Leading prospective MEPs from across the political spectrum are to take part in a special European elections hustings event in Harrogate on Wednesday next week, the first to be held in the region.
The Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, Change UK and the Yorkshire party have all agreed to put up prospective MEPs in what promises to be a keenly-contested debate over the region’s future outside – or inside – the EU. UKIP will also be represented. The Brexit party has been invited but there has been no response so far.
To view your candidates https://www.harrogate.gov.uk/downloads/file/5055/statement_of_persons_nominated_and_notice_of_poll
The event, at Harrogate’s historic Wesley Centre, is being staged by North Yorkshire for Europe – but the debate will be chaired by an independent academic, Prof John C Adams MBE. It is the first of three hustings in the Yorkshire and the Humber region next week. Similar events are being staged in Barnsley on Thursday (May 16th) by People’s Vote South & West Yorkshire and in Leeds on Saturday (May 18th) by Leeds for Europe.
Confirmed speakers for the Harrogate event on Wednesday (May 15th) are: Magid Magid, Lord Mayor of Sheffield and the Green Party’s number one candidate, Diana Wallace, number one candidate for Change UK, Mike Jordan, number two candidate for the Yorkshire Party and Ian Greenberg, chairman of UKIP’s Leeds branch. The Conservatives and Labour have both said they will put forward candidates.
North Yorkshire for Europe’s chair, Richard Sadler, said:
We’re delighted to have got such a positive response and to be able to provide a platform for so many of the top MEP candidates for this region.
It’s already obvious that these elections – which many thought would never happen – are creating a great deal more interest than previous European Parliament elections.
Everyone is welcome to come to this event – whatever their political views.
Tickets for the event, which is free of charge, can be booked here. https://bit.ly/2Va8BAC
A total of six MEPs’ seats in the Yorkshire & the Humber region are up for re-election to the European Parliament. Each political party submits lists of candidates in order of preference and the number of MEPs elected from a particular party is determined by the number of votes cast for that party.
The Harrogate hustings will be chaired by Professor John C Adams MBE who so successfully chaired a similar cross party meeting in January. Professor Adams is the Vice President of the National Governance Association, Founder of the National Teaching Awards and Treasurer of Humanists UK. He was a Board member of the General Teaching Council, has given evidence to several Select Committees of the House of Commons and was awarded an MBE for services to education in 2013. He lives in Harrogate.
