Make no mistake, the European elections on 4 June are important. Britain needs a strong, constructive, progressive voice in the European parliament – making a difference for British families. Our people need Labour councillors and mayors in town halls making our communities safer and fairer.

We must fight as Team Labour – MPs, MEPs, councillors and activists – because the voters we won in council elections in 2008 will help us to win the European and mayoral elections in 2009, and the general election whenever it comes. And if we needed any more incentive, this is our opportunity to bring an abrupt halt to any national advance by the BNP.

Our campaign in these elections must be about the people – about their lives and their concerns, not about structures, institutions or referendums. Too often the European argument is like a sixth-form debate between those for whom the EU can do no right and those who believe it can do no wrong. As with all institutions, neither proposition can possibly be true. Add in the Euro-diplomatic language, procedures and symbols and no wonder many people believe it is irrelevant to their daily lives, when they are struggling to hang on to jobs and homes.

Too often Europe is portrayed as taking something precious away from Britain, rather than adding value to the quality and prosperity of our lives. EU institutions may always be remote, but our job at this election, and beyond, is to show their true purpose – to add value by doing what national governments alone cannot achieve.

During the good times, and 11 years of economic growth, our economy has attracted foreign workers from within the EU – legal, taxpaying workers whose skills were in demand – to do important jobs, and sometimes less glamorous jobs, that British workers didn’t want. After the debate in recent weeks about foreign workers and EU law, the danger is that it will be misused at every opportunity by those who don’t share our progressive values. And no amount of campaigning by anti-fascist groups, however important, will undo the damage if we unintentionally boost the BNP’s campaign in Labour heartlands by feeding a climate of intolerance.

If in Britain we make EU workers into scapegoats, or open the door to the BNP to stir up that feeling, what message does it send to the other EU member states where thousands of British people work?

We have to work hard to get the other side of the story out there. How many people in our communities know that 10 per cent of all the 3.5 million jobs in the UK are as a result of trade with the EU? How many people know that over 200,000 UK nationals are working in the EU and 300,000 UK companies are taking advantage of those opportunities too, ensuring that those companies can continue to employ British workers back home? In fact, today 52 per cent of our trade is with the EU, half of UK inward investment is from the EU and EU citizens spend £7bn visiting the UK each year.

Of course, we are against the exploitation of workers, both British and foreign, and against ‘social dumping’ – and we should be proud of how much our Labour government has done to prevent this. And, as the TUC has argued, we should be vocal about rule-breaking employers, such as those who pay below the national minimum wage, don’t pay national insurance, disregard health and safety, employ illegal workers or discriminate against UK employees.

But Europe’s open market – freedom to live and work anywhere in the EU – is not a one-way street to our constant disadvantage. Non-British EU citizens make up less than one in 20 of our workforce. 1.6 million Britons live in other EU countries, over 200,000 with jobs there. The difference is that EU residents in Britain are younger and have higher skills. That is why Gordon Brown is right to expand apprenticeships and skills so our young workers can be up there to get those new jobs. EU membership, including free movement of workers, has been good for British families and companies and we must vocally support it.

During the recent dispute, there was talk of the dangers of ‘protectionism’ – an ironically comforting sounding word. How could any of us be against ‘protecting’ working people? But what is being discussed here are barriers to movement, barriers to inward investment and barriers to opportunity. Such
measures would not protect British workers – quite the opposite.

We must not underestimate the challenge ahead: we are campaigning against the backdrop of families feeling genuine uncertainty about their economic future. The media will be talking 4 June up as a key electoral test for Labour. UKIP, the BNP and the Tories will be talking turnout down – knowing it will benefit them.

Despite the challenges, Labour members should be optimistic. Whether it is on jobs, the economy, protecting the environment or creating safer communities, we have the right policies locally, nationally and internationally. Compare this to the Tories with their Euro-sceptic and isolationist stance. As Ken Clarke said: ‘Obama doesn’t want his strongest European ally led by a rightwing nationalist, he wants them to be a key player inside Europe.’ I agree, Ken.

David Cameron’s response is to prepare to leave Europe’s main centre-right coalition, the EPP; to form an irrelevant rightwing grouping, to renegotiate our EU membership and withdraw from the social chapter; and to desperately try to talk up the euro as an issue to disguise his party’s lack of ideas. This is the lonely fringes of Europe. Tory isolation would be a disaster for Britain, leaving us unable to influence key decisions on economic recovery, climate change or energy security.

But their Euro-antics aren’t their only crime. This is the party whose answer to this world recession is to let the recession run its course – the very mistake the Tories made in the 1980s – and to cut back on public services, next year and the year after. As if the worldwide economic crisis had been caused by too many police officers, and too many home-helps.

Just as we have an obvious ally in the new US administration, we need strong allies in Europe, so we all invest in our economies at the same time. Action by France, Germany and others will help to save the one in 10 UK jobs which depend on imports and exports to other EU countries.

As we seek to rebuild our economies, the UK and Europe together can help to forge the new economy. Tackling climate change and cutting bills is an urgent task. In the next few years, global environmental industries can equal the might of pharmaceuticals and aerospace; and I want the UK and British workers to benefit from those opportunities. The EU focus on investment in new technology, skills training, backing energy-efficient products and supporting smaller, growing enterprises are steps towards developing a high-growth, low-carbon economy.

With Labour’s leadership here in strong partnership with the EU, Europe can become an even better place to do business, a better place to create new British jobs and a place with better opportunities for British citizens.

So Labour must be confident in its arguments – but talk is not enough. Let’s hit the doorsteps and the phones and win those elections for Labour and for the people of Britain.