Labour at the heart of Europe

PES LME

Socialists & Democrats

LME Issue 01

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR EUROPE

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR EUROPE IS A S O C I A L I S T S O C I E T Y A F F I L I AT E D TO T H E LABOUR PARTY WHOSE AIM IS TO IMPROVE AND BROADEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITS POTENTIAL THROUGHOUT THE WIDER LABOUR MOVEMENT AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. IT IS THE HOME OF PRO-EUROPEANS IN THE LABOUR AND TRADE UNION MOVEMENT. T H E L M E CA M PA I G N S W I T H OT H E R ORGANISATIONS IN THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR THE UK TO REMAIN AT THE HEART OF THE EU, EXERCISING INFLUENCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR PROGRESSIVE VALUES.

Neil Kinnock and Giampi Alhadeff

Lord (John) Monks

Common rights, standards and opportunies

Glenis Willmott MEP

Alan Johnson MP Labour YES Campaign

Pat McFadden MP Shadow Europe Minister

Jan Royall Vice President PES

LABOUR AT THE HEART OF EUROPE

4.2 MILLION JOBS

THE EU, CREATING A BETTER WORKPLACE

THE EU AND US

A CLEANER, SAFER FUTURE

OUR GLOBAL VALUES

THE PARTY OF EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS (PES)

4.2 million UK jobs are linked to EU exports.

50% of Britain’s trade, worth £450 billion a year, is with other EU Member States.

The British economy benefits from the Single Market by around £90 billion (or £3,300 per household) every year.

Between 2007 and 2013 EU funds to the UK are estimated to have helped create over 87,000 jobs, assisted over 29,000 businesses and supported 1,770 research and development projects.

The EU has strengthened rights for parttime workers, the majority of whom are women.

Part-time workers have equal access to paid leave, pensions, maternity rights and access to training.

The EU has introduced rights to paid holidays for all, rights that didn’t exist in the UK before we joined the EU. The average British consumer saves around £480 per person per year as a result of the Single Market driving down the price of goods and services.

LME THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR EUROPE

Neil Kinnock and Giampi Alhadeff

LABOUR AT THE HEART OF EUROPE

The Labour Movement for Europe (LME) brings together Labour and trade union activists who know that, together with our European partners, we have greater influence and better chances of ensuring a future which is stable, productive and safe for our country and for working people. We want to build on what the free association of democracies which is the European Union has achieved and then secure further improvements. We seek to extend democracy, human rights, social well-being, economic prosperity and environmental security for our continent and for the wider world.

Labour at the heart of Europe...

LME

LME THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR EUROPE

The European Union has made partners and allies out of countries that for most of history were mortal enemies. Three generations have now lived in peace without the threat or brutal reality of war, but we live in an uncertain and unstable world, with more diverse threats and challenges than at any point in our adult life.

Working together we make a difference.

The EU has created the world's largest market, but, crucially, it is a market with rules to protect consumers, workers and the environment. These rules need strengthening - that is the daily effort of our MEPs in the European Parliament - but even the level of protection we have achieved is resented by the free market fundamentalists on the right of the Tory party and their allies in the print media. We must continue to advance the progress that has been made.

As much of Europe still struggles to get out of recession, we campaign for change and reform so that the EU encourages investment and development so as to combat the regressive policies which generate poverty, insecurity, unemployment and divisions.

This referendum is about your future and your children’s future. At its core it poses a question about the kind of country and society we want to be. It is about a choice between a country that chooses to isolate itself and one that engages with the reality of a globalised world - an attitude wholly consistent with our open, modern and internationalist values We call on Labour Party Members and supporters to join the LME and on Constituency Labour Parties and trade unions to affiliate. Time is of the essence, so don’t delay.

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR EUROPE

“Being part of the EU has brought important employment rights that have benefited workers in this country. Europe has led to direct economic benefits for Britain, supporting

4.2

million jobs and providing

a boost to our economy through trade and direct investment.

Neil Kinnock

Giampi Alhadeff

The EU benefits working people and has a direct positive effect on all our lives.”

Lord (John) Monks, Former TUC and ETUC General Secretary

LME THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR EUROPE

A better workplace...

The EU is our biggest trading partner and remains essential for Britain’s current and future prosperity. Belonging to the world’s largest single market offers more than just jobs, with the average household benefitting by an estimated £3,300 annually.

Yet the EU is more than just a trading bloc and plays an indispensable role in protecting citizens through providing common rights, standards and opportunities.

Globalisation makes the social dimension of Europe more important than ever. Harmonising standards across 28 Member States helps to prevent a race to the bottom.

Many of the employment rights we enjoy today are thanks to EU action:

Equal pay and protection from sexual discrimination in the work place Baseline maternity and paternity leave Equal rights for part-time workers to paid leave, pensions and access to training Entitlement to at least four weeks’ paid leave

"On jobs, growth, climate change, energy, and security, only by being engaged and active members of the EU can our national interests be protected and our economy thrive.

"We all agree there are some ways in which the EU needs to change, but it is better to be at the table, exerting influence and shaping Europe, rather than outside, alone, isolated, irrelevant.

"It’s better to be part of the world’s biggest trading bloc, making and shaping its rules, and it is only as a leading player, shaping the direction of the EU of 28 countries, that our voice can be heard and our influence can be stronger."

Dame Glenis Willmott MEP, Leader, European Parliamentary Labour Party

LME THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR EUROPE

A cleaner, safer future We are a small island nation, so environmental degradation is a problem we cannot tackle in isolation. Once known as ‘the dirty man of Europe’, the UK now boasts cleaner air and cleaner water, largely thanks to binding legislation at EU level which has driven up common standards.

Climate change is not just an environmental issue. It also poses one of the biggest challenges to equality and stability, affecting our health, wellbeing, human rights and economic growth.

Action within the EU to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase renewable energy and improve energy efficiency has delivered progress on all three – though not enough in any of them. And the UK has been a leading voice in the reshaping of the European climate debate - from restriction and reduction to green growth. A climate-friendly energy system would deliver more jobs and higher living standards than the current system does.

“The imminent referendum on our EU membership is one of the most important decisions this country has ever faced. At its heart it is a decision about our country's place in the world. It is a choice between being Great Britain or living as little England. It is a question of openness versus isolation.

The Labour Party's values of equality, opportunity and solidarity do not end at Dover. In an increasingly globalised world, rife with uncertainty and instability, working with the EU enables us to shape global events with like-minded allies more effectively than we could on our own. From tackling international terrorist networks to shaping global climate change agreements, working with our European neighbours makes Britain stronger, not weaker, enabling us to provide common solutions to shared problems.

Founded on the principles of peace, freedom and democracy, EU membership ensures that Britain is best placed for a truly positive and progressive future for ourselves, our children and for the wider world.

In trade unions and universities, business and the public sector it is vital that we have a strong proEuropean voice within the Labour Party, setting out our vision for Europe ahead of this critical referendum.”

The Rt Hon. Alan Johnson MP, Labour YES Campaign

LME THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR EUROPE

Our global values As committed internationalists the LME firmly believe that Labour’s roots in social justice, fairness and equality extend beyond our borders.

Europe is now surrounded by a ring of fire. From Ukraine to Libya, never has it been more important to work with like-minded countries to defend our common values.

The EU’s commitment to peace, democracy, human rights and the rule of law and its proven capacity to shape global norms should therefore be at the heart of Britain’s engagement with the wider world.

Let us never forget that 70 years ago Europe resolved its differences on the battlefield, not in committees. We know which is best.

“Britain’s debate about its future relationship with the EU has almost entirely ignored the issue of collective security. This is a mistake we can no longer afford. It is utterly incoherent for our Prime Minister to call for tougher European action against President Putin in one breath and then threaten to leave the EU in the next.

Security is the unspoken dimension of this European debate. This is no time for democratic nations to consider breaking from their allies.”

The Rt Hon. Pat McFadden MP, Shadow Europe Minister

LME

PES

The Party of European Socialists (PES)

Socialists & Democrats

The Party of European Socialists (PES) brings together the Socialist, Social Democratic and Labour Parties of the European Union. There are 32 full member parties from the 28 EU member States and Norway. In addition, there are eleven associate and ten observer parties.

Become a PES Activist and be in touch with other socialist activists across Europe, join campaigning activists across the EU and receive regular information from PES HQ in Brussels.

Find us at: Facebook.com/pes.pse Twitter.com/pes_pse Instagram.com/pes_pse

PES aims include: the strengthening of the socialist and social democratic movement in the Union and throughout Europe; contributing to forming a European awareness and to expressing the political will of the citizens of the Union; defining common policies for the European Union and influencing the decisions of the European institutions.

This publication has been produced by the Labour Movement for Europe, The Labour Party, One Brewers Green, London SW1H 0RH

This publication received financial support from the European Parliament. Sole liability rests with the author and the European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT FOR EUROPE

My political life started in 1977 as a member of the Young European Left and I have always believed that our place is, and must be, in the European Union. I have been a long term supporter of the LME, but never has membership of the LME been more important. We live in a great country, but the world in which we live is fragile and fractious, and outside the European Union our strength and our voice would be diminished. Of course the EU is not perfect and, like our fellow socialists and trade unionists in other member states we want reform, but the best way to secure any change is to work together on the inside.

The Rt Hon Jan Royall Vice President, Party of European Socialists Former Leader of the House of Lords.

Labour Movement for Europe National Executive

Honorary President: The Rt Hon. Neil Kinnock National Chair: Giampi Alhadeff

Design: Moore Studio 01787 269064

Executive: Ivana Bartoletti Keir Dhillon Anne Fairweather Glyn Ford Rachel Franklin Cllr Kevin Peel Martin Phillips Cllr David Poyser Matt Watson Sebastian Vogt Toby Wardman

EPLP Representatives: Richard Corbett MEP Clare Moody MEP

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getting involved...

Are you interested in supporting a progressive vision for Europe?

Do you share our belief that a Social Europe can help to balance the challenges of today’s society and economy?

As a member you will receive regular information about our work, campaigns and partnerships to give the pro-European community a voice.

Show your support for a rational, informed approach to Europe and the EU by becoming a member of the Labour Movement for Europe.

Membership is just £5 for students and unwaged members and £15 for the standard rate.

For more information about individual membership or to affiliate your CLP with the LME please go to: e: membership@labourmovement.eu w: www.labourmovement.eu tw: @labour4europe