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The European Election – Campaigning on the Issues

by Ian Shires on 22 October, 2013

Published on Liberal Democrat Voice By  | Mon 21st October 2013 – 10:52 am

We are now just 30 weeks away from the next round of local elections. Crucially, these have been arranged to coincide with the EU-wide election for the European Parliament. Obviously who gets what seats in Brussels and Strasbourg seems far more removed from our ordinary lives than the running of the local Council, but it is still hugely important.

As a candidate in the European Election, I am very keen that we do not end up wasting time talking about Brussels obscurities. Instead, those of us selected to stand for the European Parliament are trying to talk to voters about what they care about, just like local candidates up and down the country. In particular, we have three key issues we are trying to discuss with voters:

  • Jobs – did you know that over 3 million jobs in the UK depend on Britain’s membership of the European Single Market? In Government Liberal Democrats have delivered a million jobs, and now we want to deliver a million more. Central to that plan is ensuring British business has thriving trade relationships both with our European partners, and big powers like the United States with which the EU is in a position tonegotiate lucrative trade deals.
  • Crime – did you know that the European Arrest Warrant returned one of the failed 21/7 bombers just weeks after he fled to Italy? Without this and other vital crime fighting tools which our membership of the EU provides us with, international borders would be a huge barrier to our Police whilst providing little obstacle to the terrorists, gangsters, and paedophiles they are trying to catch! Liberal Democrats in Government stopped barmy Tory plans to withdraw Britain from these measures and in the European Parliament the Liberal Democrat MEP for London, Sarah Ludford, fights week in and week out to keep us safe from crime with our civil liberties left intact.
  • The Environment – did you know that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently said that sea levels will rise faster than at any rate for the last 40 years? There is a small window of opportunity for the global action on climate change we need if we are to avert complete disaster. Only as a member of a powerful European Union which will lead on the issue can the UK play a full part in ensuring we leave to our children an environment fit for them to live in.

On all these issues and more, Liberal Democrat MEPs are pushing for reforms which will make the difference to lives across the UK, working in partnership with our Lib Dem MPs and Ministers in Westminster. In the run up to May 22nd it is down to all of us to spread the word about the great work that Liberal Democrats are doing locally, in Westminster, and at European level to ensure that we are creating jobs, securing people from crime, and protecting our environment. Tomorrow I will write more about how we can help you do that.

* Matt J. McLaren is a prospective European parliamentary candidate for London, Honorary Vice-President of Liberal Youth, and member of Liberal Reform’s Board. Matt maintains an online blog here.

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