The Liberal Democrats: Fighting to Keep Britain In Europe and In Work

Fighting for a Stronger Economy

The Liberal Democrats want Britain to stay in the EU because we are fighting for a stronger economy. Millions of British jobs are linked to our trade with the EU, and because being in Europe gives us more strength when negotiating trade deals with global players like the US, China, India and Brazil.

We are the party of IN - IN Europe, IN Work. Liberal Democrats are working to defend millions of British jobs, create millions more and put thousands of pounds back in your pocket by making it easier for British companies to export and slashing red tape for small businesses.

Lib Dems have delivered:

• Jobs by boosting trade - the launch of the EU-US trade agreement worth an extra £10 billion to the UK economy each year, and the final agreement on the EU-South Korea trade deal which has seen British exports to South Korea increase by £2 billion [1].
• Jobs by investing in businesses - EU funding that has created 222,196 new jobs and supported 207,662 small businesses [2]. In 2012, EU grants and loans invested £10.4 billion in the UK [3].
• Jobs in science and manufacturing - £60 billion EU-wide funding to support research and technology in universities and companies across the UK [4].
• Jobs for British inventors - an EU patent system, so inventors only need to register their product once to protect it across the EU from intellectual property theft rather than 28 times, saving entrepreneurs up to £20,000 per patent [5].
• Cutting red tape - an exemption for over 100,000 British businesses from complicated accounting rules, saving small businesses up to £390 million a year in admin costs [6].
• Lower EU Budget - a £30 billion EU budget cut while delivering extra investment in jobs and growth (see above) [7].

Fighting for Safer Communities

Crime doesn't stop at borders and Liberal Democrats are fighting to protect British citizens by ensuring that law enforcement and civil liberties do not stop at borders either. Our police forces need access to key EU crime-fighting tools to combat criminal gangs, terrorists and paedophiles, and British citizens' rights need to be upheld across the EU.

Lib Dems have delivered:

• Criminals behind bars - Lib Dems have fought off crazy Tory and UKIP proposals to withdraw the UK from the European Arrest Warrant [8] which has brought hundreds of rapists, murderers and paedophiles back to the UK to face justice, and deported over four thousand criminal suspects [9].
• Rights for British victims of crimes abroad - new EU laws that will guarantee British victims of crime in other EU countries access to victim support services free-of-charge.
• Rights for Brits arrested abroad - new laws which guarantee basic rights such as the right to interpretation for British citizens arrested in other EU countries.
• Anti-slavery laws - EU laws that will harmonise efforts to crack down on human traffickers by making sentencing tougher and improving EU police cooperation.

Fighting for a Greener Future

Liberal Democrats are working hard to create an ambitious green agenda to protect our environment and create green jobs. Climate change doesn't stop at borders and Liberal Democrats believe it is crucial to work with other European countries to cut carbon, promote green jobs, reduce pollution and protect biodiversity.

Lib Dems have delivered:

• Low Carbon roadmap - agreement for the EU low carbon roadmap that paves the way towards a low carbon economy, providing long-term certainty for businesses.
• Sustainable fishing - a radical overhaul of the Common Fisheries Policy to ban most discards (throwing dead fish back into the sea), devolve power to local communities and allow for sustainable fish stocks and reliable jobs for generations to come.
• Energy Efficiency - EU energy efficiency laws that will unlock investment in energy saving technologies and secure dramatic reductions in energy waste.
• Greener Agriculture - major reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy that will help cut emissions and protect our countryside.

[1] http://www.libdemvoice.org/fiona-hall-writes-eu-exit-would-jeopardise-britains-global-trade-31346.html and UK exports to South Korea were 4,571,743,881 in 2012 compared to 2,204,742,016 in 2010 - https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/BuildYourOwnTables/Pages/Table.aspx

[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/supporting-economic-growth-through-managing-the-european-regional-development-fund/supporting-pages/managing-the-european-regional-development-fund

[3] http://www.eib.org/projects/loans/regions/european-union/index.htm?start=2012&end=2012, http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2013-07-03a.162433.h&s=%28section%3Awrans%29+speaker%3A11494#g162433.q0, http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2013-07-03a.162843.h&s=%28section%3Awrans%29+speaker%3A11494#g162843.q0, http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2013-07-03a.162434.h&s=%28section%3Awrans%29+speaker%3A11494#g162434.q0, http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2013-07-12a.162435.h&s=%28Martin+Horwood%29+section%3Awrans#g162435.q0

[4] http://www.euractiv.com/innovation-enterprise/irish-clinch-agreement-horizon-r-news-528877

[5] http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/davidlidington/2013/02/19/innovation-nation/

[6] http://news.bis.gov.uk/Press-Releases/New-rules-to-save-businesses-millions-in-reporting-and-accountancy-fees-67fa6.aspx

[7] https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/european-council-press-conference-on-eu-budget-agreement

[8] http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sarah-ludford/tory-push-for-eu-policing-cooperation-optout_b_3177363.htm

[9] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-arrest-warrant-data-2009-2013