Euro election strategists to promote EU as means of keeping multinationals in check – and attack Tories as anti-consumer
Labour will launch its first salvo in the European parliament election campaign, claiming Tory MEPs' voting record in Brussels reveals they repeatedly fail to stand up to vested interests, such as bankers, big tobacco and the food industry.
Michael Dugher, shadow minister responsible for Labour's communications ahead of the 2015 election, was travelling to Brussels to brief MEPs on Labour's election plans. The aim is to try to dovetail the pro-consumer message now being crafted in the UK by Labour with a similar message in the European elections built around the voting stance of Tory MEPs.
Labour is under pressure to win the popular vote in the May elections, and push the Tories into third place, but knows that issues of EU immigration, a referendum and welfare may dominate.
It believes it may be able to weld a populist message around the power of Europe to keep large multinationals in check, as well as portray the Tories in Europe as not just Eurosceptic but anti-consumer.
Dugher is to highlight how Tory MEPs opposed reform of bankers' bonuses (capital requirements directive), sided with big tobacco (tobacco products directive) and defied Cameron on climate change (European emissions trading scheme).
He will also claim Tory MEPs sided with the food industry (country of origin labelling in processed foods).
Dugher says the Tories voted against the latest capital requirements directive capping bonuses at a ratio of 1:1 with salary, or 2:1 with shareholder approval.
On the tobacco products directive Labour backed introducing graphic warnings to cover 75% of cigarette packaging; banning of chocolate and strawberry flavoured cigarettes; a ban on menthol cigarettes, a ban on slim cigarettes and regulation of e-cigarettes; Conservative MEPs voted to weaken packaging warnings from 75% to 65%, delayed the ban on menthols, and blocked a ban on slims cigarettes, which are targeted at young women.
He claims Tory, Lib Dem and Ukip MEPs all also blocked the regulation of electronic cigarettes in the same way and to the same high standard as nicotine gums and patches, against the wishes of the government.
A total of 21 of the 26 Tory MEPs opposed a plan, supported by the coalition government, to backload the European emissions trading scheme that would have given the European commission a legal mandate to propose an amendment to the timetable for auctioning of ETS allowances, to release fewer permits for auction in the short term, to correct the over-allocation which is pushing carbon prices down. Reported by guardian.co.uk 5 hours ago.
Labour will launch its first salvo in the European parliament election campaign, claiming Tory MEPs' voting record in Brussels reveals they repeatedly fail to stand up to vested interests, such as bankers, big tobacco and the food industry.
Michael Dugher, shadow minister responsible for Labour's communications ahead of the 2015 election, was travelling to Brussels to brief MEPs on Labour's election plans. The aim is to try to dovetail the pro-consumer message now being crafted in the UK by Labour with a similar message in the European elections built around the voting stance of Tory MEPs.
Labour is under pressure to win the popular vote in the May elections, and push the Tories into third place, but knows that issues of EU immigration, a referendum and welfare may dominate.
It believes it may be able to weld a populist message around the power of Europe to keep large multinationals in check, as well as portray the Tories in Europe as not just Eurosceptic but anti-consumer.
Dugher is to highlight how Tory MEPs opposed reform of bankers' bonuses (capital requirements directive), sided with big tobacco (tobacco products directive) and defied Cameron on climate change (European emissions trading scheme).
He will also claim Tory MEPs sided with the food industry (country of origin labelling in processed foods).
Dugher says the Tories voted against the latest capital requirements directive capping bonuses at a ratio of 1:1 with salary, or 2:1 with shareholder approval.
On the tobacco products directive Labour backed introducing graphic warnings to cover 75% of cigarette packaging; banning of chocolate and strawberry flavoured cigarettes; a ban on menthol cigarettes, a ban on slim cigarettes and regulation of e-cigarettes; Conservative MEPs voted to weaken packaging warnings from 75% to 65%, delayed the ban on menthols, and blocked a ban on slims cigarettes, which are targeted at young women.
He claims Tory, Lib Dem and Ukip MEPs all also blocked the regulation of electronic cigarettes in the same way and to the same high standard as nicotine gums and patches, against the wishes of the government.
A total of 21 of the 26 Tory MEPs opposed a plan, supported by the coalition government, to backload the European emissions trading scheme that would have given the European commission a legal mandate to propose an amendment to the timetable for auctioning of ETS allowances, to release fewer permits for auction in the short term, to correct the over-allocation which is pushing carbon prices down. Reported by guardian.co.uk 5 hours ago.