Now that it seems the U.K. will have to take part in the EU Elections in May one of the things I have been asking myself is should I, or should I not vote in any EU election?
Now Mayhem can cancel the elections up to a day before if she can get her awful deal agreed but that looks unlikely to say the least. So we will spend over £100,000,000 putting the elections on and we could be out of the EU just months later. Total farce.
But let’s assume we have to take part, is there any point in voting. It will be funny if England sends UKIP or Farages new party to the EU in great numbers punishing Labour and the Tories. Or remain voters could send some of the equally awful Change U.K. candidates to the EU. In Scotland Scot Goes POP thinks the SNP can get 4 out of the 5 seats, is that a good or bad thing.
I’m in two minds if I should vote or just spoil my paper. I’m not sure if it helps the Indy cause or not as I have always thought the SNP fighting to save England from itself by backing a so called people’s vote a mistake anyway. I did vote SNP the last time even though I have never been a fan of Alyn Smith at all for the Morth East, I find him to be a bit full of it and he has never replied to any of my questions on twitter, serious questions not silly ones. I suppose I could go Green but not sure. Spoiling my paper is certainly something I am considering as not voting would be alien to me as voting is so important or at least expressing a none of the above.
What are others thinking, are you going to vote if there is an EU election?
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
Will be holding my nose and voting for Brexit party. Don’t really see any other way of lodging my annoyance at the shambles of the exit from the EU caused by parties who don’t want to leave.
An absolute farce if this goes ahead anyway
Gary
I don’t know what I will do to be honest, I have seen people say there needs to be a strong SNP vote but I am not a fan of Smith and haven’t agreed with the SNP policy regarding the people’s vote etc. It will be interesting as votes will go in a lot of directions from protest to pro indy. I have seen some people say that we have to send a clear message to the EU that we want to be members when independent. Interesting dilemma.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
I KNOW ITS STICKING IN YOUR THROAT TO BE VOTING WHILST IN UK
BUT WE MUST VOTE IN NUMBERS TO STOP ANY UNIONISTS AND UKIP
FROM RUINING SCOTLANDS REPUTATION AS MEMBERS OF “BRITAIN”
We need to let ALL EU MEMBER COUNTRIES THAT WE ARE NOT ENGLAND
WE WANT TO STAY SO GET OUT AND STOP UNIONISTS
RUINING SCOTLANDS CHANCE OF BECOMING A MEMBER
Bob
I have seen that opinion on twitter etc and I do see why that is a valid position to have if we do end up having to vote in the EU elections. I think the EU know exactly where the majority stand in Scotland and I would love Davidson and her unionists pals in the so called media get a bloody nose but it is a tough one. This one will go down to the wire for me I suspect.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
I’ve never held with “Protest Votes”. Vote for the party you support. Everything else is secondary.
Brian
Again a very valid point, I would usually go for SNP or Green, mainly SNP, but I really do dislike Smith so the Greens maybe edging it for myself but I will be a decide on the day once I read the various manifestos if the vote happens. I do think some will use this as a protest vote though and esp to hurt the Tories and labour and I can understand the attraction as it happens in every election. It is a farce though if we then leave a month later on Mayhems awful deal.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
If you want to be part of the EU and in theory have a say in the direction it takes then you should vote for your party of choice. It seems to me to be totally hypocritical for anyone who wants out to vote, I’d be for all Brexiteers being barred from voting, if you don’t want to be in the team at all why should you have an influence on who gets to play and what tactics to use?
Ian
I’m not for banning people to vote, that is the right wing in this union. People if they want out can vote for a brexit party and that’s fine with me. I don’t know if I’ll vote or spoil my paper for many reasons but it does feel like its all a bit of a farce. I was just really interested in how others are thinking and you have all made good points. I do hope the Tories get wiped out though as I despise them no end.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
It’s easy peezy. Our only political route to independence at present is the SNP. You can throw the dummy out the pram regarding points of strategy but this fact remains. You can throw the dummy out the pram also because you don’t like the candidate but this fact still remains.
If your goal is independence then vote SNP. If not then vote for one of the bloodsucking parties. Spoil your paper if you like but wouldn’t it be best to just save the planet the fuel used to get to the polling station. Just don’t girn when your instrumental in losing the opportunity and the shit inevitably hits the fan.
Your missing the point Grumpy, it’s a real shame.
Greig
I’m not sure I’m missing the point to be fair, the SNP strategy on the EU is wrong and nothing can convince me it’s not. The EU election feels like a farce and is more about the disruption of the U.K. still being in but not holding elections, all about the legal aspects. The candidate is important but we have put that aside to support indy parties. For me it’s a weird one, Brexit parties winning in England makes sense and SNP in Scotland makes sense as it will push U.K. closer to hard Brexit and I do believe that is the only thing that brings Indy closer. Any sort of deal makes that goal harder I think esp with the EU saying no visa charges and a seamless visa process that will cover the whole of the EU, all of that disarms the SNP in my opinion. It will be interesting to see what happens and for me it will go down to the wire I think.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
For me it’s a no-brainer. If the election goes ahead in the UK, I’ll vote as I’m pro-EU, since I feel more European than British and, for all its bureaucracy, the EU is better governed than the UK. I’ll vote for SNP since I feel more Scottish than anything else and I want to see Scotland out of the UK ASAP. Ideally I’d like to see 6 SNP MEPs being elected as it would reinforce Scotland’s preference to be in Europe and it would enable valuable groundwork to be done ahead of Scotland’s independence.
Ken
Totally valid points, I have seen a lot of different cases for and against and the points in the blog answers have all been good also. I’m no expert, possibly let my heart rule my head at times but on this one I’m not sure what to make of it. I know people who are not voting, who are voting for parties they never vote for normally. It’s all a bit over the place. I’m leaning SNP or Green but I could spoil my paper if I’m not feeling the point of it all if it goes ahead. I’m not sure of it helps or hurts indy as I do believe the SNP strategy has been wrong. I think NS was caught out by backing a so called people’s vote and is now stuck with it.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Why do you dislike Alyn Smith so much? You keep repeating that without any clear reasons. I don’t know the guy, but have seen nothing in his publications or speeches which would lead me to dislike him. Your reasons?
East Neuker
Don’t know him personally lol but have never taken to him at all. Have also emailed him questions in the past that he never replied to, also tweeted him questions, no reply. I could only assume he didn’t like the questions but it is what it is. Just one of those things, I’ve just never taken to him at all. I always liked Ian Hutcheon a lot, Alyn Smith is like Chris Law for me you either get them or you don’t, there is no middle ground.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Would you prefer to be represented in the EU by the likes of David Coburn or Nigel Farage? . If so vote for a Brexit Party. They do a fine job of blackening our reputation in Europe.
If you want to support Independence for Scotland, then vote for SNP or Greens. I probably should add Lib-Dem but I don’t think they have much hope of an MEP.
Do remember that the treaties for the EU prevent Brussels interfering with the internal affairs of the Sovereign members. That is why they have not interfered in Catalonia. They will work to improve things for Catalonia but it will be strictly within the law probably ending up at ECHR and mostly unreported by the British MSM.
You do notice that SNP ScotGov is a frequent visitor in Brussels. Also be aware that SNP is working for an internationally recognized Independence from the get-go. To get that recognition Scotland be seen to have done all possible to the Nth degree – including supporting a People’s vote -to prevent Brexit and avoid the split up.
Look at Kosovo. It declared independence in 2008 and ten years later it still isn’t able to take its place in international affairs. The EU is currently working on resolving that but that lack of recognition has hampered economic progress. It is not a good way to go.
Oh and do remember that Farage’s new Brexit Party specifically opposes Independence for Scotland.
bjsalba
I am a liberal democrat and I will not be voting for the party because the selection process was rigged. It placed a woman at the top of the list even if a man won the selection, that is discriminatory and I joined the party to stop discrimination, not encourage it. Shoving “positive” in front of discrimination does not change that fact. It was announced today Shelia Ritchie is our candidate, who forced through this kind of policy for self gain, she is a numpty and I will not be voting for her.
If Change UK stand up here I will support them, if not I will spoil the ballot.
May I add despite being a member of Lib Dems, I am pro independence although I disagree with Bruce on how we should go about getting it.
bjsalba
I would never vote for any right wing party that’s for sure. I just find this election, if it goes ahead, an interesting dilemma to say the least. I was thinking that I might just spoil my paper but from thinking about it more I’ll either go SNP or Green for this election. That is assuming that the MEP elected even get to take up their seats. I do still have issues with the SNP stance on the so called peoples vote but I suppose it is what it is, however as you say they are the only avenue for independence it may well be that we have to get as many out to vote for pro yes parties.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
SNP 3 seats (no chance of 4), Labour 1 Tory 1 and Brexit Party 1
Anon
I think Scot Goes Pop are thinking that will be the vote share but possibly Labour could lose out.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Just a reminder people, this blog voted Leave and supports the Brexit cause. Why he is complaining about how it’s gone I don’t understand, supports job losses by wanting a no deal as well
Anon
True I supported leave and blogged about my reasons for doing so which were mainly around democracy and what it the best way to secure indy2. My views on the EU haven’t changed, they have a lot of changes to make to ever make me happy. Especially around neoliberal economic policy, secrecy around MEPs and expenses, signing off the accounts each year and the dominance in too many areas of the larger countries. If Scotland were to become independent then membership of the EU should be put to the people and I would at that point seriously consider what my vote would be at that time. Many yes voters voted leave but that had nothing to do with the Brexit parties and their disgusting views and about their concerns about the EU and a desire for Scotland to be truly independent first and foremost.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
People who didn’t vote let David Coburn in last time. At least vote and give two preferences.
Coburn got in because there is over 30% of Scotland who want out of the EU. Scotland is not all lovely dovey left wing, there are plenty people who will vote right wing/brexit party.
Anon
No country is, I’m not sure the right can get 30% of the vote now but I would imagine over 20% at least. Even when Scotland becomes independent there will always be that Conservative vote out there that may actually increase over time as many do think that Scotland is a very Conservative country historically.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Colin
Was Coburns election down to that? I know that EU elections tend to have the lowest turn out in the UK of all the elections, this one may be different of course but no doubt some sort of right wing nightmare will get elected due to the system and that probably can’t be avoided but hopefully Coburn will be gone.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce