Brussels hustings: What do the deputy leadership candidates think about Europe?

Labour deputy leadership candidates took part in a hustings in the European Parliament with MEPs and staff yesterday. This is an account from Richard Howitt MEP – there is a full editorial note at the bottom.

Question: HOW WILL YOU WIN THE EU REFERENDUM?

ANGELA EAGLE:

We have to put the benefits of Europe. When we win the referendum, we have to make sure we don’t lose the aftermath, as we did in Scotland. When David Cameron threatens social benefits from Europe, we have to promote them. We have to stop conceding to UKIP, by being relentless about the benefits of the EU at home.

TOM WATSON:

We should help people understand the magnitude of the decision they have to take.  We can’t let this become a referendum on the popularity of the Government.  For the trade unions, we need this to be about Social Europe. For business, it needs to be about the Single Market. For the party, we need to be talking about Labour at its best.

BEN BRADSHAW:

You as MEPs need to be a full part of the campaign and together we need to make the argument with passion. I welcome Alan Johnson’s appointment. We have to take the opportunity to galvanise local CLPs, to talk with local businesses about the advantages. To be honest I’m not comfortable with our party’s current position on the franchise, on EU nationals in Britain and on expatriate voters. And we can’t make Labour’s position on the referendum conditional on the reform negotiations either.

CAROLINE FLINT:

I think we have to be supportive of the European Union, irrespective of any reform proposals. We can’t allow outselves to be pushed back in our commitment to the EU. We have to argue the case for being part of the European Union, to say to people how Labour is working to make it work more for you.

STELLA CREASY:

As Deputy Leader I would be proud to be working for a ‘yes’ vote. We mustn’t let David Cameron define the case for being in the European Union. It’s not just about trade but about climate change and development too.  In this room, we have the people who have won in Europe – we need to work with you.  In Scotland the SNP didn’t just get young people to vote for them but to be their advocates and Labour needs young voters to do the same on Europe.

Question: WILL YOU ENSURE MEPs ARE FULLY INVOLVED IN LABOUR PARTY POLICY-MAKING, EVENTS AND CAMPAIGNING – LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY?

BEN BRADSHAW:

Yes I will.  We should also pursue this with our sister parties in other parts of Europe too. Let’s build that up as part of the ‘yes’ campaign in the referendum too. As two red specs in a sea of blue in the South West, I keep in close touch with Clare [Moody, Labour MEP for the South-West region].  That is my record.

CAROLINE FLINT:

Yes, it is important and I’ve always sought to do this in my jobs in Government.  We need to work at when we meet, what we talk about and what we share? We need to get our staff to make the right connections too.

STELLA CREASY:

It’s a given, what you’re talking about.

I checked and Glenis [Willmott, EPLP Leader] isn’t officially listed as a member of the Shadow Cabinet – I’d change that straight away. I went into politics not just to change governments but to change lives and this can only happen with action at local, national and international level.

ANGELA EAGLE:

We need to integrate much more.  You have tremendous expertise and contacts; we need to see much more integration between you and the party.  To be honest you shouldn’t have lost your nomination rights for party leader and deputy leader contests. You represent large swathes of areas which don’t have other Labour representation.

TOM WATSON: 

I have an idea of a more federal party in which you have your role to play, and as Deputy Leader I would enable each part to play their own role in shaping the direction that the party takes. The EPLP Leader should go to Shadow Cabinet as a right and I was surprised too that MEPs lost nomination rights for leadership elections.

Question: CAN WE TRUST YOU TO KEEP YOUR PROMISES – OR WILL YOU FORGET THEM AS SOON AS YOU GET BACK ON THE EUROSTAR?!

CAROLINE FLINT: 

I hope someone is taping this conversation to hold us to it!  I am an open person; I don’t claim to have a monopoly of ideas. My experience really was enriched by colleagues in the European Union and also in Germany, where I learnt about renewable energy.

BEN BRADSHAW: 

Take my record as a Minister. I have always engaged with MEPs and took up the invitation to engage with you as MEPs in the European Elections.

STELLA CREASY: 

It seems strange if we don’t work in that way.  You need to be in the room with us, to engage with us and to work at how we can get the best out of each other.

ANGELA EAGLE:

We need time together, structured cooperation in things like the National Policy Forum. It’s in all our interests to do so.

TOM WATSON:

I will commit this to the 173,000 people who follow me on Twitter, as soon as I get on the Eurostar!  It’s about a new culture, a leadership close to the party and a party which is itself a federal party.

Question: EVENTS IN GREECE ARE A NIGHTMARE FOR THE EUROZONE, AND FOR THOSE OUTSIDE IT. WHAT ACTION WOULD YOU URGE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO TAKE? WOULD YOU URGE BRITAIN TO SUPPORT HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GREECE?

STELLA CREASEY: 

It frustrates me when people say there is no difference between Labour and the Conservatives. We would never have seen a Labour Chancellor going to EU meetings to defend bankers’ bonuses but oppose the Financial Transactions Tax.  Greece itself makes even stronger the case for engagement for Britain in the European Union.

ANGELA EAGLE: 

It’s a tragedy what is happening in Greece: a 31% decline in the economy, the biggest contraction since the inter-war years and democracy itself at risk.  I hope there will be an agreement to get back to growth. Clearly Eurozone Membership is proving deeply difficult for Greece, but people need to get back round the table and find an agreement.

TOM WATSON:

These are completely unchartered waters and the fact is Greece is becoming a failed state at the heart of Europe. This is a failure for us all, a failure of political leadership. Yes, we have to find a solution, to be there if things go wrong, to give humanitarian support.  But I believe that the fate for Greece is in the hands of Europe.

BEN BRADSHAW: 

I don’t think Greece should ever have joined the Eurozone. I don’t think they have done anything on tax evasion. I don’t think we have created a fire wall.  I do think we should provide humanitarian aid, but it is not in our interest to keep Greece in the Eurozone at whatever the cost.

CAROLINE FLINT: 

Some of the expectations of Greece should have been sorted out a long time ago. The City should also take some responsibility for its lending and the high rates of interest charged. The brinkmanship at the moment isn’t helpful and it isn’t helpful for the overall perception of the European Union either.

Question: HOW WILL LABOUR AT THE SAME TIME TAKE ON THE SNP WHO CLAIM TO BE PROGRESSIVE AND UKIP WHO ARE RIGHT-WING AND WANT TO BLAME IMMIGRANTS?

CAROLINE FLINT: 

We have to take collective responsibility on how we didn’t nurture devolution in Scotland. UKIP actually held their national conference in my constituency. The answer lies not in the big metropolitan cities, but in people from provincial Britain who feel politicians don’t speak for their concerns. We need to fight for their security.

STELLA CREASEY: 

We need to fight the SNP, UKIP and the Greens, who all give an emotional story about other people being at fault.  We have to recognise nationalism is a threat to solidarity; it’s about trying to tear people apart.  And if we don’t win the EU referendum, we won’t be a national movement.

ANGELA EAGLE: 

It’s not just the SNP and UKIP but a Conservative Government which is practising the politics of grievance and blame, of divide and rule. We are in an age of powerlessness and we have to say to people: you can make choices, join the team and help us change our country. Three years ago, Glenis said UKIP were a problem for Labour and you were right.  I don’t think we’ve yet managed to hang a lantern on where UKIP stands. We have to expose Farage as a classic small government politician, who gets people to vote against their own interests.

BEN BRADSHAW : 

We need to have fair but credible arguments on welfare reform and immigration but never adopt the rhetoric of UKIP.  We need to tackle the issue of identity, including in Scotland. But always remember that four-in-five voters we need to win back voted Conservative. That is the priority.

Question: WHICH ARE THE REFORMS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE?

ANGELA EAGLE:

The amazing thing about the European Union is that it works. Twenty-eight countries in huge buildings with a big bureaucracy, but actually it does work. I saw that when I chaired the EU Environment Council.  We need to keep ensuring the wheels are oiled and – given what David Cameron is doing – we need to talk a lot more about Social Europe.

TOM WATSON:

In twenty-five years of meeting and talking to MEPs, I’ve never met one who’s said we should go to the Strasbourg Parliament, so let’s start with that. We should argue for continuing reforms to the Common Agriculture Policy, to move from support payments to sustainable agriculture.  And although I acknowledge it’s a difficult issue, if we could change the transitional arrangements on freedom of movement for EU accession countries, it would be important in helping us to make the case for Europe.

BEN BRADSHAW:

First, to complete the Single Market, to make the case for jobs and for future prospects for our young people.  We should also defend the EU’s achievements on consumer rights, get more EU cooperation on defence and in dealing with the terrible migration crisis on our borders.

CAROLINE FLINT:

We shouldn’t let the arguments for EU reform be dictated by David Cameron. Reform is taking place already and is an ongoing process.  Stopping MEPs having to go to Strasbourg and more transparency on the EU budget would be a couple of quick wins. But the central focus has to be a new emphasis for the EU on jobs and on growth.

STELLA CREASY:

Most political institutions are struggling at present, but the truth is that if we didn’t have the European Union, we would have to invent it.  I’d like to go back to first principles, to promote European cooperation on defence, on the Social Chapter, on climate change and on development. Making Europe stronger in these areas makes our country stronger within our own borders too.

Editorial Note: These extracts are an uncorroborated, edited version of answers given during the official Labour Party Deputy Leadership hustings which took place in the European Parliament on 29 June, and have been written primarily for the benefit of party members in my East of England constituency, to generate further debate on the important issue of Europe to them and in my work on their behalf.  I have sought to present relevant answers as accurately and objectively as possible and the extracts are based on a verbatim note taken during the meeting. Nevertheless, I emphasise that they are not an official record and any errors and omissions in presentation are of course my responsibility, not any of the candidates themselves. If anyone present at the meeting feels there is any inaccuracy, please contact me and I will be more than happy to consider any amendments.  In any case, I hope all readers find this account useful and helpful as you consider your own positions on the future of our party.