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Original poster

European Elections - What happens now?

31 replies

IndigoGnome · 11/04/2019 06:44

Woke up this morning to see yet another delay until Halloween, bloody sick of this whole shit show and now we've got another 6 months of it. But confused about the EU elections. I think I understood it correctly that if we don't agree to the Elections then we have to leave by 30th June. Otherwise we need to elect Mep's. Is this correct?
At what point is it too late to take part in the elections, is there a specific date? Partly wondering this as DD's school is usually used as a polling station but no idea if it will be this time around, if it is then would be useful to know if her school will be closed that day.

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HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 07:04

The legislation for the European Parliament elections has been put into place and candidates are currently being selected - this was all initiated in the last couple of weeks. Elections are almost certainly going to happen. I would ask the school whether they have been approached re polling station - they are likely to already have been asked if that is the case

HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 07:06

I have a feeling that the deadline for us taking part is tomorrow so this is why preparations were kicked off during this recent extension period

Sirzy · 11/04/2019 07:08

The thought of schools being shut to cater for this farce has made me really angry this morning!

If it has to happen they need to find alternative polling stations.

Original poster
IndigoGnome · 11/04/2019 07:31

Usually the school have a "possible polling day" event on the online calendar but there's nothing there so absolutely no idea. I agree that they should find a different polling station, but I think that for all the elections actually. I've never understood why my child should miss a whole day of school so that the school hall can be used.

I don't see how 6 more months of this circus is going to make a difference. We've had 3 years and are still no closer. Are we just going to keep extending it forever and hope people eventually forget we were planning on leaving?

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HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 07:34

I’m just happy that no deal exit has been avoided again. The EP elections are required if we have a long extension. Use of schools for polling is a different issue and I agree that it must be a pain for the whole school to be shut for any elections, doesn’t matter whether they are EP elections or not

Grobagsforever · 11/04/2019 07:35

I think giving our children the chance to retain their right to live and work and study in 27 countries, plus enjoy all the economic benefits of free trade that you all did growing up, is more important than schools shutting.

When the People's vote comes they can shut my daughters school for a week if it help!

HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 07:35

In fairness to the school though they may not have had the chance to mark the possible polling day because up until two weeks ago it wasn’t on the cards

HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 07:36

You could ring and ask them - there may be someone in the office

Original poster
IndigoGnome · 11/04/2019 07:45

When the people's vote comes

Do you genuinely think that's going to happen? I don't, surely it's too much of a risk. Nobody thought leave would win the first time around.

I never believed a no deal would happen tomorrow. I don't believe it will ever happen actually. The EU have proven, by the multiple extensions that they are just as desperate to avoid this whole thing as us. It reminds me actually of telling my DC we're leaving in 2 minutes, put your shoes on. 2 mins comes and goes and no shoes. So I tell them, you have 1 more minute and then we're leaving. Shoes or no shoes. 1 minute passes and we're still bare footed. I tell them, right, that's it, 30 more seconds and that's it. No more chances. Are the EU really going to tell us after 6 more months, you've had your chances now you have to go out in the rain with no shoes on?

It's a risky game to play, I just don't know who's going to break first.

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HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 07:47

Ok I thought this was about EP elections and polling stations. PV is a separate thing anyway - and iirc needs a good 20-24 weeks’ notice at least so likely not enough time before October. But plenty of time for polling stations to be notified

MockerstheFeManist · 11/04/2019 07:55

Turnout at the last Euro-elections was 35%, which was up on the previous poll.

This time we shall have a record turnout for Euro-elections.

You could call it a "people's vote".

Sirzy · 11/04/2019 07:57

I think it will be a record low turnout. Most people I have spoken to who are generally vote at every chance people aren’t bothering this time because it’s pointless

CatsinSpace · 11/04/2019 08:06

Tbh I've never voted in EU elections. Never saw the point of them.
I'm in two minds whether to vote in these.
Although I probably will, just to vote for a healthily euro sceptic party.

HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 08:12

I’ve always voted in EU elections, and all others. It seems like madness not to vote and then complain about lack of democracy

HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 08:14

“You could call it a "people's vote".”

Someone pointed out that if we have a GE shortly then it is likely to be for many people an opportunity to vote on the single issue that is Brexit. And a single issue vote is... a referendum

CatsinSpace · 11/04/2019 08:15

Will be watching with interest this time though, with regards to which parties are successful throughout Europe with populism on the rise.

HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 08:17

I think a lot of EU voters may have been spooked by how the UK has conducted itself in terms of populism. In the same way that I suspect the EU referendum may have turned out differently had trump been elected president before the referendum

Original poster
IndigoGnome · 11/04/2019 08:29

I’ve always voted in EU elections, and all others. It seems like madness not to vote and then complain about lack of democracy

Agree with this, I vote whenever there is any election. But I find myself wondering now, what is the point? We'll elect mep's even though apparently we're leaving the EU? Seems like a waste of time and money to me.

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Bluntness100 · 11/04/2019 08:33

I'm genuinely quite surprised about the confusion about the eu elections, it was passed into our legislation we would take part a few days ago and the letter asking tusk for the extension last week clearly stated we would take part, and that letter was publicised every where.

You'd have to deliberately not be reading anything on brexit to avoid knowing, even the friggen daily mail published the letter.

It's absolutely and utterly mind boggling that everyone has an opinion on brexit and so few can be remotely arsed even doing the most basic reading on it.

And then we hear there should be a second referendum. Aye that's a good idea.

TigerCubScout · 11/04/2019 08:57

PV is a separate thing anyway - and iirc needs a good 20-24 weeks’ notice at least so likely not enough time before October

How come we have enough time to have EU elections, possibly a GE but not enough time for an other referendum? You'd think a GE would take more organising.
I'm hoping this extension means we'll revoke.

Original poster
IndigoGnome · 11/04/2019 08:58

Everything I have read says that we would take part in the elections if we were still in the EU on the 23rd May (date set on the Day of Poll Order) but that we could leave the EU before that date and obviously not participate. I was asking if there is a date where we have no choice, if we commit to it then does that mean we follow through with it even if a deal has been made?

I admit, I do not spend every waking hour reading every single thing about brexit. 3 years is a long time to be talking about the same thing. However, when I read things like "European Parliament elections take place across Britain unless MPs have previously ratified the Withdrawal Agreement." it then becomes unclear.

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HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 09:07

TigerCubScout I don’t know, that is only what I have read about referendum rules, I don’t know about minimum timescales for GE. I know that there was a deadline for legislation for the EP elections of ?this week which is why the two-week extension was only that long - so that EU leaders could see that the UK had made contingency plans for the EP elections should a deal not be in place by 12th April.

FishesaPlenty · 11/04/2019 09:08

PV is a separate thing anyway - and iirc needs a good 20-24 weeks’ notice at least so likely not enough time before October

I think the commonly quoted estimate is 22 weeks, including an estimated 12 weeks for the legislation to get through Parliament. We now know that Parliament can do things much more quickly than that when they've a mind to though.

HerSymphonyAndSong · 11/04/2019 09:11

Good point fishes

onalongsabbatical · 11/04/2019 09:45

If there was a clear decision by parliament to hold a confirmatory ref but not the time to do so we'd get another extension no prob. Someone from EU said that this morning (sorry can't remember who) and I cannot believe it wouldn't carry the day, as they'd love it if we held a second vote and voted to stay in. Which I'm confident we would.