EU Disunity in the UK?

The commission was asked by the lord chancellor to consider how to cut the number of MEPs from 78 to 72 across the 12 electoral regions of the UK.

The question is whether anyone in the constituencies involved will know, never mind care about this sad loss; the percentage turnout in the Uk as a whole in the last EU election was 38.2%, in Scotland 30.9%.

Despite 70% of the electorate not giving a flying about who represents them in Brussels/Strasbourg, the SNP are disgruntled that their part of the world may lose one MEP.

The only possible valid point they've got is:

Also, "lowering the number of MEPs serving Scotland to six would not allow a properly balanced representation of all the main parties in Scottish political life," the Scottish Executive told the commission

But looking at the results from 2004, I’d guess that with six seats the same four parties would still be represented (with possibly one less seat for the SNP or the Tories).

Scotland, despite the whinging of the SNP, should be considered on exactly the same basis as the rest of the UK; their numbers of MEPS should be based on roughly the size of the population of the region, not its geographical peculiarities.

MEPS are richly enough rewarded for doing a lot less work than either MPs or MSPs; if they are left with the six MEPS, then they’ll just have to coordinate things a bit better and sort themselves out with railcards or whatever. I’m sure expenses will cover.