Yorkshire & the Humber Euro-MP is 'kingmaker'

2.03.44pm GMT Tue 2nd Feb 2010

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

An independent analysis by the respected VoteWatch.eu website has revealed that the party's MEPs hold the balance of power in the European Parliament.

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

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

Yorkshire & the Humber's Liberal Democrat MEP, Diana Wallis, who is a Vice President of the Parliament, said the report came as no surprise.

"I want to make a difference that's why I'm in politics. Particularly I want to shape policies to protect consumers so Brussels is the place to be.

"It's obvious that as the hands go up across the chamber, the way Liberal Democrats vote very often determines the outcome."

The report also shows 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 last year.

"The report goes a long way to proving that the UK Conservatives have left the UK isolated and gives a signal for how ineffective a Cameron-led government would be internationally."

The full report from VoteWatch.eu:

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