Labour MP for Ashfield (which lay within his European constituency) at the 1992 general election.

[c] Strachey was a member of the House of Lords as the 4th Lord O'Hagan.

[d] While it might appear that Lancashire South is the natural successor to Lancashire East, it picked up more voters from Lancashire Central than from Lancashire East.

[e] Bethell was also a member of the House of Lords as the 4th Lord Bethell.

[f] Stevenson was elected Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South (which lay within his European constituency) at the 1992 general election.

[g] Smith was elected Labour MP for Blaenau Gwent (which lay within his European constituency) at the 1992 general election.

Note that not every MEP seeking re-election stood in their successor seat:

MEP Successor seat Stood in
Ken Coates Nottingham & North West Leicestershire Nottinghamshire North & Chesterfield
Michael Hindley None Lancashire South
Edward Kellett-Bowman Hampshire North & Oxford Itchen, Test & Avon
David Morris Wales Mid & West Wales South West
Mel Read Leicester Nottingham & North West Leicestershire

We can now look at the partisan effects of the new constituencies:

Party Seats Changing hands due to boundary changes Abolished seats Created seats Notional seats
Gained Lost
Labour 45 1 1 1 4 48
Conservative 32 1 1 0 3 35
Scottish National Party 1 0 0 0 0 1
Democratic Unionist Party 1 0 0 0 0 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party 1 0 0 0 0 1
Ulster Unionist Party 1 0 0 0 0 1

The notional results are:

Labour (48 seats)

Constituency Majority Runner-up Held in 1994?
Tyne & Wear 95,780 Conservative Yes
Yorkshire South 91,784 Conservative Yes
Durham 86,848 Conservative Yes
Wales South East 79,195 Conservative Yes
Merseyside East & Wigan 76,867 Conservative Yes
Wales South West 69,762 Conservative Yes
Sheffield 65,558 Conservative Yes
Yorkshire South West 61,293 Conservative Yes
Strathclyde East 60,317 Scottish National Party Yes
Northumbria 60,040 Conservative Yes
Glasgow 59,232 Scottish National Party Yes
Greater Manchester East 58,959 Conservative Yes
Wales South Central 57,554 Conservative Yes
Fife & Mid Scotland 52,157 Scottish National Party Yes
Merseyside West 49,817 Conservative Yes
Greater Manchester West 49,400 Conservative Yes
London North East 47,767 Conservative Yes
Birmingham East 46,948 Conservative Yes
Nottinghamshire North & Chesterfield 46,772 Conservative Yes
Leeds 42,518 Conservative Yes
Midlands West 42,364 Conservative Yes
London South Inner 42,186 Conservative Yes
Strathclyde West 39,591 Scottish National Party Yes
Lothians 38,826 Conservative Yes
Cleveland & Richmond 33,643 Conservative Yes
Yorkshire West 32,070 Conservative Yes
Birmingham West 30,860 Conservative Yes
London East 27,385 Conservative Yes
Greater Manchester Central 27,284 Conservative Yes
Staffordshire West & Congleton 20,090 Conservative Yes
Coventry & North Warwickshire 20,002 Conservative Yes
Lancashire South 19,856 Conservative Yes
Staffordshire East & Derby 18,461 Conservative Yes
Cheshire West & Wirral 16,858 Conservative Yes
Cheshire East 16,805 Conservative Yes
Scotland South 15,693 Conservative Yes
London West 14,808 Conservative Yes
London Central 11,542 Conservative Yes
Wales Mid & West 11,527 Conservative Yes
London South West 10,723 Conservative Yes
Wales North 9,378 Conservative Yes
Bristol 7,715 Conservative Yes
London North 5,837 Conservative Yes
Nottingham & North West Leicestershire 4,966 Conservative Yes
Humberside 4,389 Conservative Yes
Peak District 3,651 Conservative Yes
Scotland North East 2,613 Scottish National Party No - lost to Scottish National Party
Cumbria & North Lancashire 1,610 Conservative Yes

Conservative (35 seats)

Constituency Majority Runner-up Held in 1994?
Dorset & East Devon 51,621 Green Yes
Devon & East Plymouth 49,889 Green Yes
Buckinghamshire & East Oxfordshire 49,596 Green Yes
North Yorkshire 45,176 Green Yes
South Downs West 44,913 Green Yes
East Sussex & South Kent 42,656 Green Yes
Somerset & North Devon 42,206 Green No - lost to Liberal Democrat
Surrey 42,112 Green Yes
Itchen, Test & Avon 39,047 Labour Yes
Hampshire North & Oxford 36,794 Labour Yes
Sussex South & Crawley 36,499 Labour Yes
Wight & South Hampshire 33,315 Labour Yes
London South & East Surrey 32,100 Labour Yes
Essex West & East Hertfordshire 30,012 Labour No - lost to Labour
Cambridgeshire 29,878 Labour Yes
Cotswolds 29,760 Labour Yes
Hertfordshire 29,462 Labour No - lost to Labour
Essex North & South Suffolk 27,048 Labour Yes
Wiltshire North & Bath 26,912 Labour Yes
Worcestershire & South Warwickshire 26,635 Labour Yes
Thames Valley 26,491 Labour Yes
Kent East 23,108 Labour No - lost to Labour
Hereford & Shropshire 22,967 Labour No - lost to Labour
Lincolnshire & South Humberside 17,976 Labour No - lost to Labour
Suffolk & South West Norfolk 17,905 Labour No - lost to Labour
Cornwall & West Plymouth 16,746 Liberal Democrat No - lost to Liberal Democrat
Kent West 16,311 Labour No - lost to Labour
Norfolk 15,925 Labour No - lost to Labour
Essex South 12,753 Labour No - lost to Labour
Northamptonshire & Blaby 12,362 Labour No - lost to Labour
Bedfordshire & Milton Keynes 11,127 Labour No - lost to Labour
London South East 10,694 Labour No - lost to Labour
London North West 7,400 Labour No - lost to Labour
Leicester 4,057 Labour No - lost to Labour
Lancashire Central 2,068 Labour No - lost to Labour

Scottish National Party (1 seat)

Constituency Majority Runner-up Held in 1994?
Highlands & Islands 44,695 Conservative Yes