June 9 1999. Copyright 1999. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

Politicians struggle to energise voters

LONDON, June 9 Graphic News: ELECTIONS to the European Parliament look set to turn into one of BritainÕs biggest ever polling flops, with a predicted turnout as low as 20 percent.

Looking on the bright side, some pollsters optimistically guess that the turnout may just stagger up to the 30 percent mark. The last time MEPs were elected in 1994, only 37 percent of Britons turned out to vote, pipped at the apathy stakes only by the Dutch and Portuguese at 36 percent.

It seems that just as the European parliament has demonstrated it has teeth Ð with the shock resignations of all 20 Commissioners in March over alleged fraud and mismanagement Ð people in the UK are less interested than ever.

Britain has 87 seats up for grabs in the European elections, with the ruling Labour party holding 60 seats. But pundits say that with the election being conducted for the first time by proportional representation, which is designed to favour smaller parties, Labour could lose up to half of those.

Conservatives are trying to make the euro a key part of the campaign with latest polls showing 60 percent of Britons are against the euro. This could benefit opposition Conservative leader William Hague whose hawkish line has focused on public anxiety about the euro as it continues to struggle against the dollar.

Party leaders will spend the next three days travelling around the country by helicopter and battlebus as they try to rally support and combat voter apathy.

/ENDS