Tessa Jowell was named as the SDP's lead candidates in EU elections
“While the issues related to economics dominated the political discourse, the big European were absent. An illustrative example can be drawn from an analysis of the electoral broadcasts used by the political parties. To start with, the SDP used a message emphasizing purity. Its electoral broadcast featured a child holding roses against a background of “Ode to Joy” with the slogan “Think about who you are voting for! Choose the future!” No specific mention of the program or candidates was included in the broadcast. In a similar vein, National's advert used the slogan “Together in good and bad times”. It featured the first candidate on its list, Francis Maude, as the candidate preoccupied with the bad situation of the people.” - The 2007 EU election campaign in Britain, Lecture by Wojciech Gagatek, University of Warsaw (2010)
From Warsaw to Edinburgh, new EU member states were preparing for snap European elections to decide their delegation to the European Parliament, the combined new population entitled them to nearly 200 seats or almost a quarter of the European Parliament, Britain with her 74 seats would take up the lion’s share of new MEPs so whatever British voters decided would have an outsized impact on EU politics. Britain itself would form one constituency, the 74 seats meant there was an effective threshold of 2.4% of the vote to gain an MEP. Britain’s smallest parties, from the far-right NPP to the environmentalist Ecologist Party and Federalist European Party were eying up seats.
The NPP was a particular threat, polling an average of 2%, they were on the cusp of elected representation, antifascist groups were quickly organising desperately to stop the fascists going to Brussels, no pasarán! To combat the NNP emerged Searchlight, Searchlight had originally been founded as an organisation to hold former Junta officials to account and highlight Junta officials still serving senior roles in the civil service, police and military, with the rise of Civil Assistance and the NPP Searchlight quickly became a broad anti Mountbattenite organisation, become the largest non-violent anti-fascist organisation in the United Kingdom.
Searchlight organised in areas of particular NNP strength such as East London and West Yorkshire, organising canvassing sessions and leaflet drops with the support of moderate politicians. Searchlight activists would heckle NNP Leader Colonel Godfrey Bloom wherever he spoke and the organisation hired an impersonator to follow Bloom around (although this had to be stopped when the actor was beaten by Civil Assistance “bodyguards”). For a nation used to violence, the non-violent and often comedic tactics of Searchlight were received well and the NPP struggled to pick up momentum.
Bloom was mocked mercilessly by activists and the press
“The campaign against a lecturer who claims that black people are inferior is spreading to campuses around the country. Frank Ellis sparked anger after stating he was an "unrepentant Mountbattenite" and was standing to be an MEP for the NNP. In a row that has reignited the debate about academic freedom, Mr Ellis said he supported right-wing ideas such as The Bell Curve. The Bell Curve claims that white people are more intelligent than black people. He also told the Leeds Student newspaper that women did not have the same intellectual capacity as men. Yesterday more than 200 students gathered in Leeds to call for him to be sacked as the struggle picked up momentum at other universities. Hind Hassan, Chair of Leeds Searchlight, said: "This is a fight that is going to go on and on until we get rid of this man."" - Students protest against NPP lecturer's race views, Matthew Taylor, The Guardian (2006)
Back in the mainstream of British politics, National based their campaign around opposition to further EU powers and expansion. National especially warned about the accession of the Baltic states as well as the “threat” of Turkish accession, warning the integration of these poorer nations would lead a flood of migrants to the United Kingdom. This was roundly mocked in other EU capitals considering Britain was fighting to keep its current residents in, but amongst National voters the argument was convincing, many older Brits only supported the EU for its economic benefits and were loath to accept its social aspect or any element of ever closer union. Hypocritical as it might be, National’s tactics were helping it secure votes.
Collins had regained control of his party, a strong EU result would further cement his leadership
For the SDP the picture was more mixed, evidence from other EU countries had shown the ruling party tended to get a kicking in off-year EU elections, despite the SDP’s general popularity and the momentum from the Referendum, many in the SDP were nervous. Because of this, the SDP ran a fairly boring campaign, they warned against the threat of political extremism and made a technocratic argument that SDP MEP would be able to get the most out of Brussels. With the insurgent minor parties taking up the news’ time the SDP became a backdrop in the EU elections, whilst the SDP’s polling wasn’t dire it certainly wasn’t brilliant.
For the smaller parties the large constituency and 2% threshold presented a problem, parties like Plaid Cymru struggled to break 1% of the vote on a good day. The SNP, Plaid and other smaller separatist parties like Merbyn Kernow formed the “European Free Alliance” a joint electoral list named after the EU grouping they hoped to join, the EFA campaigned on a platform of a disunited Kingdom within a strong European Union. Whilst RISE was invited to the list they opted to go alone, campaigning for a Socialist Scottish Voice at Brussels. RISE was also invited to join a joint list between Sinn Fein and the Socialist Alternative but they also declined this invitation. Whilst the NPP’s momentum had stalled the Ecology Party had managed to make some electoral progress, at the 2005 election the party had managed to secure a single MP in Surrey as well as a handful of regional legislators in regions like Surrey and East Anglia, now the party was consistently polling around 3%, outpassing RISE and breathing down the neck of the Alternative.
After a very short campaign, with an electorate sick of voting, turnout was expected to be low, no one had managed to make the MEP elections exciting. This of course worried SDP politicians the most, whose voters were more fickle and ambivalent on European questions, like so many other governing parties the SDP expected an unenthusiastic turnout leading on an unenthusiastic kick, but there was nothing to be done now. There was also the issue of voter intimidation, with the eyes of the world no longer on them Civil Assistance began to crawl back out of the woodwork, Civil Assistance activists were reported to harass voters outside polling stations and stalk Searchlight activists. As the polls closed most crossed their fingers and hoped the shadow of fascism wouldn’t fall on Britain again.
“The Leader of the NNP has been ejected from the Humberside Assembly after directing a Nazi slogan at the Provincial President. Col Godfrey Bloom MLA said "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuehrer" - one people, one empire, one leader - as Elliot Morley was making a speech. He was ordered out of the chamber and will face disciplinary measures. Mr Bloom told the BBC he stood by his words, describing the Provincial President as "a national socialist". Mr Bloom made the heckle as Mr Morley, a member of the Social Democratic Party, was speaking during a debate on the bankruptcy of Hull City Council. The National leader in the Assembly Greg Knight challenged Mr Bloom to apologise. He said: "We are in a democracy, this is a democratic era and I would ask you to make an official apology.” - NPP Leader Godfrey Bloom ejected over Nazi jibe, BBC News Extract (2006)
Civil Assistance members were seen campaigning for NPP and National candidates