Europe 2004 - Making Europe Work for You

Speech by Chris Huhne MEP delivered to the Guildford conference of the South East and South Central Liberal on Mon 26th Apr 2004

Friends, we have a great opportunity over the next month until the European elections on 10th June. Proportional representation means that each vote in every part of our region counts the same. Every constituency of the 83 Westminster seats in these two party regions of ours is a marginal. Last time, I was elected as the second Lib Dem MEP - the only region to elect two MEPs for our party - on just 45 votes per Westminster constituency. This time, we have a real chance of electing Sharon Bowles to join Emma and me in the European Parliament. Despite the cut in the number of seats in our region from eleven to ten to make way for new MEPs from the enlargement countries, we are on the up. We can do it.

Don't take it from me. Look at the facts. First, our opinion poll rating. The average of the last five published opinion polls puts us on 22 per cent of the vote just a month before the European elections. At the same time before the last European elections, in the same five polls, we were at just 13 per cent. Why have the Tories and Labour tried to smear Charles Kennedy in the last few weeks? Well, if you faced a rival that was up 9 percentage points in the opinion polls, you would be worried too. And when Tories and Labour get worried, they fight dirty. Expect many more brickbats, and remember that it is sign of our success. Don't believe what you read in the tabloids. Or for that matter the Murdoch-owned so-called qualities. Every attack is a sign of our progress and our credibility.

And don't just look at the polls. Look at the latest dispassionate analysis from two leading academics - Simon Hix of the London School of Economics and Michael Marsh of Trinity College Dublin published by the leading public affairs company Burson-Marsteller. Using a computer model, they predict that here in the South East, our vote will rise from 15.3 per cent last time to 23.2 per cent this time, enough to give us three seats instead of two . But Sharon Bowles would be elected as our third MEP by just 0.4 per cent of the vote. That's tight. In fact, if the turnout is the same as last time, that is just 52 votes per Westminster constituency. Our third seat is going to be just as tight this time as our second seat was last time. To put it another way, our efforts between now and 10th June will be crucial.

And let me tell you what success means. It means electing Sharon, who will be an excellent MEP with exactly the sort of background in commercial law to make a real impact in amending the detailed legislation we deal with. It means strengthening the largest Liberal delegation in the key Liberal group, and reinforcing our ability to deliver in the new parliament as the swing party that makes the difference. It means increasing by a half the parliamentary staff and resources employed by our MEPs across the region, with all that entails for raising our profile and supporting the building of Liberal Democracy regionally. It means increasing the chances of a further important advance in the general election. After gaining Sue in Guildford in 2001, we must elect Simon Cordon in South West Surrey in 2005. And Kathy Newbound in Maidenhead. And Adrian Collett in Aldershot. And Anthony Rowlands in the Isle of Wight. And Steve Goddard in Oxford East. And Brian Dash in New Forest East. And Stephen Lloyd in Eastbourne. And Peter Carroll in Folkestone and Hythe. In fact, especially Peter in Folkestone and Hythe.

And we have some great campaigning advantages today in this region that we did not have five years ago. As MEPs, Emma and I have a track record of action. I was delighted, for example, that when Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace unveiled their website analysing how each MEP had voted, we in the Liberal Democrats came easily best of all the main parties and neck and neck with the greens . Best on curbing nuclear energy. On ending water pollution. On improving air quality. On backing recycling. These are crucial issues, which overwhelmingly have to be decided at European level because pollution respects no boundaries. And all environmental legislation is decided by co-decision between the parliament and the council of ministers. The European parliament matters in the fight for sustainability and against environmental degradation.

But imagine my surprise when I looked at the Friends of the Earth website in more detail. It showed that my voting record was just one vote behind our region's Green MEP, and that was due to absence on a speaking engagement. And Emma Nicholson's voting record on green issues actually beat our region's Green MEP. What are the Greens for if they are not even as environmental as the Lib Dems? That is a message to take to Brighton and Oxford. If you want ambitious and realistic green policies, vote Liberal Democrat. Because we act where others only talk. It is the Liberal Democrats who are the ambitious and realistic greens, not the Green party. We make the difference.

Talking of action not words, look too at the record of the Tories. On the environment and conservation, they are not just the worst British MEPs, but are vying for pole position as the worst in Europe. But on reform too, they are wanting. How many times did they tell us that they would fight for British interests. We would be in Europe, but not run by Europe, they said. I'm afraid the Tories are all mouth and no trousers.

Sadly, our local Tory MEPs do not appear to have heeded their own own propaganda. Now Daniel Hannan, the top of the Tory list, no doubt has some qualities. As a young leader-writer on the Daily Telegraph, he is busy doing other things than being an MEP. And like many young leader-writers - I was there once, though in my case on the Guardian I didn't try to be an MEP too - he puts up a fair show of God-like omniscience. But I can assure you that there is a difference between God and Daniel Hannan. God is everywhere. But Daniel Hannan is everywhere except doing his job as an MEP. He works in London . And he pops up campaigning against enlargement in Malta, Estonia, and all places east. And he does not vote when he should in Strasbourg.

In fact, it is thanks to Mr Hannan and his side-kick Nirj Deva MEP - the second on the Tory list - that we lost the most important reforming piece of legislation in this entire parliament. Back in July 2001, we had to vote on a directive making it as easy for British companies to take over continental ones as it is now for continental companies to take over British ones. This Takeover directive would have helped small British companies trying to expand. It would have opened up opportunities in other EU markets. That would have been a big step forward for us in Britain, which is why every main British political party backed it. The Tories. Labour. And us. It was a three line whip. But Daniel Hannan and Nirj Deva turned up just too late for the vote. And they were directly responsible for losing it, since we tied at 273 to 273 votes. Thirteen years of negotiation down the drain. British national interests thrown away, and a far weaker directive ultimately agreed last December. What a wasted opportunity! So I am not taking any lectures from any Tories about defending British interests, because they don't.

Nor was Daniel Hannan's voting absence untypical, though this was the most crucial example. In fact, it is entirely symptomatic of his attitude towards the EU, which seems to be that the worse things get, the better they are because it will more rapidly make the case for a total British withdrawal. According to European Parliament records, he has undertaken not a single report on either legislative or non-legislative matters in the parliament during a five year term, which is quite a record for idleness. And he has the highest absenteeism rate of any of his Tory colleagues in the region, recording barely more votes than Nigel Farage of the UK Independence Party. And that is the key, because their views are similar. And it is precisely because Daniel Hannan has been adept at massaging the prejudices of the Conservative party faithful back home that, despite this abysmal track record in Brussels and Strasbourg, he was actually promoted to the top of his list. This is the modern Conservative party. It cares so little for changing the EU for the better than it promotes MEPs who fail to turn up to vote on reform. So if you want absentee MEPs who don't turn up to defend British interests, vote Conservative.

Then there is Labour. The problem with Labour's MEPs is that they are typical old-fashioned socialists who believe in meddlesome government whether at European or British levels. Now I am all in favour of voting AGAINST the Labour government on the right issues. But the Labour MEPs are so old Labour that they usually vote AGAINST their own government on the wrong issues. They recently voted AGAINST the Labour government's support of an important directive that would have liberalised ports throughout the EU, and given British operators new opportunities. That was their pay back to the Transport and General Workers' Union. And they voted AGAINST their own Labour government to end the exemption for the UK from the ban on working more than 48 hours a week, providing that both employee and employer voluntarily agree. That was the payback to the Trades Union Congress.

In both cases, Labour MEPs followed the trade union line. And they voted to overrule national preferences set by our national parliament in an area where there is no clear case for having rules at European level at all. By contrast, the European Liberal Democrats have a proud record of voting down proposals from the Commission where the case for European action is not made, even when we may well favour the ultimate objective. Europe should not be used to win battles that cannot be won at home. So if you want MEPs who are in the pocket of vested interests like the trade unions, vote Labour.

Enough of Tories and Labour, let me expand a little on our key themes for the election. I have already mentioned our work on the environment, and that will stay a key priority as long as Emma, Sharon and I are your MEPs. Let me repeat, we are the ambitious but realistic environmentalists in the parliament, often swinging the vote in the direction of cleaning up Europe and the planet. On insisting on labelling of GM foods. On ensuring the 'polluter pays' principle so that the cost of scrapping electrical goods is in the sale price. On banning animal testing for cosmetics. As the Hix and Marsh analysis says: 'It is difficult to overstate the determining role of the European Liberal Democrat and Reformists' .

Secondly, we do not forget our commitment to local decision-taking when we get on the plane to Brussels or Strasbourg. We can distinguish a desirable end from the necessary means. And as all good Liberals know, the ends do not necessarily justify the means. If there is a bad or weak case for doing something at European level, we vote against it even if the end objective may be sound. Against public health rules better done at home. Against EU rules that would make our labour market less flexible by insisting all temps have the same employment rights as the people they replace. Against EU wide rules that would have banned farmers from driving tractors for too long. Against the EU fixing of book prices. Nothing would do the cause of the European Union more ill than dealing with issues that are best left at national level, and which are therefore undertaken badly. Europe should do less and do it better.

Far from being a super-state, the European level of governance is relatively small. All the EU institutions together employ fewer people than Hampshire County Council. And the EU Commission itself employs 23,000 people, which is about the same as Surrey County Council and is also fewer civil servants than Gordon Brown added to the payroll in just one year to April 2003 . The EU spends just one fortieth of all public spending, and we have been repealing more legislation than we have put on the statute book over the last ten years. But in our view Europe should stay as a lean level of government, doing only those few things that it can clearly do better than the member states.

Nor do we forget that all politics is local, and must be built from the ground up. That is why we have a track record of dealing with problems raised by constituents in the region, whether small businesses falling foul of a proposed directive or medical charities needing to clarify the law on clinical trials. Few aspects of my work as an MEP give me greater pleasure than the ability to tackle some problem with EU law or administration on behalf of constituents, mainly businesses affected by single market regulation. It is a key part of being a parliamentarian - whether national or European - to represent your constituents. If a voter does not feel that we as MEPs are responsive to their concerns, they are unlikely to feel that the EU legislative system is legitimate. Good parliaments create consent for their decisions through consultation.

Thirdly, we are the reformers. The Tories set up an entirely wrong analysis, arguing that because we are pro-europe, we cannot be trusted to change Europe. The reverse is the case. As we have seen, because so many Tories are anti-europe, they do not much care whether it works or not. It is precisely because we, as Liberal Democrats, know how crucial Europe is to the peace and prosperity of this country that we are passionate about changing Europe. About reforming the budget so that the accounts - as they very nearly were this year - are finally signed off after eight years of failing to do so by the Court of Auditors. About insisting on Commissioners taking responsibility, as we alone did of the major groups by calling for the resignation of Pedro Solbes in the wake of the Eurostat scandal. About scrapping the absurd shuttle between Strasbourg and Brussels. About reforming the MEPs' own expenses and pay at a clear saving to the British taxpayer.

This cause of reform is why we welcome the new draft constitutional treaty. If the treaty deals with our red lines - vetoes on defence, tax , social security and constitutional change itself - the likely text will mark a great breakthrough for a liberal vision of Europe. Certainly, some of the EU's institutions would become more effective, such as the chairmanship of the Council of Ministers, which would no longer revolve every six months. But the key changes involve more openness, more democracy, and more checks and balances in the system. The Parliament would have new powers to countermand the Commission and the Council of Ministers on the budget and on areas of legislation like agriculture. National parliaments would be able to force a review of proposals on the basis of subsidiarity - taking decisions as closely as possible to those affected. The council of ministers will have to meet in public whenever it discusses legislation, which will allow national parliament to hold their own ministers more effectively to account. And the goal of 'ever closer union' is finally abandoned. Far from undermining parliamentary sovereignty, the draft treaty makes it clear for the first time that any member state may leave the EU if it begins to dislike its general drift.

We have called the manifesto 'Making Europe work for you' because the slogan pulls together the various aspects of our campaign. Reform of Europe. Keeping Europe focused on what Europe does well, and no more. Putting environmental concerns first because they cannot be tackled at national level. And representing the interests of our region all the way through the legislative process. It is not the Tories or Labour who are the most effective champions of change, but the Liberal Democrats. We hold the balance. We make the difference. We set the agenda time and again. And it is because we are pro Europeans that we have been the most militant in insisting on tackling Europe's problems. Europe must not only work, but must be seen to work by all its people. By electing Sharon in addition to Emma and me, you will be helping to foster a new European Union that will be more open, honest and accountable. Every effort you make between now and 10th June will increase the chances of getting Sharon to Brussels. And that will help us make Europe work for you.

[In 2004 Chris Huhne was Liberal Democrat MEP for South East England leading the Liberal Democrat list for the elections in the region. He was economic spokesman of the European Liberal Democrat and Reformist group in the European Parliament].