In a week’s time, we will know the outcome of the biggest, most important decision of a generation in the form of the EU referendum. I, along with both parties I’m a member of (Labour and Co-operative) are campaigning for Britain to stay in the European Union. Here’s why:

Jobs

• More than 3 million British jobs are linked to our EU membership.
• £26.5 billion is invested in Britain by EU countries every year.
• In this globalised world, high value jobs and apprenticeships are sourced across the EU.
• British workers benefit from EU agreements on workers’ rights, including the right to holiday pay, paid maternity and paternity leave, anti-discrimination laws, equal pay and protection for agency workers.

Economy

• Exports to the EU are worth £227 billion a year to the British economy.
• The EU is Britain’s biggest export market: almost half of all of Britain’s exports go to the EU.
• The EU is the biggest and best place to do business in the world due to the trading arrangements within it.
• If we left the EU, the average family would be £4,300 worse off a year if we left the EU through higher prices at the checkout.
• The EU supports vital infrastructure development across the country through its grants schemes; there’s no guarantee this will be replaced if we leave.

The Environment

• The EU has helped to keep our environment safe for many years.
• EU legislation has cleaned our air and water, protects our National Parks, and has made our beaches cleaner and safer to use.
• The EU has also reduced the use of toxins and pesticides, and has given a high level of protection to flora and fauna.
• The EU promotes environmentally-friendly industrial practices.
• Global Warming, Air and Water Pollution don’t respect national borders -; it’s only by working together internationally that we can protect our environment.

Security and International Relations

• Together, in the EU, we work with our neighbours to solve problems facing the world.
• Thousands of criminals, including terrorists, have been arrested under the European Arrest Warrant.
• Being in the EU enhances Britain’s global influence and allows us to take our place at the top table.
• As EU members we can negotiate better deals with the rest of the world, keeping prices down and helping British businesses to sell their produces.

Peace and Prosperity

• The EU was created from the ashes of Europe after WWII, and thousands of years of conflict before that.
• The EU has brought unprecedented peace and prosperity on this historically wartorn continent.
• Being in the EU helps us to work together to increase prosperity and opportunity; we should be building bridges not erecting walls.

Together, in the European Union, we are a stronger, safer, more prosperous nation. Show your support: vote to Remain on June 23^rd.