Jury Team Profile - William Brotherston

Here is the latest set of responses from a Jury Team candidate, these are from William Brotherston who is running in the North West Primary.

William's full Jury Team Profile can be viewed, here.

If you would like to vote for William in the Jury Team primary, text WILBRO01 to 86837 (25p + Standard Rate)




Please answer True or False to these statements:

1. The EU should have even more control over the governing of member states including the UK.
False

2. The EU is the future of Continental Europe; the UK should be less resistant to this and more willing to be engaged with EU partners.
False

3. The EU is fundamentally undemocratic in how it is made up and how it functions.
True

4. If elected to the EU Parliament I will always vote in favour of returning legislative powers to member states.
True

5. Countries like Iceland and Norway should be made to join the EU.
False

6. Ireland was wrong to vote NO in their referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
False

7. The main reason why people are against the EU in the UK is because the Tabloid media runs scare stories.
False

8. I believe the UK should be a part of a federal Europe, whether as the UK or as component nations or regions.
False

9. The UK should leave the EU as swiftly and as amicably as possible.
True

10. The UK Parliament should be sovereign. No laws made by the EU should be above the law making decisions of the UK Parliament.
True

11. The UK and France should give up their seats on the UN Security Council in favour of an EU representative.
False

12. The city of London and UK financial institutions should be regulated by the EU.
False

13. The EU has kept peace in Europe for 60 years.
False

14. If the UK left the EU, it’s economy would never recover.
False

15. Plans should be made for the UK to join the EURO within the next five year sitting of the EU parliament.
False

16. UK armed forces should answer to a European Military Chain of Command.
False

17. The EU should be allowed to collect taxes directly from European citizens and/or businesses.
False

18. There will never be war in Europe as long as the EU is strong.
False

19. The UK should not be allowed to declare war without the approval of the EU
False

20. The UK should be allowed a referendum whether it accepts the EU Lisbon Constitutional Treaty before it comes into force.
True

21. I am prepared to give up some small freedoms so that the UK and/or the EU governments can better protect us from terrorists.
False

22. The EU should have control of EU wide policing to make standard the same across Europe, as well as centrally gather intelligence.
False

23. UK Common Law is incompatible with European Courts. We should protect Common Law.
True

24. People who stand opposed to the EU should be punished.
False

25. The Eurovision Song Contest is a wonderful form of European entertainment and the voting is in no way rigged.
False

In no more than 200 words for each question, please tell us about the following:

Q. If you are elected to the EU Parliament, by what method and frequency will your expenses be made public?
My expenses would be made public on my website as soon as possible once they are claimed and paid. There is a practice that claimants can claim set amounts for certain things which may be more that is spent. If I am in that position I shall take what I have spent and use any excess for the good of the people of my constituency. Details of this will also be published on my website.

Q. Have you ever stood for an elected position before?
Not in public life. I have been elected to charity trustee positions in the Scout movement.

Q. Do you have you own website or blog?
I have a personal website but it is inactive at the moment. I also have a website dedicated to exposing the damage done by and the corruption surrounding Speed Cameras. It is not yet complete.

I have no blog. No problem in running one as an MEP where there would be matters of wider interest.

Q. Do you regularly read any particular newspapers or magazines? Who are your favourite writers/Journalists?
No regular newspaper reading. I use the internet and a variety of TV current affairs programmes to keep up with what is going on. I have no particular favourite Writer/Journalist but listen to many and make up my own mind.

Q. Why did you decide to stand for Jury Team instead of an existing political party?
I am fed up with the existing situation where the MPs and MEPs do not represent me. When votes are called in parliament, MPs are obliged to vote the way the party leaders say. They are representing the party chief, not me. The only people who should be able to tell me how to vote are the people of the North West of England whom I represent. As a Jury Team MEP I will be able to and will vote always with my conscience in the interests of my constituents. The way it should be.

With existing parties you get a collection of policies that you must accept as a package. None of the available options satisfy my requirements.

Q. What is the very first thing you will do in your official capacity if elected?
Set up a cost effective constituency organisation to respond to the people of the North West. If they cannot contact me or I them easily and effectively how can I tell if I am properly representing them.

Q. And, as you have been good enough to answer the above, in no more than 1,000 of your own words, tell us why we should vote for you.
Why vote for me? Because I am not in it for personal gain.

One of the biggest problems with politics today is honesty and integrity, or rather the lack of it. As we see MP after MP, European or UK, embroiled in latest bit of double dealing, this time on expenses, the people’s opinion of them takes yet another dive. They may not be breaking the rules but they seem to have an attitude of the common rules not applying to them, that they are somehow special.

Why vote for me? Because I follow my conscience not a career in politics.

The “Party” politicians have to vote the way the Party leaders tell them or see their careers stop dead. I am obdurately independent. I say what I think and act on it.

Why vote for me? Because I WILL be open and honest with constituents, even if it hurts a bit.

You will see from my profile that I am involved with Scouting. Of the 10 Scout laws 1 & 2 are about being trusted and being loyal. Outdated? Not in my book they are every bit as relevant today as ever they were. How often can you say that about most of the MPs and MEPs? Very rarely is the answer you are looking for.

Why vote for me? Because I look at the realities of issues and make a logical decision on the right course of action.

Will I always get it right? Probably not but if I get it wrong, like Mr B Obama, I will say so and try to make it right.

Why vote for me? ………..

Actually don’t vote for me – vote for what I stand for.

Vote for Honesty – Integrity – Fairness – Openness –

Vote for Policies that work for you not for policies that protect the people already on the MP’s gravy train.

Vote for a change because what we have now clearly isn’t working for you.

If you want “more of the same” – that’s easy – just do nothing.

If you like what I stand for – If you want an improvement –
get out there and do something about it. Give me your vote to get me to where I can help you.

If there are any specific questions about what I stand for please ask me Aitken.brotherston@virgin.net