SIR – According to the European movement the European Parliament is a democratic institution and one of its members recently reminded me that in May 2014 British citizens will be invited to vote in the European elections to elect British members. But who are these British members?

Do they have any real powers and do they even have to be British?

British MEP Marta Andreasen, an Argentineborn Spanish accountant, was employed in 2002 by the European Commission as chief accountant, but lost her job after raising concerns about flaws in the commission's accounting system.

Marta subsequently joined UKIP but defected to the Conservatives after complaining that UKIP was lacking in democracy.

More recently UKIP moved against West Midlands MEP Mike Nattrass, who voiced concerns about UKIP’s membership of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group in the European Parliament.

Following a surge of protest at the way Mike Nattrass had been treated by UKIP the completely new An Independence Party was formed.

MEPs may be able to help in certain areas and importantly, draw attention to the way the EU works.

But as for MEPs, of whichever persuasion, being able to initiate EU legislation – sorry but I can’t think of any!

DAVID SMITH

Exeter