Aibu to wonder how when Garage was never good enough to get elected as an MP, he got elected as an MEP?

[Mammajay]

Farage could never get elected as mp, yet gets to be our MEP. His rudeness in political office is a national embarrassment. And it is like someone who, for example, didn't believe in dyslexia, being repeatedly appointed as a governor for a specialist dyslexia school with the sole agenda of getting the school closed down ( there will be much better examples!).

Because he got voted in...

Yep Garage not Garage..predictive text again and I checked the message so carefully!

Pottering, your simple but accurate reply solved my confusion. It really is that simple.

MEPs are elected by proportional representation. MPs are first past the post.

I thought I had found a friend! I call him Garridge.

He just got put on a party list. Effectively those who voted UKIP weren't voting for him personally (although some no doubt were voting for him), they voted for the party and he was on the list.

I once wrote to him about a European matter not knowing really much about his affiliation at the time and he basically said he wasn't voting on it anyway because we should not be in the EU in any event. Sigh.

The voting system is different for the European Parliament.

Because so few people pay attention to who stands as MEP?

Because nobody gives a shit about MEPs.

I've met him in person and he's exactly as rude and dismissive as you'd imagine (I was working for a charity lobbying in the EU at the time). He and his party also told outright lies about our charity to any of our supporters who wrote to them asking them to act (it was an animal welfare campaign and not anything 'political' in the sense of the EU referendum or similar, IYSWIM). He is awful. But he gets in because of the system under which EU elections are run.

How many UK citizens/residents actually vote in European elections? Even remainers. First time I ever heard of them existing was when I moved to Germany and was sent a nice letter explaining in English and German that I have the right to vote for a UK candidate or a German one but not both.

Different voting system for EU elections.

The electorate, on the whole, are not interested in European Parliamentary Elections. Turnout in 2014 was 35%. Most people I know locally have no idea who their MEP is, what party they represent, and what their voting history is like. This explains why Farage was able to get away with his history of just not turning up in the EU parliament, not voting etc.

www.politico.eu/interactive/voters-turnout-in-the-european-elections/

Under 40% apparently.

www.ukpolitical.info/Turnout45.htm

Whereas general election turnout has historically been over 70% (but in the 60s the last few years)

Why such a big dip in the 90s for both? Does anyone know? I was below voting age then so I didn't know about that.

MEPs are voted for using the list system. It's PR and you vote for a party (although I think the names are listed underneath). Turn out is low and very few give a shit or fully understand the difference between the European council, commission or parliament. Public affairs really should be taught in school IMO.

I think that if we take part in May's ( month not pm) European election, we should ask for the govt and BBC etc to make it clear to us all who is standing and be encouraged to think seriously about it. I also think that if we stay in, we should get more news about EU activity not just stupid straight banana news items. There is a website but I had to seek it out and I think there needs to be more public info about what the EU does.