Labour MEP for Yorkshire & Humber
A growing number of problems can’t be dealt with adequately by national authorities alone — they require concerted international action at various levels. And contrary to much anti-European rhetoric, the EU is actually the most democratic of all the international structures we belong to. Traditional methods of international co-operation are slow, cumbersome, opaque and, frankly, […]
British citizens can live, work, travel & retire in any EU country.
15% of UK academic staff are from other EU countries.
Following up on yesterday’s contributions from constituents, today a well-argued Facebook post by a young man named Simon Budden was drawn to my attention. Everyone, I normally spare Facebook from my political views; I can’t think anyone particularly comes here to see me get up on my soapbox. However, I’ve broken that rule recently because […]
Who decides on EU spending?
The EU Nature Directive has helped slow the loss of our protected sites.
Amid the media frenzy of the last few days, I’ve been pleased and intrigued to read some heartfelt contributions to the campaign from some of my constituents. With the permission of the various authors, I thought I would share some of these contributions on my blog. Poetry An author who wishes to remain anonymous has sent me […]
One identity can have multiple dimensions.
We return our wanted criminals from EU (or deport them) in days, not decades.
I took part in a four-way debate on the EU referendum for Made In Leeds TV, a local station in Yorkshire. You can watch the film in four segments on their website: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
4.5 million UK jobs are linked to trade with the EU.
EU awareness campaigns aim to reduce violence against women and girls.
I appeared on the Sunday Politics show to talk about future plans for the EU. The video is available for 30 days on the BBC website, and my interview starts at 35:04. Watch the video here.
Part-time workers enjoy the same pay & leave as full-time colleagues.
I spoke to EU Reporter about the interplay between Euro 2016 football, the EU referendum and how to distinguish facts from fiction in the campaign.
EU rules allow at least 14 days to return a product if you change your mind.
Between 2007-2012, UK received over £466m EU funding for health research.
Many observers have been rightly appalled by revelations about the treatment of staff in Sports Direct warehouses, following Mike Ashley’s controversial testimony before a committee of MPs yesterday. It was interesting that the story broke on the same day as Jeremy Corbyn launched Labour’s latest referendum campaign poster, highlighting the crucial role of the European […]
Victims of violence get protection & support thanks to the EU.
I visited a market farmer near Goole and talked to ITV News about migrant labour in the agricultural sector.
The UK gets some 22% of European research grants, more than any other country.
What democratic checks exist in the EU system?
What roles do the various elected bodies play in making EU law?
200,000+ UK students use Erasmus programme, increasing long-term employability.
