Childers has no moral right to remain MEP

The resignation of Nessa Childers from the parliamentary Labour Party focuses public attention on the complete absence of legitimacy of Labour Party and Socialist Party representation in the European Parliament.

Ms Childers sought and was granted a mandate to represent the Labour Party in Europe. She did not seek, nor was she granted, a personal mandate. Having discharged herself from the Parliamentary Labour Party, she has neither the political nor moral authority to remain an MEP and she should act accordingly and promptly resign from the parliament.

The two other Labour candidates and the Socialist Party candidate who successfully contested the 2009 European Parliament election are no longer members of that body and their replacements did not even stand as candidates in that election.

How can the so-called list system have any legitimacy when it merely imposes on the electorate a plethora of strangers to incubate the amply remunerated post of MEP on their own terms, devoid of a specific public mandate?

Myles Duffy

Glenageary

Co Dublin