Work gets underway in city for EU elections

Work is underway in Peterborough to prepare for anticipated EU elections.

Due to the latest delay to Brexit the country is set to vote on new MEPs on Thursday, May 23.

Results are then verified that night before being counted on the Sunday in line with the rest of the country. The process will take place at the Town Hall.

Peterborough City Council said its elections team has begun planning, with poll cards being ordered, polling stations being booked and staff needed to man the polling stations and verify and count the votes being contacted.

Unlike parliamentary elections, where constituents elect a single MP to represent them on a First Past the Post system, European elections are run through Proportional Representation.

Voters choose which party to back, and the number of MEPs each party receives is in line with their vote share (e.g. a party receiving 50 per cent of the votes receives 50 per cent of the seats). MEPs are chosen from a party list rather than voted for directly.

MEPs also represent regions - ie the East of England for Peterborough - rather than smaller constituencies.

Currently in our region, UKIP and the Conservatives both have three MEPs, while Labour has one.

Meanwhile, the Peterborough Telegraph asked the Home Office whether demand at the Peterborough Passport Office had seen any noticeable change in activity over the past few months.

A Home Office spokesman declined to answer the question, but instead sent over statistics for passport applications across the country, which showed a 100,000 drop in 2018 compared to 2017.

Asked about recent changes to passports, he said: “Burgundy passports that no longer include the words ‘European Union’ on the front cover were introduced from March 30, 2019.

“In order to use leftover stock and achieve best value to the taxpayer, passports that include the words ‘European Union’ will continue to be issued for a short period after this date.

“There will be no difference for British citizens whether they are using a passport that includes the words European Union, or a passport that does not. Both designs will be equally valid for travel.”