2009 Euro Election results and comments:

Borough totals for the election to the European Parliament, June 4

• SUSAN KRAMER writes:"Labour's 5th place in the Borough vote shows how much this Government has lost the trust of local people. It's time for a General Election and a reform of politics. As a Liberal Democrat I am well aware that we still have a long way to go to persuade people that working together in the EU will strengthen our hand in tackling crime, regulating the banks, protecting the environment and increasing trade and jobs. However, I take great heart from seeing us come a very close second in both Richmond and Kingston in an election where historically we have ended up much farther behind even when doing very well in other local elections."

'Best Lib Dem Euro election results:

1. South Lakeland 15,447 36.8
% 2. Shetland 1,438 33.8
% 3. Orkney 1,326 31.8
% 4. Richmond upon Thames 16,446 30.8
% 5. Kingston upon Thames 11,658 28.0 %'

Our candidates for the 2009 Euro Election:

• OUR top 3 candidates for London: Sarah Ludford [Elected], Jonathan Fryer and Dinti Batstone:

Sarah Ludford MEP: www.sarahludfordmep.org.uk/

Jonathan Fryer's blog: http://jonathanfryer.wordpress.com/

Dinti Batstone

Archived, from the selection:

• JONATHAN DAVIES, Senior Returning Officer, English European selections, explains all: 'The Selection Campaign for the selection of the Party's candidates for the next European Parliamentary elections is now beginning. The list of Euro candidates is at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/party/european-selections.html and reproduced below. Hustings meetings are at: http://www.flocktogether.org.uk/showOrganisation.php?Organisation=629 . There is an online discussion forum at http://forum.libdems.org.uk/ . Access to the online hustings requires a Liberal Democrats Account. This is a username and password that works across a range of party websites, including the party's members only website (http://login.libdems.org.uk), Flock Together (http://www.flocktogether.org.uk) and our manifesto consultation site (http://manifesto.libdems.org.uk). • If you don't have a Liberal Democrats Account yet, you can register online straight away at http://login.libdems.org.uk/register.php . Ballot papers together with the manifestos from all the candidates will be posted out at the beginning of October. You should have received your ballot paper by 22nd October. If you haven't, you can contact missing.ballots@libdems.org.uk until 31st October. (Any queries must come direct from the person who hasn't received their ballot paper).

• 'THE D'HONDT METHOD (equivalent to Jefferson's method) is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt. This system is less proportional than the other popular divisor method, Sainte-Laguë, because D'Hondt slightly favors large parties and coalitions over scattered small parties, whereas Sainte-Laguë is neutral.

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Macedonia, The Netherlands, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and Wales are among the places that use this allocation system.

The system has also been used in Northern Ireland for allocating the ministerial positions in the Northern Ireland Executive, for the 'top-up' seats in the London Assembly, in some countries during elections to the European Parliament . . . ' More at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'Hondt_method