On Thursday 22nd your Labour vote will count where ever you live in the South West. The rules of the European Election mean every vote is counted for Labour so your votes in Somerset are added to the strong traditional Labour areas of Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth giving Labour a good chance to gain a couple of seats. Currently SW England is represented by 3 Tories, 2 UKIP and 1 Lib Dem. Voters who are shocked by that and don’t think 100% of their MEP’s being right wing fairly reflects the population of our region need to get out and support Labour and make sure they cast their vote on Thursday 22nd May.
A few European Union facts for voters:
1. Each household benefits by over £3,000, the average person is better off by £1,225 as result of European Union membership.
2. European Union membership is worth about 4-5% Gross Domestic Product each year.
3 European Union membership costs 1% of total United Kingdom government spending, a tiny fraction of 1% of Gross Domestic Product.
4. The European Union employs fewer people than Birmingham City Council.
5. Britain sells more to Germany than to Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada combined.
6. Germany sells six times as many goods and services to China as the United Kingdom – the European Union isn’t holding Germany back.
7. The people you elect in the European Parliament form groupings with other MEPs to wield influence to achieve common goals. UKIP are aligned to a host of extremist parties in the far right EFD , even the British Conservatives are in a more right wing Conservative grouping (the ECR) than more moderate European tories who group in the centrist EPP. The Labour MEP’s we elect will be part of one of the strongest cross-European socialist groups, the PES (Party of European Socialists)
If you wish to reform the European Union then voters will need to vote for Labour MEPs. When the Economy is trying to get out of the recession, the country does not want to be in a position of campaigning for a Referendum.
Cllr Mick Lerry said: “On Thursday 22nd May the European Election will give voters a great opportunity to show the Government that the Cost of Living is not improving during a time when there is some Economic Growth, the recovery is still leaving many workers behind, in terms of the Cost of Living and low wages”.
18th May 2014
Cllr Mick Lerry – Leader of the Labour Group on Sedgemoor District Council
Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Bridgwater and West Somerset Constituency
Mobile: 07775905080
Email: michael.lerry@btinternet.com