Yes to Europe

The 67% Irish vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty is a vote against the Conservative and UKIP politicians who tried to urge a no vote and who would like to see us withdraw from Europe at the cost of local jobs. The Conservatives are tied to their Eurosceptic wing who forced David Cameron to withdraw his MEP's from a mainstream caucus in the European Parliament, and instead to align themselves with a handful of east European extreme right wingers. It is no coincidence that the Conservative who described the NHS as "a sixty year mistake" is an MEP representing the same strand of rightwing Eurosceptics that seem to want to see us out of Europe whatever the cost to our economy.

The European Union is a group of nation states that have agreed to act together for their common good and has been supported by all parties in the past, the Lisbon Treaty merely takes this process one step further in a natural progression towards closer co-operation. The Conservatives by their doctrinaire opposition are in danger of marginalising our influence and putting rightwing posturing before jobs and economic co-operation.

In the South East, Liberal Democrats have two MEP's, Sharon Bowles (http://www.sharonbowles.org.uk/) and Catherine Bearder (http://www.bearder.eu/), who are fighting for positive changes in Europe, and standing up to get a better deal for our area.