Following the launch of the EU election campaign, I was joined by one of our Euro candidates, James Walsh, and our local councillor, Martyn Cox, in Westhoughton to canvass the opinion of local residents.
The range of topics raised was, as usual, very wide. It was really positive that when I discussed the economy, people were saying that they have noticed the difference and that they and their families are increasingly confident about the future.
Probably, the most common concern raised with me was the level of immigration into Britain and what we are doing to control it. The immigration from none EU countries has reduced significantly but migration from the EU has increased in the last year. The reduction from none EU countries is because of the additional controls this Conservative led government has implemented. The recent increase is due to the EU continuing to have substantial economic problems whilst George Osborne’s long term economic plan is working and Britain has a growing economy. Unemployment in Bolton West is down by about 20% since the 2010 General Election and the last Labour government.
Naturally, the Conservative promise of an in-out EU referendum was a hot topic as was people’s confidence that it will be delivered. By the time of the 2015 General Election, the Conservative Party will have been making the argument for a referendum for years, the Party is united behind having a referendum and I expect that it will be a clear commitment in our 2015 GE manifesto. Labour adores the EU as much as the Lib Dems so they won’t give us a referendum and UKIP won’t be in a position to deliver one.
The only political party that will deliver a referendum is the Conservative Party so the choice is yours if you want your voice heard.
Find out more about our EU campaign by following this link.