North West Euro-MP is "kingmaker"

Liberal Democrats may not have power at Westminster but a new report shows that they are "kingmakers" in Brussels.

An independent analysis has revealed that the party's MEPs hold the balance of power in the European Parliament.

With no party having a majority, the 84-strong group of European Liberal Democrats are on the winning side of more than 90% of votes taken in the Brussels assembly.

Once dismissed as a talking shop, the European Parliament now has equal powers to government ministers in fixing the final shape of EU laws.

North West Euro-MP Chris Davies said the report by 'VoteWatch' came as no surprise.

"I'm in politics to make a difference, and particularly to shape policies to protect the environment and promote green technologies, so Brussels is the place to be.

"As the hands go up across the chamber it's obvious that the way in which Liberal Democrats vote very often determines the outcome."

The report also reveals that UKIP and British Conservative MEPs are the least likely to win votes in the Parliament, giving ammunition to critics of David Cameron's policy of pulling his party out of Europe's main right-of-centre group.

The full report can be seen at:

http://www.votewatch.eu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/votewatch_report_voting_behaviour_in_the_new_european_parliament.pdf