Only Labour can beat the Brexit Party on 23 May
Newbury Labour Party is campaigning hard in the European Parliament elections, to share its message with voters: only Labour can beat the Brexit Party to top the poll on 23 May.
Newbury Labour is on the campaign trail, working hard to persuade voters that the opinion polls and the results of the local elections show only Labour can beat the Brexit Party in the forthcoming European Parliament elections. It’s sending a strong message: that Britain rejects Nigel Farage’s reckless “No Deal” plan.
Newbury Labour campaigners want Labour MEPs to win in the South East Region. They support candidates John Howarth MEP, Cathy Shutt, Aaran Neathey, Emma Turnbull, Rohit Dasgupta, Amy Fowler, Duncan Enright, Simon Burgess and Rachael Ward.
Local member Mark Beach, recent candidate for Newbury Central ward, is dismissive of the call to use the European elections as a protest vote. Mark says: “People should vote positively, and thoughtfully. The outcome of the Brexit process will be decided at Westminster where the Liberal Democrats only have 11 MPs out of 650. A vote for the Liberal Democrats will not deliver a public vote on the Brexit deal. Labour is the largest opposition party at Westminster – there will be no vote on Brexit without Labour support”. On a public vote, Mark says: “The Tories have made a mess of Brexit. They’ve caused damage and division over the past three years. Our party is the only one thinking beyond Brexit and seeking to unite the country around shared concerns such as adequate education, housing and healthcare”.
On the Labour Party’s approach to Brexit, Julie Wintrup says: “Accusations from smaller parties that Labour is a Brexit party could not be further from the truth. Polls show that 85% of Labour members and the majority of Labour voters favour remaining in the European Union. The Parliamentary Labour Party twice whipped its MPs to support a public vote on the final deal, with 203 Labour MPs voting with the whip in favour of a confirmatory referendum. Labour MEP candidates in every region support our party’s policy: a confirmatory vote on the final Brexit deal if all other attempts to reach a deal fail”.
Dr Robert Chapman, Speen resident and another of Labour’s candidates in the local elections, is concerned about the damage No Deal would do: “Nobody doubts that the UK could fare quite successfully outside the EU, in the same way that when you are on a plane, nobody doubts that you would be safe on the ground. However, having no plan to get safely between the two and jumping blindly out without a parachute (as we would be with No Deal) is unlikely to be very good for our health or our prosperity!”
The local group is proud to have played its part in Labour’s policy making process, following a motion to conference by Newbury Chair, Gemma Lowe. Gemma says: “Last September I spent many hours locked in a room with dozens of others, working hard with Keir Starmer to agree the Brexit motion for conference the next day. I saw democracy in action, and feel honoured to have been part of such a rigorous piece of policy development. I will not stand by while my party’s hard work to bring the country together again is wilfully misrepresented by local parties who know better. I will be out campaigning every day with fellow members to get our party’s positive message across”.
South East’s Labour MEP John Howarth supports Newbury Labour’s ambitious campaign plans. He says: “Local Labour members are right to see the imperative of a vibrant election campaign in Thatcham and Newbury. At the heart of everything I do as MEP is getting the best deal for South East England. I have backed action from the EU budget on climate change and got a ‘transition’ fund to help people move to new ‘green’ jobs. I’ve worked closely with our universities to protect their access to research funding. I’ve highlighted online scams and argued for better consumer protection”. John urges voters, including the 9000+ people who voted Labour in West Berkshire’s local elections, to use their vote on 23 May: “Now it is clear only Labour can beat Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party – this is YOUR chance to defeat his politics of hate and division. A vote for any party but Labour risks electing more MEPs who follow him. Vote for a different Europe – Labour MEPs will back action on climate change, tax justice, ending austerity, improving rights for people at work, defending freedoms and opportunities for our young citizens and funding for Britain’s world-class scientists”.
A special thanks goes to Dr Emma Turnbull, who joined the team campaigning in Greenham on Saturday 18 May. Emma talked with a Labour voter on what it means to vote in the EU elections when every vote really does count.
The local Labour party can be contacted on news@newburylabour.co.uk