Writing in Wednesday’s Guardian Jonathan Freedland quoted a former cabinet minister as saying “There isn’t a campaign,” when discussing the European elections in June this year. We asked Labour MEP Claude Moraes to respond – you can read his answer below.
Hi Jonathan
It is true that the European elections in the UK are a tough sell for those of us who are pro-European – there are also one or two member states like Denmark where euro-scepticism is reaching a high water mark. The bulk of the UK media is either hostile or indifferent to what Labour MEPs are doing on behalf on constituents. This makes highlighting our campaign tough. However, there is a European campaign in London. I and my Labour euro candidate colleagues are out campaigning every week for the June Euro elections. There are only 19 Labour MEPs in the UK today, compared with 60+ in the 1990s but we hope to elect more on 4 June.
We have had successful mobilisation meetings with the trade unions (TULO), produced two London wide newspapers and are on a mission to motivate party members and supporters for 4 June. We have an excellent team in London and nationally working hard on the campaign. Our new leader Glenis Willmott MEP is leading from the front. Please ask nationally what the stakes are for all the major political parties and what resources are being put into awareness raising on what the EU actually delivers. It is surely not in our interest to see continued low turnouts with the possibility of extremists like the BNP benefiting from what may be a stand alone European election.
The last European elections took place at the same time as the London
Mayoral election, boosting turnout. When we stand alone it opens the door to UKIP and the BNP.
Please look behind the euro-sceptic headlines and report what we are
actually achieving. In the last few months Labour MEPs were heavily involved in legislating on temporary agency workers rights, the new climate change package, removing the UK opt-out on working time and a host of consumer protection wins, in line with our values. How much of this was really reported? This is an every vote counts election – talk to cabinet ministers by all means but try talking to us, as senior journalists do in other EU member states.
Finally, you are right to imply that this should be a national campaign it
is vital that at national government level there is a concerted effort to
have an information as well as a political campaign about what MEPs actually deliver. There are probably few areas of our UK politics where there is so much misinformation or no information at all.
Best wishes
Claude Moraes MEP (Labour, London)