With a letter from Don Micklewright insisting that his view of EU ‘bloated bureaucracy’ is the accurate one and another airing for serial non-achiever Paul Nuttall, it is important that you also print the counter arguments to their claims.

Persistent myth-making from our politicians, helped along by our press, has successfully turned the EU into a bogeyman.

It is politically very useful that the EU is consistently misunderstood here in the UK because it means it can be blamed for the failures of our own governments.

It really is beyond time to have a more accurate understanding of this institution that the English love to hate. The total number of people working across all EU institutions, agencies and bodies is actually 46,356.

They serve over 500 million people. 33,477 people are employed by Birmingham City Council covering a population of 1.1million.

The EU can be bureaucratic certainly, but we must remember it is an institution featuring 751 members from 28 countries using three main working languages.

It is a forum for ideas and cultures where MEPs come together to co-operate.

They scrutinise, amend and vote on legislation aimed to tackle the issues that affect us all: from global issues such as our rights, the environment, safety standards, data protection, security…. right down to measures that just improve the quality and lower the costs and bureaucracy of our daily lives; abolishing roaming charges, credit card surcharges, reduction in plastic use, improved paternity rights….and far, far more.

Did MEPs like Mr Nuttall, whose attendance record at the European Parliament was atrocious, care enough to engage constructively on behalf of constituents?

It is absolutely not ‘impossible to bring about change from within’ as he states.

Ask Julie Ward MEP, Theresa Griffin MEP (both Labour) and our new Lib Dem MEPs Chris Davies and Jane Brophy just what their work entails and how much can be achieved for constituents here in the north west, if you actually take part. 

Sarah Murphy

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