Proud to be British, proud to be European, proud to be Labour

By Glenis Willmott

Last week, the Prime Minister was in Strasbourg at the start of his pre G20 preparations advocating a progressive momentum for change and reform to coordinate a way out of the current global downturn.

It is always a proud moment when the Leader of your party and Prime Minister comes to address the European Parliament, but last week had an extra edge. The significance of forging a political and economic consensus which is strong enough to pull us out of the current downturn and move us towards a strong and stable economic future gave the day an added importance and set the tone for tomorrow’s G20 meetings.

There are those commentators who have described Gordon as a reluctant European. That has not been my impression in the meetings I have had with him since he became Prime Minister. In Strasbourg last week, he did not disappoint. He opened his speech saying, he “was proud to be British and proud to be European. Representing a country that does not see itself as an island beside Europe, but a country at the centre of Europe, not in Europe’s slipstream, but in Europe’s mainstream”.

In stark contrast the Tories in Europe are being pushed into a new political group. Some are going willingly and others very very reluctantly. All of this is in spite of Cameron’s claims to have detoxified the Conservative brand.

Their new friends are likely to be an odd assortment of homophobes, racists and climate change deniers. Like many others I struggle to understand how this disparate group will fit in with Cameron’s image of cuddly Tories. Neither is it obvious how they could put together a policy programme with a semblance of political coherence which could face up to complex global challenges. Once again, when it comes to Europe, the Tories have put dogma before Britain’s interest.

Meanwhile, our Prime Minister received a standing ovation from the Socialist Group in the Parliament for giving a speech of great vision. He asked that the European Union build a partnership with Obama’s United States of America, to join with the world’s emerging economies and pursue a new globalisation that is a force for solidarity and justice on a global scale. Gordon also met with our Labour MEPs and Labour’s staff in the European Parliament and spurred us on for the campaign ahead. After a busy week in Strasbourg he is now back in the UK for the G20 and to keep up the campaign for the 4th June. I hope you can join us soon. This is a week that made us all very proud to be British, proud to be European and proud to be Labour.