Don't listen to Tebbit

Sir Norman Tebbit has suggested - and been predictably slapped down by David Cameron for doing so - that Britons should use the European elections on June 4th to register their contempt and disgust at the major parties over the parliamentary expenses scandal by boycotting them in the election.



Now I am all for showing my contempt and disgust in whatever way is most effective, because I believe MPs in all the major parties somehow took leave of their collective senses in the way they abused the expenses system, but I don't believe we should use the European elections for that purpose.






I would like to see the British exercise more responsibility in European affairs not less. We should be trying to select the men and women who can best represent us in a European arena which is ever growing in importance and legislative responisbility. For too long the British have simply used the European elections as a protest vote , and I realise there is even more likelihood now that the pattern will repeat itself, but I sincerely beg the British electorate to think twice...and start voting positively for your European candidates, not waste your vote on a knee jerk response to the sleazy individuals who have been disgracing parliament of late