Labour in Europe – vision, values and purpose

By Glenis Willmott

I’ve just got back to Brussels after a hectic second to last Strasbourg session of this Parliament!

It’s such a trek going there each month, and for all the positive things we achieve there it is difficult to justify the expense. That is why Labour MEPs are fully behind the One Seat campaign, calling for a single seat for the European Parliament.

And while I’m on the subject of how the Parliament works I want to make clear that we are also the Party that has been calling for clearer and tighter rules on use of expenses by MEPs. Labour MEPs have had our accounts audited independently since the turn of the century!

But onto the real business of the week: standing up for hard working people across Britain. This week Labour has championed the banning of unfair pre-payment meter charges for energy consumers, which often hit the poorest and most vulnerable customers. We have also extended passenger rights across Europe and strengthened the European insurance industry across all 27 member states, meaning Europe is leading the way on building a new regulatory framework after the financial crisis.

And in the middle of all of that it was a budget week back home!

Now all of these things may seem remote to families up and down the country but in the weeks building up to the European Elections, Labour’s MEPs and candidates will be working hard up and down the country making the case for Labour values and politics in action at European level.

Needless to say the Tories did themselves no favours again this week.

First up was London Tory MEP Syed Kamall who said “now it’s time to have more faith in the market”. Now, Syed? Are you sure it is?

Chris Heaton-Harris from my own East Midlands was next. He said that wind turbines don’t work or provide any energy to the grid.

Then it was the turn of UKIP and their two Tory pals. All of them voted against slashing mobile phone roaming charges. So next time Dan Hannan or Roger Helmer tell you they are standing up for consumers, ask them why they cant bring themselves to slash your phone bill when you’re on holiday!

Top prize however goes to UKIP’s Godfrey Bloom from Yorkshire. He had this to say about plans to put in place Credit Rating Agencies, he said they would be, “subsumed by some sort of EU overseer, consisting no doubt of ignorant bureaucrats, Scandinavian housewives, Bulgarian mafia and Romanian peg-makers”. Lovely, thanks for that Godfrey.

The choice is clear in early June. Eurosceptic, do nothing, blind faith marketers or hard working Labour politicians on your side. I hope that you’ll join us over the next 6 weeks, making the case for Labour in Europe, acting with vision, values and purpose.