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Choose an MEP to represent your views in Europe


By Staff Reporter

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It is time to elect Members of the European Parliament.
It is time to elect Members of the European Parliament.

BARRING a dramatic last-minute Brexit deal, voters across the UK will go to the polls tomorrow in the European Parliament elections.

At stake in Scotland are a total of six seats in the parliament, with a wide range of parties and individual candidates seeking to either retain of gain representation.

They will form part of a 751-strong contingent of MEPs drawn from the EU’s current membership of 28 states. The parliament meets on two sites – Brussels and Strasbourg.

MEPs have the power to approve, amend or reject nearly all EU legislation. They hold the European Commission to account and can force it to resign. The European Parliament also decides on the EU budget and influences how EU money is spent.

Voters will be asked to mark a cross next to the party or candidate of their choice, doing so only once or risking their ballot paper being declared spoiled and void.

The number of MEPs each party receives will be determined using a formula which is based on vote share and, as the allocation procedure progresses, seats already one in the election.

In the 2014 European election in Scotland, the SNP and Labour each claimed two seats, while the Conservatives and UKIP won one apiece.

To avoid taking part in the elections, Britain must have ratified a withdrawal agreement by today.



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