What’s the difference between Tory and Labour MEPs?

These past few days have once again highlighted the clear differences between us and the Tories on what we want Europe to look like. It is only Labour that will prioritise the issues that matter, the areas people are concerned about.

This week, the political groups in the European Parliament have presented their responses to the European Commission’s Work Programme – its plan for the next 12 months – with Labour MEPs seeking greater protection for working people and an improvement of social rights, while the Tories engaged in institutional navel-gazing by talking incessantly about the “repatriation of powers” and not much else.

We have called for a real plan to reform the EU’s exploited social model, for action on zero hour contracts, protection for those who are under contract without any guarantee of paid work. We want to see a commitment from the Commission for a full revision of the posted workers directive to ensure employers can’t use EU free movement rules to create a race to the bottom on workers’ pay and conditions.

Unemployment remains high across all parts of Europe. In my own constituency of the East Midlands, the unemployment rate is 5.6%, with 15.8% of young people out of work. And even those fortunate enough to be in employment are feeling squeezed and vulnerable. We need action now to help those who have seen their wages undercut.

Those are our priorities, the subjects that concern us most and that we want Europe to act on. As for the Tories? Rather than focus on the difference Europe can make to tackling these key issues, or even mentioning them at all, the raison d’être of these Tory MEPs, as indeed of their MPs, is to talk about Europe, but not do anything in Europe.

And it’s not just their lack of vision that marks them out, but their voting record when positive legislation comes before Parliament – be it measures to combat climate change, help working people affected by the economic crisis, or tackle tax dodging.

This week we saw Tory MEPs team up with UKIP to vote against a call to action to tackle air pollution – a killer of 400,000 Europeans each year; vote against the inclusion of a social dimension within the Commission Work Programme for 2015; and vote against Labour MEPs’ demands to clamp down on large scale tax avoidance.

On rights, on fairness, on the environment, it is Labour MEPs working week in, week out in the European Parliament in the interest of working people against vested interests and unscrupulous employers. The record of Tory MEPs shows the differences between our priorities and theirs, our values and theirs.

As May draws closer, the dividing lines become clearer: only Labour MEPs in Brussels and a Labour government in Westminster will stand up for voters’ concerns, act and deliver.

 Glenis Willmott is the leader of the Labour group in the European Parliament