ABSTRACT
European Parliament constituencies in the United Kingdom can cover as many as eight Westminster constituencies. European news, therefore, has to compete in an arena which is crowded and in which Euro-news has to be given a direct national or local referent. Historically the ceramics industry, in all its forms, became principally located in Stoke on Trent. The full-timers are the linchpins of the office operation handling not only routine constituency and party business but, frequently, acting as policy researchers for the MEP and liaising with the staffs of the member’s committees and other formal and informal groups. Constituent queries cover a wide range of issues some of which are outside the jurisdiction of the European Parliament. Some of these are referred back to MPs and more on to other appropriate recipients. The Parliament’s style is coalitional not adversarial and, as in the United States Congress, members are expected to help write legislation often of a complex, lengthy nature.
