European Parliament Parties and their chairs

There are numerous parties in the European Parliament

European People's Party
Political Ideology: Centre Right
Belief of the EU: Remain
Chair: Manfred Weber (Germany)
British parties aligned: Change UK
Number of British MEPs: 0
Number of MEPs: 182
Dominated Party in: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia


European Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Political Ideology: Centre Left
Belief of the EU: Remain
Chair: Iratxe Garcia Perez
British parties aligned: Labour Party
Number of British MEPs: 10
Number of MEPs: 154
Dominated party in: Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden

Alliance of Libeals and Democrats for Europe
Political Ideology: Centre to Centre left
Belief of the EU: Remain passionately
Chair: Dacian Ciolos (Romania)
British parties aligned: Liberal Democrats, Alliance Party for Northern Ireland
Number of British MEPs: 17
Number of MEPs: 108
Dominated party in: Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Luxembourg

Green and European Freedom Alliance
Political Ideology: Left wing
Belief of the EU: Remain
Chair: Phillipe Lambert (Belgium)
British Parties aligned: Green Party, SNP, Plaid Cmyru
Number of British MEPs: 11
Number of MEPs: 74
Dominated party in: -

Identity and Democracy
Political Ideology: Right Wing to Far Right
Belief of the EU: Leave
Chair: Marco Zenni (Italy)
British Parties aligned: UKIP
Number of Briths MEPs: 0
Number of MEPs: 73
Dominated party in: France, Italy

The European Conservatives and Reformists  
Political Ideology: Centre Right - Right Wing
Belief of the EU: Large factions wishing to leave, but principally calling for a reform of the institution
Chair: Raffaele Fitto (Italy), previously three successive British MEPs had held the post from 2009 until 2019 when Syed Kamal of the Conservatives lost his seat
British parties aligned: The Conservative Party
Number of British MEPs: 4
Number of MEPs: 62
Dominated party in: Belgium, Poland

European Freedom and Direct Democracy
Political Ideology: Right Wing
Belief of the EU: Leave
Chair: Nigel Farage (UK)
British parties aligned: Brexit Party
Number of British MEPs: 29
Number of MEPs: 53
Dominated party in: United Kingdom

European United Left
Political Ideology: Left Wing to Far Left
Belief of the EU: Remain primarily but significant leave support and sceptism
Chair: Martin Schirdewan (Germany)
British Parties aligned: None
Number of British MEPs: 0
Number of MEPs: 41
Dominated party in: -

RIP Terrence Dicks

It is with great sadness that the script editor of Doctor Who from the sixth season in 1969 to the eleventh season in 1974, Terrence Dicks, has died at the age of 84.

Terrence Dicks was the de factor deputy of Doctor Who, working alongside the showrunners Peter Bryant, Derrick Sherwin and Barry Letts. Letts and Dicks were the runners of the show for all but one story of the Jon Pertwee era. It was Dicks who was co-creator of the Time Lord mythology and the Master.

Dicks wrote Patrick Troughton's last story and Tom Baker's first and wrote the 20th anniversary special, the Five Doctors. He was one of  two writers, the other being Robert Holmes, who John Nathan Turner kept on. Dicks was a writer on the show from 1969-1977 and then again in 1980 and then finally in 1983.

Dicks is perhaps most remembered for his rewrites of Doctor Who episodes for novelisaton, with his books being greatly popular among young fans, and he has received credit for being a key individual in the encouragement of boys to read. Steven Moffat took the promise of the Doctor, 'never be cruel, never be cowardly' from Dicks' target novels. Dicks loved Doctor Who and his most recent Doctor Who novel is to be released later this month. This will of course sadly be his last.

RIP Terrence Dicks