Should the method for replacing MEP's change?

[Harry Hayfield]

Since the 2009 European Elections in the United Kingdom, the following MEP's have defected / resigned

Edward Miller Scott (Con, Yorkshire) defected to Lib Dem
Diana Wallis (Lib Dem, Yorkshire) resigned
Roger Helmer (Con, East Midlands) defected to UKIP
Nikki Sinclaire (UKIP, West Midlands) defected to Ind
Caroline Lucas (Green, South East England) resigned

and as a result the next person on the list was elected. Do you believe that this is a fair method of replacement?

[You kip if you want to...]

How else could it be done? European elections have low enough turnout to begin with, nevermind some kind've European by-election.

[Hatman 🍁]

Either that, or the party elects the new MEP.

[Smid]

Either that, or the party elects the new MEP.

They do that here for casual vacancies in PR elections, ie - our Senate and state upper houses. It's ridiculous trying to hold a by-election for a position elected by PR. The initial election is designed to represent minority views which will be totally disregarded in a single member by-election.

[YL]

Edward McMillan-Scott (Con, Yorkshire) defected to Lib Dem

He's still an MEP (meaning the LDs now have 2 MEPs in Yorkshire and the Humber, and the Tories only have one): defectors aren't kicked out of the Parliament.  (There's a case that they should be in a closed list system, because they were only elected in the first place as part of a party list.  But it still makes me uneasy, especially in this case as McMillan-Scott was expelled from the Tories.)  Similarly for the other defections.

I think that, given that we have closed lists (this is an "I wouldn't have started from here" moment) going for the next on the list is the obvious thing to do.  By-elections would have the same problem as they do in STV systems.  (Change08: there were by-elections back when Euro elections were FPTP, for example one in Merseyside West in 1996, for which the turnout was 11.3%.)

Asking the party to elect the new MEP seems a reasonable method too, though.

[Andrea]

LibDem Liz Lynne also resigned last month.

After the furore that the next on the list was her husband, Wallis is set to be replaced by second next on line.

[Antonio the Sixth]

That's how it works with PR elections. I don't see any problem with it.

The key problem with European Parliament elections is, of course, the lack of coherent European parties and the fact European issues don't have much impact in the campaign. That not something you'll fix by changing the voting system.

[freefair]

You missed out David Campbell Bannerman , East England, went from UKIP to Con

[minionofmidas]

These are fixed lists, right? So, um, duh.

[Hatman 🍁]

Either that, or the party elects the new MEP.

They do that here for casual vacancies in PR elections, ie - our Senate and state upper houses. It's ridiculous trying to hold a by-election for a position elected by PR. The initial election is designed to represent minority views which will be totally disregarded in a single member by-election.

Correct. The only feasible multiple party by-election would elect a candidate not based on who got the most votes, but using a mathematical formula... that is the candidate who gets elected is the party least represented in the parliament based on the by-election results.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

That's how it works with PR elections. I don't see any problem with it.