Forres-born EU civil servant extols the virtues of Brussels
A FORRES quine who is an EU civil servant wants everyone in her home town to vote in the upcoming European Elections.
Former Andersons Primary and Forres Academy pupil, Helen Ross (34) moved to Edinburgh last year after 10 years working in Brussels.
Now a communications assistant for the European Parliament, Helen supports the work of the six Scottish MEPs and understands the importance of the European Union to voters in Forres.
“In recent years, Moray has benefited from over £2.5 million in structural and social grants to fund projects,” she said.
“These include educational opportunities at Moray College and the Dufftown learning centre, construction of the Glenlivet mountain bike trail and a green energy research at Findhorn Eco Village, to name a few.
“It is important to vote in the European Elections because we can choose who represents us in the EU, which is increasingly important due to important legislation that is negotiated at EU level.”
She added: “Most people are already aware that the EU legislates on agriculture, assigning just under €600 million a year in single farm payments on average to Scottish farmers.
“However, the EU also legislates on a whole host of different areas, such as consumer rights - for example, the European Parliament recently voted to abolish roaming charges across the EU by 2015.”
Voters in Forres will be among more than 500million people across Europe who will go to the polls on May 22 to elect 751 Members of the European Parliament.
Moray is part of the electoral region for Scotland: a single constituency which returns six directly-elected MEPs.
The registered political parties standing in the election for the European Electoral Region of Scotland are: Britain First - Defending the Union 2014; British National Party - Because we can make Scotland Better; Conservative Party - Scottish Conservatives Vote No to Independence; Labour Party; Liberal Democrats - Scottish Liberal Democrats; NO2EU - Yes to Workers’ Rights; Scottish Green Party; Scottish National Party (SNP) - Make Scotland’s Mark in Europe; and UK Independence Party (UKIP).
Thomas Anne Katherine of Inverness, representing the Scottish Green Party, is the most “local” candidate with the majority based in the Central Belt.
European Parliamentary elections are conducted under proportional representation. The ballot paper will list a number of political parties and independent candidates. Under each party name there are a list of candidates who wish to represent the party.
Votes will be counted on Sunday, May 25 once the polls have closed in all 28 member states, with the results being declared around 10pm British time.
The Moray turnout at the last European elections in 2009 was 29%, marginally higher than the overall Scottish figure of 28.5%. The overall UK turnout was 34.7%.