EU elections 'seen as irrelevant'

Glenys Kinnock will join her husband in the House of Lords

Many voters in the UK thought the European Parliament elections were irrelevant to their lives, new Europe minister Glenys Kinnock has admitted.

Mrs Kinnock replaced Caroline Flint, who quit saying Gordon Brown had been using her as "female window dressing".

Making her first ministerial speech, Mrs Kinnock said this was reflected in just 35% of people choosing to vote.

The former MEP, who will join the House of Lords, said there was "no public focus on the vital issues".

The role and importance of the EU has never been greater Glenys Kinnock, Europe Minister

Mrs Kinnock told an audience at the Chatham House think tank in London that the matter of MPs' expenses dominated the election campaign.

She said some voters may have consciously abstained to object to the conduct of contemporary politics while others could be habitual non voters.

"The grave reality of 4 June and other European Parliament elections is that many in the UK and elsewhere simply did not see the relevance to their lives and futures of casting a vote", Mrs Kinnock said.

She said this presented a significant challenge at a time when the EU was carrying more influence.

"We live in an age where our interests - in terms of the economy, the environment, security - are more bound up than ever with the rest of the world.

"It follows that the role and importance of the EU has never been greater."

Mrs Kinnock pledged to make the case for the European Union, saying that many people were already convinced that international co-operation was necessary to tackle threats or seize global opportunities.

"The task for me and others is therefore to convince people that the best means of that co-operation already exists. It is called the European Union," the wife of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock said.

"It doesn't have to be loved, but it does have to be used and that is best done by those who are willing to handle it, engage with it and exercise the rights and responsibilities it engenders."