▁c ass ettes ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁leadership ▁candidates ▁being ▁cross - ex am ined ▁by ▁She ff ield ▁party ▁members . ▁He ▁ins isted ▁that ▁" we ▁really ▁do ▁object ▁to ▁the ▁media ▁editing ▁internal ▁deb ates ", ▁and ▁declared ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁conduct ▁deb ates ▁through ▁the ▁newsp apers ▁because ▁it ▁would ▁keep ▁down ▁the ▁party ' s ▁standing ▁with ▁the ▁public . ▁ ▁European ▁Parliament ▁Bart on ▁offered ▁himself ▁for ▁selection ▁for ▁the ▁Labour ▁nom ination ▁for ▁the ▁She ff ield ▁constitu ency ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁European ▁Parliament ▁election , ▁as ▁a ▁left - wing ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁British ▁membership ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Commun ities ; ▁however ▁he ▁lost ▁out ▁to ▁Bob ▁Cry er , ▁who ▁had ▁lost ▁his ▁Parliament ary ▁seat ▁the ▁previous ▁year . ▁When ▁Cry er ▁was ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁general ▁election ▁he ▁stood ▁down ▁from ▁the ▁European ▁Parliament ▁and ▁Bart on ▁was ▁selected ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁election . ▁ ▁Political ▁views ▁After ▁winning ▁the ▁seat ▁easily , ▁Bart on ▁became ▁identified ▁with ▁the ▁left - wing ▁in ▁the ▁European ▁Parliament ' s ▁Labour ▁Group . ▁He ▁led ▁the ▁sign ator ies ▁of ▁a ▁letter ▁calling ▁for ▁support ▁for ▁a ▁Camp aign ▁for ▁N uc lear ▁Dis arm ament ▁r ally , ▁and ▁signed ▁an ▁advert is ement ▁oppos ing ▁changes ▁to ▁Cla use ▁IV ▁when ▁Tony ▁Bla ir ▁proposed ▁to ▁drop ▁it . ▁Bart on ▁opposed