My friend John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Congress, gave an excellent speech to the All Party EU Group last night to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Some of his remarks about the need to emphasise the benefits or our EU membership were highly pertinent. It is easy for Pro-Europeans to be cowed by the shrill "little Englander" brigade who label anyone who questions their distortions and prejudices about the EU as a euro-fanatic. Instead we must put across the message of the many (too often unrecognised) benefits the EU has delivered for our citizens. Just in terms of work place rights, some obvious examples include: four weeks paid holiday, protection for migrant, fixed term and part-time workers, worker participation, equal pay for women and anti-sex discrimination legislation. These are now enshrined in common rules for our common market and apply across Europe.

As John points out, the EU has been a positive force in enshrining the values of social inclusion and solidarity alongside economic growth in a way that is clearly differentiated from the US model which allows private wealth and public squalor. The social vision of Europe is too important not to be fought for.

The LME website has full text of John's speech, which you can read by clicking here.