The UK – Represented in the French Parliament?

 

The reduction in the number of MPs at the next General Election and fairer sized constituencies has proved to be something of a talking point at Westminster, but imagine for a moment if we were aiming to have constituencies for some of our British expats. “Costa del sol West” or “La Dourdogne Central”. That’s exactly what our French neighbours are doing with the newly created constituency of “Northern Europe.” This constituency will take in the Irish Republic, Scandinavia, the Baltic States and the United Kingdom. With 113,655 registered French voters in the UK alone, French politicians will find themselves heading off on the Eurostar to the streets of West London to campaign. Back in 2007, the then French Presidential candidate, Nicholas Sarkozy headed off to Old Billingsgate Market for a pre election rally even before the idea of a constituency outside of ‘l’Hexagone.’ Back in February, François Hollande, the French Socialist candidate made a visit to London at a time when he was espousing higher taxes in France, a firm commitment to heavier regulation and taxation on banking and finance. Not the normal policies of somebody on the look out for votes near the City of London.