Our MEP Lucy to Chair European Union Legal Affairs Committee
Lucy Nethsingha now chair of the EU Legal Affairs Committee
As reported by Jennifer Rankin in the Guardian(21August), our Lib Dem MEP for the East, Lucy Nethsingha**, is one of a handful of British MEPs voted into a leading role on European parliament committees, which play a significant role in EU lawmaking.
Lucy Nethsingha, one of 16 MEPs elected in May intends to play her full role in the parliament. As a new arrival to the Parliament, Lucy admitted it would be a steep learning curve. She won her post after mainstream political groups joined forces to block a far-right MEP from taking it. "It is a huge vote of confidence in British MEPs," said Lucy.
Another Liberal Democrat MEP, Chris Davies, was elected to chair the fisheries committee, and a third, Irina von Wiese, is first vice-president of the human rights committee.
London Labour MEP Seb Dance is a vice-president of the powerful environment, public health and food safety committee, and its North West England MEP Julie Ward is a vice-president on education and culture.
These committees are where much of the heavy lifting of EU lawmaking is done. They draft reports on EU legislative proposals that are used in negotiations with EU ministers to hammer out a final version of the law.
Meanwhile our foolishly, short sighted Brexit Government has directed that British ministers and officials will cease to take part in most EU meetings from 1 September, a decision our own Liberal Democrat MEP called crazy.
Lucy said she was disgusted by the government's "shortsighted" decision to quit EU meetings, and that the UK would continue to be "enormously influenced" by decisions made by the EU whether inside or out. "To give up that influence while we can still use it and are still a full member of the EU is just crazy".
Lucy said she found the parliament inspiring. "All these different people, speaking their different languages in the lifts but all cooperating and trying to find compromises together so we can move forward as a united bloc in the world."
Source: "Courtesy of Guardian News & Media Ltd", <time class="content__dateline-wpd js-wpd content__dateline-wpd--modified" datetime="2019-08-21T15:26:15+0100" data-timestamp="1566397575000">Wed 21 Aug 2019</time>
"For 45 years we have sat in a room with our most important political and economic partners, and occupied one of the prized seats; now all we can do is wait outside and beg to be heard".
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