North West Euros

The North West European region covers Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire. It currently returns 9 members of the European Parliament, but this will reduce to 8 at the 2009 election, meaning the Liberal Democrats notionally lose an MEP. In 2004 the region returned 3 Conservative MEPs, 3 Labour MEPs, 2 Lib Dems MEPs and 1 UKIP MEP, although Saj Karim subsequently defected to the Conservatives.

Sitting MEPs and 2004 Results

1.		Gary Titley (Labour)	576,388 (27.4%)	(Will stand down at next election)
2.		Den Dover (Independent)	509,446 (24.2%)	(Orginally elected as a Conservative)
3.		Chris Davies (Liberal Democrat)	335,063 (15.9%)
4.		Arlene McCarthy (Labour)	(288,194)
5.		John Whittaker (UKIP)	257,158 (11.7%)	(Will stand down at the next election)
6.		David Sumberg (Conservative)	(254,723)	(Will stand down at the next election)
7.		Brian Simpson (Labour)	(192,129)	(Replaced Terry Wynn 2006)
8.		Robert Atkins (Conservative)	(169,815)
9.		Saj Karim (Conservative)	(167,532)	(Originally elected as a Lib Dem)
-.		BNP	134,959 (6.4%)
-.		Green	117,393 (5.6%)
-.		Liberal	96,325 (4.6%)
-.		English Democrats	34,110 (1.6%)
-.		Respect	24,636 (1.2%)
-.		Countryside	11,283 (0.5%)
-.		Pro Life	10,084 (0.5%)
-.		Ronald Neal (Independent)	8,318 (0.4%)

2009 Candidates

1.	Arlene McCarthy. Sitting MEP. Born 1960, Belfast. Formerly a European liasion officer for Kirkless council. MEP since 1994.
2.	Brian Simpson. Sitting MEP. Born 1953, Leigh. Former PE teacher. Former Warrington councillor and Merseyside county councillor. MEP for Cheshire East 1989-1999, MEP for North-West 1999-2004 when he lost his seat. He returned to the European Parliament in 2006 following the resignation of Terry Wynn.
3.	Theresa Griffin. Contested North West 1999 and 2004 European elections.
4.	Steve Carter. Born Merseyside. Educated at Manchester University. Teacher. Former Macclesfield councillor. Contested Macclesfield 2001, 2005.
5.	Claire Reynolds.
6.	Riaz Ahmed.
7.	Elaine Bowes.
8.	Brian Boag.

1.	Sir Robert Atkins Sitting MEP. Born 1946, London. Educated at Highgate School. MP for Preston North 1979-1983, South Ribble from 1983-1997. Knighted in 1997. MEP for North West England since 1999. Minister of Transport 1989-1990, Minister of Sport 1990-1992, Minister of State at Northern Ireland Office 1992-1994, Minister of State, Environment 1994-1995.
2.	Sajjid Karim Born 1970, Blackburn. Solicitor. Pendle councillor 1994-2001 for the Liberal Democrats. MEP for North West England since 2004, orginally elected as a Liberal Democrat he defected to the Conservatives in 2007.
3.	Jacqueline Foster Born 1947, Liverpool. Educated at Prescot Girls Grammar. Aviation consultant and former air hostess. Contested Newham South 1992, Peterborough 1997. MEP for the North West 1999-2004.
4.	Alex Williams. Chartered accountant. Trafford councillor. Contested Bury South 2005.
5.	Gregory Morgan Born Bolton. Educated at University of Central Lancashire. Former RAF engineering officer. Chorley councillor since 2005.
6.	Anthony Samuels.
7.	Peter Wilding.
8.	Andrew Large.

1.	Chris Davies Sitting MEP. Born 1954, Lytham St Annes. Educated at Cheadle Hulme School and Cambridge University. MP for Littleborough and Saddleworth 1995-1997. Contested Oldham East and Saddleworth 1997. MEP for the North West since 1999. Former leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the European Parliament, he stepped down in 2008 after being criticised over a reply to a constituent that accused her of racism. Fined for possession of cannabis in 2002.
2.	Helen Foster-Grime Former company director. Stockport councillor.
3.	Sue McGuire. Sefton councillor.
4.	Qassim Afzal Born 1960, Mancester. Educated at Salford University. Former Manchester councillor. Contested Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath 2001, Manchester Gorton 2005.
5.	Neil Corlett Born 1966, Bebington. Educated at Calday Grammar and Reading University. Head of press and former policy advisor for the ADLE group in the European Parliament. Contested North West region in 2004.
6.	Mark Clayton Manchester councillor 1996-2004 and since 2006.
7.	Stephen Cooke. Student at Manchester University. Salford councillor. Will contest Stretford and Urmston at next election.
8.	Peter Hirst. Locum consultant physician. Former Congleton councillor. Contested Stroud 2005. Will contest Congleton at next election.

1.	Paul Nuttall Former university lecturer. Assistant to John Whittaker MEP. Contested Bootle 2005. Will contest Bootle at next election.
2.	Michael McManus Contested Stretford and Urmston in 2005.
3.	Graham Cannon Educated at Nottingham University. Founder and Director of a geotechnical land investigation company. Contested Pendle 2005. Will contest Ribble Valley at next general election.
4.	Nigel Brown. Will contest Morecambe and Lunesdale at next election.
5.	Hilary Jones Formerly a Conservative councillor on Wirral council, left the party after her husband Laurence Jones was deselected as Conservative candidate for Wirral South prior to the 2005 election. Her husband contested Wirral South as an independent in 2005, taking 460 votes. Will contest Liverpool West Derby at next election.
6.	Phillip Griffiths Contested Wallasey 2005. Will contest Wirral West at next election.
7.	Terry Durrance Contested Southport 2005. Will contest Southport at next election.
8.	Lisa Duffy.

1.	Peter Cranie Works for a parenting support charity. Contested Liverpool Riverside 2005.
2.	Maia Whitelegg Educated at Heysham High School and University of Leon, Spain. Lancaster councillor.
3.	Ruth Bergan Project manager.
4.	Samir Chatterjee Contested Rochdale 2005.
5.	Jill Perry
6.	Justine Hall Student at Manchester University. Will contest Manchester Gorton at the next general election.
7.	Margaret Westbrook
8.	Geoff Smith

1.	Nick Griffin Born 1959, London. Educated at Woodbridge School and Cambridge University. Chairman of the BNP. Former publicity officer and Parliamentary candidate for the National Front before leaving the party in 1989. Joined the BNP in 1995 and edited BNP magazines Spearhead and The Rune. In 1998 he was prosecuted for incitement to racial hatred in reation to an issue of The Rune that denied the holocaust. He was again arrested for incitement to racial hatred in 2004 in relation to a speech he made criticising Islam which was recorded by the BBC, he was subsequently found not guilty at trial. Chairman of the BNP since 1999 he has persued a strategy of giving the BNP a less overtly racist and extremist image. Contested North West Region 2004 European elections. Contested South Wales West in 2007 Welsh assembly elections. Contested Croydon North-West by-election 1981, Croydon North-West 1983 for the National Front. West Bromwich West by-election 2000, Oldham West & Royton 2001, Keighley 2005 for the BNP.
2.	Martin Wingfield Born 1951. Former member of the National Front and editor of their newspaper, The Flag. Convicted under the Race Relations Act in 1984 and imprisoned after refusing to pay a fine. Joined the BNP in 2001 and has subsequently edited their party newspaper, Freedom. Contested Worthing 1983 for the National Front. Contested North West England in 2004 European elections.
3.	Steve Greenhalgh
4.	Edward O’Sullivan. Former army technician, now running a driving school.
5.	Jean Purdy Born 1935, Oldham. Retired nurse.
6.	Michael Elliott Estate agent.
7.	Derek Adams Publican, formerly ran a plant hire company. Contested Rochdale 2005.
8.	Gary Aronnson Contested Heywood and Middleton 2005.

1.	Ed Abrams Contested Hartlepool by-election 2004, Chester 2005.
2.	Stephen Morris
3.	Robert Logan Former Conservative.
4.	Derek Grue Born Merseyside. Works in the construction industry.
5.	Anthony Justice.
6.	Maurice Brookes Former Liberal Democrat.
7.	Valerie Morris
8.	Ken Walters Born Ormskirk. Abstract digital artist.

1.	Roger Bannister Member of the Socialist Party. Candindate for general secretary of UNISON in 2004.
2.	Les Skarratts Member of the FBU executive committee.
3.	Craig Johnston Former train guard. Member of the RMT executive. Former Carlisle councillor for Labour.
4.	Alexander McFadden President of Merseyside TUC.
5.	Steve Radford Born 1957. Member of the Liberal Party. Liverpool councillor. Leader of the Liberal Party 2005-2009. Contested Liverpool West Derby 1997, 2001, 2005.
6.	Lynn Worthington
7.	John Metcalfe Former Carlisle councillor for Labour.
8.	Harry Smith Former Liverpool councillor for Labour.

1.	Billy Kelly
2.	Stephen Whatham Contested Knowsley North and Sefton East 2005.
3.	Kai Andersen
4.	Ronald Waugh Contested Knowsley North and Sefton East 2001.
5.	Dot Kelly
6.	Lynton Bennett
7.	Dot Entwistle
8.	Michael Perry

1.	Krishnamurty Tayya Born India. Retired, formerly worked for the DSS.
2.	Graham Ross Retired solicitor and practicising mediator.
3.	Carl Birchall Warehouse manager.
4.	William Brotherston Born Edinburgh. Educated at Leith Academy and Napier Technical College. Retired engineer.
5.	Mary Strickland Retired
6.	Michael Hale Educated at Nantwich and Acton Grammar School. Financial broker.

1.	Hans-Christian Raabe GP
2.	Jill McLachlan Contested Cities of London and Westminster 2005.
3.	John Manwell
4.	Maria Overend
5.	Clive Morrison
6.	Bob Ralph
7.	Carol Jules
8.	David Martin

1.	Benjamin Tallis Freelance journalist and political analyst. Resigned from Libertas and endorsed the Green party on the 22nd May, after the close of nominations, saying he would not take up a seat on behalf of Libertas if elected.
2.	Anthony Butcher Contested Woodspring 2005 for UKIP.
3.	Paul Debrowa
4.	William Westall
5.	Liam Hemmings
6.	John Humberstone Independent councillor on Wrexham council until 2008.
7.	Michael O’Reilly

There is also one independent candidate standing:

Francis Apaloo (Independent) GP.