You are here: Home » Archives »

Having a strong Labour team in the European Parliament matters for Britain

February 10, 2009 10:09 am

Author:

Share this Article

By Glenis WillmottEuro Labour

The European Elections on the 4th June will be a crucial national election for Labour as well as for Britain. For Labour people the values that we work on at local and national level are impossible to achieve without working with the same vigour and vision at European level as we do in our Councils and in government.

From high levels of protection at work, to fighting discrimination and building a sustainable future, Labour acts at European level on the issues that Britain cannot face alone.

David Cameron’s group of MEPs would have you believe that we can just ignore issues from Women’s rights to international development and some of them do not even think that climate change is happening. I’m sure you’ve read about it by now but the Tory MEPs have had big problems in their ranks because some were fiddling their expenses – so they had to swap their European Parliament leader three times in one year!

Those of us close to these issues see these negatives, but more importantly, we see the positives of Labour action at European level. However, one of the major challenges of being an MEP is communicating this information to a very large constituency, especially when the parliament you work in is based in Brussels and even moves country once a month to Strasbourg!

I was struck recently by a European survey, which showed that 81% of British citizens felt badly informed about the work of the European Parliament. Having been elected as leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party I have pledged to work hard with my colleagues to make sure that Labour supporters are well-informed. I want to see our campaigners up and down the country armed with the arguments on why having a strong Labour team in the European Parliament matters for Britain.

One element of this is to address the presence of Labour MEPs online. Nothing will ever beat championing the Labour cause on the doorstep, face to face, but we all know that having access to information that matters is crucial to helping make the case for labour. That is why we have re launched Euro Labour.

Please sign up for details on how you can find out more from your Labour MEP on what they have delivered. From better working conditions, stronger environmental protection and fighting on the equalities agenda, Labour values are driving forward a positive agenda in Brussels.

I hope that the new EPLP website helps all of our constituents and supporters to get more information on our work in the European Parliament. Most of all, I hope that you get in touch to find out more from your MEP. Labour MEPs are on hand to give you the reasons to get out knocking on doors in the run up to June 4th and fighting to get more Labour politicians in the European Parliament. Just get in touch to find out what’s at stake on 4th June.

Glenis Willmott MEP is Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party.

Related posts:

  1. The government says Cameron’s approach to the downturn is to talk Britain down
  2. It’s becoming more difficult to see how Cameron and his sub-standard team could take the reins
  3. Hope not Hate
  4. Labour calling

Comments are closed

Latest

  • Comment Should people be asked if they are party supporters when they register to vote?

    Should people be asked if they are party supporters when they register to vote?

    Chris Clark and Rav Seeruthun on a small change that if adopted, would free activists to spend more time on community work Every year at party conferences we hear professional politicians eulogise hard-working party volunteers. And there’s no activity more often evoked than that of ‘knocking on doors’. It’s a common delusion that the purpose of doorstep canvassing is to ‘persuade’ voters. Having taken part in our fair share of Labour canvassing sessions, we’ve both had the dispiriting experience of [...]

    Read more →
  • Europe Featured You can always rely on the Conservatives to ignore the public when it comes to Europe

    You can always rely on the Conservatives to ignore the public when it comes to Europe

    By Douglas Alexander

    Europe is not often the issue which comes top of people’s concerns on the doorstep. Nor do opinion polls suggest that Europe is a priority for voters when compared to issues like the economy or jobs. But you can always rely on the Conservatives to ignore the public when it comes to Europe. This week saw over a hundred Conservative MPs rebel and vote against their own Queens Speech. They were angry that it hadn’t included a bill which would [...]

    Read more →
  • News Seats and Selections Vicky Foxcroft selected as Labour’s PPC for Lewisham Deptford

    Vicky Foxcroft selected as Labour’s PPC for Lewisham Deptford

    Vicky Foxcroft has been selected by Lewisham Deptford CLP as the party’s candidate for 2015 at a selection meeting this afternoon. Here’s a brief biography: Vicky grew up in the North West in a single parent household, and was the first person in her family to go to university. She has held many positions in the party including Chair of Labour Students, has sat on the National Policy Forum and is currently a local councillor and is Chair of Lewisham [...]

    Read more →
  • Comment Labour’s future schools policy: why accountability matters

    Labour’s future schools policy: why accountability matters

    By Mike Ion

    Stephen Twigg, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary is one of the more thoughtful and pragmatic individuals to hold this vitally important brief for some time. To his credit Stephen has been out and about these past two years listening to pupils, teachers, parents and governors and finding out more about the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis. In addition Stephen has been looking closely at some local, regional, national and international programmes that have had a demonstrable impact in raising [...]

    Read more →
  • News Seats and Selections Falkirk selection process suspended by the party

    Falkirk selection process suspended by the party

    The Labour Party have this afternoon suspended the selection process for Falkirk, after concerns were raised about “membership recruitment”. We understand that Ed Miliband was “keen to act swiftly” as the selection process was due to formally begin on Sunday. An officer of the party – yet to be confirmed – will investigate. A Labour spokesperson told us this afternoon: “We have suspended the start of the selection process of the Falkirk parliamentary seat. Concerns have been raised about membership [...]

    Read more →