Westminster Slammed for Excluding Euro MPs from Important Bodies

1.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Sep 2009

South West MEP Graham Watson has accused Westminster of shutting out elected representatives from key regional bodies and blocking access to government departments.

Mr Watson recently found out that only MPs are entitled to attend the new South West Regional Grand Committee, which was established to scrutinise the effectiveness of government policy in the region. The first meeting of the Committee will be held in Taunton on 3 September, and will discuss how to tackle rising unemployment.

Mr Watson said;

"This one dimensional approach to government scrutiny will not work. The economic downturn is a complex issue, and representatives from all levels must work together to tackle it.

"Measures taken at the European and local level will be essential in guiding us out of recession, and that is why a broad range of elected representatives from the region should be invited to meetings like this."

Mr Watson has also written to the Home Secretary after he was told by the Borders Agency that they had been instructed to deal only with Westminster MPs.

He said;

"I am regularly contacted by constituents asking for help, and taking up their concerns is a fundamental duty of an elected representative and one that I take very seriously. If I am prevented from doing my job effectively, then surely people's democratic rights are also being limited?"

Graham is awaiting an answer from the Home Office, but has pledged to continue working hard for any constituent who contacts him.

Ends.

Editors Notes

In October 2007, The House of Commons Modernisation Committee set up an enquiry into regional accountability to consider potential models of scrutiny. The report found that there was an "accountability gap" in the regions and recommended that the best way to address this would be by setting up regional committees.

Regional Grand Committees have been adopted everywhere in the UK (apart from the West Midlands), and are designed to consider the "state of the region" and provide a forum in which Government Ministers can take oral questions on their work. The South West Regional Grand Committee has 50 Westminster MPs as members, but none of the 6 MEPs for the region have been invited.