Plenary focus - September

What is clear from the G20 Summit is that these so-called ‘leaders of the world’ are still ignoring public demand for tackling tax avoidance and ways to deal with the root causes of the refugee crisis. We must also hold the G20 to account for promising further investments, development and tackling climate change. Social justice, fairer taxation, world peace and humanitarian solidarity should be central to all of their commitments.

It’s hard to agree with the overall budgetary cuts proposed. What Europeans are waiting for on jobs, growth, environment and security is for the EU to invest more - not less. We cannot accept the cuts in commitments and payments proposed for the European Social Fund and for the Youth Employment Initiative whilst many EU citizens are still suffering greatly from the consequences of the economic and financial EU crisis.

Why are we still allowing Erdoğan to call the shots? The EU-Turkey deal is a betrayal of human rights and plays into the EU policy of ‘Fortress Europe’. Visa liberalisation must be delayed until we get a decent humanitarian policy in return. Likewise, we cannot turn a blind eye to current plight of the Kurds and a solution to both the wars in Syria and against I.S. is badly needed.