EU-Yes!

Last night's hustings event in Lapford - very well attended after good organisation by David Bragg and the Lapford Churches Together Initiative - again saw attacks from the  UKIP candidate and sceptical comments from the Tory candidate regarding this country's membership of the EU.

I said then, what I've said at other hustings events, that it hugely benefits this country to be in the EU.

It is crucial that our Country should be at the centre of things in the EU, as we are now, making sure British business and social interests are at the forefront and that the power of the EU can be directed at global problems like the financial crisis, climate change, poverty, sustainable energy, fighting diseases such as malaria and Aids, opposing extremists.

Here are just a few of the very many highly important reasons why our central involvement in the EU must be maintained  -
 Labour signed the Social Chapter introducing measures including

•  Four weeks’ paid holiday
• A right to parental leave
• Extended maternity leave
• The right to request more flexible working

 Because Labour is at the centre of things in Europe we were able to –

• Lead the way in Europe to get an agreed coordinated response to the economic downturn
• Secure better deals such as halving the cost of domestic phone calls and halving the cost of air fares for travel in the EU, cutting the cost of mobile phone calls across EU borders and getting proper compensation for air passengers ‘bumped’ from flights.
•  Strengthen minimum environmental standards across Europe to provide a safer cleaner environment
• Secure measures to make Britain safer, including a European Arrest Warrant to make it more difficult for criminals to avoid arrest by moving between EU countries 

Too often the reason people express scepticism about the EU is because not enough unbiased media attention is given in the UK. Check out what the European Movement says.