why are/were members of organisations such as the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Reform UK etc., so desperate to be members of the European Parliament, (MEPs), if they want nothing to do with Europe?…
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The short answer is that it’s the easiest way to get an elected position along with the status and air time it entails.
Winning a Westminster seat is difficult for such minor parties, especially at a General Election. Their best hope would be a byelection or a defection. Byelections have smaller turnouts and more chance of people making a protest vote for a smaller party.
Since 1999 (until 2020 when we left the EU) the United Kingdom used Proportional Representation for European elections. Since it was a European vote, Europe was a major topic of conversation and these parties could expect to have an uptick in the polls as they got more air time. With turnout often pathetically low, their share of the vote would be way higher than for other types of election. Under a proportional representation system, this led to them winning a number of seats and having a voice in the media.
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