Papers by Richard Whitaker
Given its increasing involvement in the European Union's legislative process scholars have begun ... more Given its increasing involvement in the European Union's legislative process scholars have begun to ask how much the European Parliament is an attractive place for those wishing to build a legislative career. While some work has been done on assessing whether a European elite is emerging in the form of a core of MEPs who remain in the institution for long periods, less research has been conducted on how MEPs build careers inside the EP.
The recent enlargement of the European Union means that its institutions have had to adapt to an ... more The recent enlargement of the European Union means that its institutions have had to adapt to an influx of new members from the ten recent entrants to the club. This is particularly pronounced in the European Parliament (EP) which, at the beginning of its sixth term, took in well over 380 new members, or roughly 53% of its current membership, 161 of whom (or 22% of MEPs) are from the new member states.
The UK Independence Party (UKIP) achieved its best result in the 2009 European elections, beating... more The UK Independence Party (UKIP) achieved its best result in the 2009 European elections, beating the governing Labour Party into second place. Despite its recent success we still know relatively little about who votes for the party and how these supporters compare with those of UKIP's competitors.
The UK Independence Party (UKIP) came second in the 2009 European elections, but niche parties as... more The UK Independence Party (UKIP) came second in the 2009 European elections, but niche parties associated with a single issue face a dilemma about how to progress. On one hand, if they move too far beyond their core issue, they risk losing their distinctive position and support base. On the other, if they are to grow their representation, they need to develop a broader platform and this can provoke internal tensions. We assess the political attitudes and views on party strategy of UKIP candidates using surveys at the 2009 European and 2010 general election, and compare them with the views of UKIP supporters using opinion poll data. We demonstrate that UKIP's candidates and supporters are closely aligned, with both groups being strongly Eurosceptic, favouring tighter immigration policies and distrusting the main parties. We also show that UKIP's leadership and candidates wish to extend the party's narrative, but differences remain over what issues it should focus on, as well as over competition with the Conservatives and UKIP's role in the European Parliament.
This is the second in a series of briefing papers arising from the research project “Competing on... more This is the second in a series of briefing papers arising from the research project “Competing on the Centre Right: An Examination of Party Strategy in Britain”. The briefing papers highlight early findings from the research, representing ‘work in progress’, and offer commentary on current issues that fall within the project’s remit. This paper outlines initial findings from the survey of UK Independence Party general election candidates, and summarises the findings of research on support for UKIP at the 2009 European elections.
The Conservatives are allied members of the European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) g... more The Conservatives are allied members of the European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) group in the European Parliament. But the link with the pro-European EPP has been a contentious issue within the Conservative Party. In deciding whether to remain within the EPP–ED, the Conservatives have to balance issues of domestic party management with their policy and office objectives at the European level. In this article we first assess David Cameron's commitment to form a new group, and then analyse the advantages and disadvantages of Conservative membership of the EPP–ED by examining roll-call votes and modelling two scenarios for a new group in 2009. We conclude that the pros and cons of forming a new group are finely balanced.
The European Parliament’s increased legislative role in recent years means that its actions are n... more The European Parliament’s increased legislative role in recent years means that its actions are now more likely to have an impact on national parties’ policy choices and, indirectly, on their electoral fortunes. This article examines the extent to which national party delegations deal with this by ensuring representativeness among their committee contingents. Using a technique borrowed from Cox and McCubbins (1993), the article compares the voting behaviour of committee contingents with their national party delegations on the basis of roll-call votes. The analysis shows that, for the most part, national parties ensure higher levels of representativeness on committees that have legislative power. The results support the assertion that, as the European Parliament’s actions matter more, national parties have become more concerned with their MEPs’ activities.
Does a strong committee system reduce the ability of political parties to dominate a parliament? ... more Does a strong committee system reduce the ability of political parties to dominate a parliament? This article seeks to answer this question in the case of the European Parliament (EP). Specifically, the article assesses the extent to which party leaders control their committee members in the EP. On the basis of interviews with Members of the European Parliament, the article analyses: (1) the extent to which EP party group leaders control committee assignment and (2) how much influence they have over the direction of committee activities, specifically through group co-ordinators. The results show that national delegation leaderships are increasingly involved in directing the committee assignment process and that group co-ordinators, in some cases, are able to control committee business in the EP.
Political Insight, Jan 1, 2010
Parliamentary Affairs, Jan 1, 2006
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Papers by Richard Whitaker
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http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.2041-9066.2010.00016.x/asset/j.2041-9066.2010.00016.x.pdf?v=1&t=ge14dqh6&s=9ab3319ce0b38b6ff0e66cec629df2debdae7f58