We wouldn't get rid of Parliament just because we don't like the Tories, so why apply the same logic to Europe?

Our response to the problems with the EU must be to stay in and make the changes we want

Caroline Lucas
Tuesday 13 October 2015 10:49 BST
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"Recent events in Greece did make me think twice, but we must not forget that it’s right-wing governments like ours which have taken a lead in seeking to make the EU a vehicle for greater liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation."
"Recent events in Greece did make me think twice, but we must not forget that it’s right-wing governments like ours which have taken a lead in seeking to make the EU a vehicle for greater liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation."

The battle over Britain's place in the EU has now truly begun. The 'Britain Stronger in Europe' campaign officially launched on Monday, bringing together voices from across politics and business. I'm the first to admit that some of the other people involved with the 'In' campaign aren't natural allies, but Britain's future within Europe is far too important to be left to middle-aged men in suits.

This debate is about how we see ourselves as a nation and I will be making the case for Britain as open-minded and forward-looking. A country that stands up for fairness and tries to find shared solutions to the cross-border challenges we face as Europeans.

The EU referendum is also an opportunity to reimagine what democracy looks like, reshape what having a say really means and reinvigorate our politics.

Ten years working as an MEP in the European Parliament was more than enough to convince me that the EU is far from perfect. Too much power is centralised and citizen’s voices are often not heard. It's not as democratic or accountable as it could be - and, all too often, it pushes a damaging economic agenda that actively undermines progress towards a social and environmental Europe. It needs fresh inspiration, new ideas, and creative ways of tackling difficulties.

A different kind of EU is possible: one where power is held locally whenever it can be, where citizens have a real say in decisions made in Brussels and where corporate lobbyists are banished from the halls of power. Let’s build on the fact that the directly-elected Parliament has gradually been granted more powers. We should also celebrate European Citizens Initiatives which ensure that the EU is more responsive to the people it represents.

Just as our response to a Tory government in Britain isn’t “let’s do without Parliament” - it’s “let’s win it back and reform it” – our response to the problems with the EU must be to stay in and make the changes we want.

The European Union is vital in safeguarding our environment. From protecting some of our most threatened birds, to forcing our Government to act on air pollution – it’s often been the EU making the UK Government clean up its act.

Similarly, it is only through working closely with our neighbours that we stand a chance of tackling climate change. EU rules, though not as ambitious as some of us may have liked, mean that 28 countries are obliged to substantially cut carbon emissions in the coming years. Like every other country in the world Britain's future security relies on a global agreement on climate change - and we're in a far stronger position to make that happen if we're part of the EU.

When it comes to regulating finance the EU is also way ahead of the UK. An EU-wide ‘Robin Hood tax’ was challenged in court by our very own chancellor. The UK government rose up in bitter opposition to the EU-wide cap on bankers’ bonuses.

Indeed all too often we aren’t necessarily aware of the benefits of our EU membership. On everything from the labelling that tells us whether food is sugar free to tackling the trafficking of children, the EU has a positive role to play.

The truth is that recent events in Greece did make me think twice, but we must not forget that it’s right-wing governments like ours which have taken a lead in seeking to make the EU a vehicle for greater liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation. Greece is suffering largely because of Germany's intransigence.

The real value of Europe is about working together to solve the problems we face. The imposition of austerity across much of our continent should drive us towards greater solidarity and friendship, not less. We need to work with pro-European allies, like Green Parties across the EU, Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain, to work for reform of the EU so that it protects our rights at work and safeguards our environment. That’s how we stop damaging trade treaties like TTIP – not by withdrawing from Europe so that our own government can unilaterally negotiate far, far worse.

The 'No' camp want an isolated Britain, unrestrained by financial regulation and closed off to those who want to broaden their horizons by studying or living abroad. That's not a vision for Britain I share.

Europe is about a future that’s vibrant, positive, dynamic and creative. It should redistribute power as well as wealth, build an economy that puts people first, and give each and everyone one of us an equal say.

It's time we stopped leaving the argument for Europe to the establishment and built an EU-wide progressive movement for a different kind of Europe.

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