Change UK reveals local candidates for European elections
and live on Freeview channel 276
The pro-Remain party - formerly known as The Independent Group - is made up of MPs who quit Labour and the Conservatives.
The Peterborough Telegraph yesterday (Tuesday) revealed a list of candidates in the East of England who had been selected for the upcoming European elections on May 23.
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Hide AdThat list is now updated below following the announcement of Change UK’s candidates, as well as more from UKIP.
Unlike parliamentary elections, where constituents elect a single MP to represent them through the First Past the Post system, European elections are run through a proportional representation system, with parties winning a proportion of the available seats, which they fill through a list of candidates they submit before the vote.
The candidates are ranked in preference order, so a party winning three seats will select the three candidates at the top of its list.
MEPs represent regions (i.e. the East of England for Peterborough) rather than smaller constituencies.
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Hide AdThere are seven seats which are up for grabs, so parties will select up to seven candidates on their lists.
Currently in our region UKIP and the Conservatives both have three MEPs, while Labour has one.
So far the following parties have announced their candidates (in the order they will be selected from the party list):
Conservatives
Geoffrey Van Orden CBE
John Flack
Joe Rich
Thomas McLaren
Joel Charles
Wassim Mughal
Thomas Smith
Liberal Democrats
Barbara Gibson
Lucy Nethsingha
Fionna Tod
Stephen Robinson
Sandy Walkington
Marie Goldman
Julia Ewart
UKIP
Stuart Agnew
Paul Oakley
Liz Jones
William Ashpole
Alan Graves Jnr
John Wallace
John Whitby
Labour
Alex Mayer
Chris Vince
Sharon Taylor
Alvin Shum
Anna Smith
Adam Scott
Javeria Hussain
Green
Catherine Rowett
Rupert Read
Martin Schmierer
Fiona Radic
Paul Jeater
Pallavi Devulapalli
Jeremy Caddick
Change UK
Emma Taylor
Neil Carmichael
Bhavna Joshi
Michelle de Vries
Amanda Gummer
Thomas Graham
Roger Casale.
Other than the existing MEPs seeking re-election, recognisable candidates so far include Fiona Radic, who stood for the Green Party at the 2017 General Election in Peterborough, Lucy Nethsingha, Lib Dem chair of the scrutiny committee at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority - the county’s mayoral authority - and UKIP Peterborough city councillor John Whitby, who has been chosen as the party’s candidate at the next parliamentary election.
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Hide AdUnless the Brexit impasse in the UK is resolved, meaning European elections are not needed, voting takes place on the Thursday with results then verified that night before being counted on the Sunday in line with the rest of the country. The process in Peterborough will take place at the Town Hall.
Peterborough City Council said its elections team has begun planning for the elections, with poll cards being ordered, polling stations being booked and staff needed to man the polling stations and verify and count the votes being contacted.