On Monday 13th June, Emma joined other Labour women MPs including Harriet Harman, Labour’s former Deputy Leader, Angela Eagle, Shadow First Secretary of State, and Yvette Cooper, former Shadow Home Secretary, who were campaigning in the West Midlands to make the case for women to vote to remain in the European Union.

The Labour In for Britain campaign bus visited locations across Birmingham City Centre, including local businesses, as well as a Sure Start children’s centre in the Black Country funded in part through the European Union.

Emma Reynolds MP said:

“The Labour party is calling for people to vote Remain on 23 June.

“This is a crucial decision for women in the West Midlands. I was delighted to welcome many of my Labour party women colleagues from around the country to our region.

“Remaining in the EU is in the best interests of British businesses and employees. A vote to leave will put the rights that working women enjoy in the firing line.

“Being in the EU guarantees us rights to minimum paid leave, rights for agency workers, paid maternity leave, equal pay, anti-discrimination laws, and protection for the workforce when companies change hands.

“The Brexit Tories might try to disguise this by vague talk of getting rid of ‘regulation’ and ‘red tape’ but what they actually mean is getting rid of vital rights that protect women at work.

“A vote to leave is simply not a risk worth taking. Every independent economic forecast has predicted that it would cause great damage to our economy and be bad for jobs. The independent Institute for Fiscal studies has said that leaving the EU will lead to a further two years of austerity cuts which will disproportionately hit women.

“It would make women on low and middle incomes in Wolverhampton worse off and would create a huge black hole in our public finances, meaning less money for our local schools and the NHS.”

Harriet Harman MP, Labour’s former Deputy Leader said:

“So many women still have yet to decide whether to vote REMAIN or LEAVE but they know it’s a huge decision which will affect their children and grandchildren and that if we leave there’ll be no going back.

“Whether it’s for jobs, pay, prices or public services, it’s important for women to vote REMAIN.”

Angela Eagle MP, Shadow First Secretary of State and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills said:

“Women’s voices haven’t been heard enough in this campaign. That needs to change. Over the next 10 days, Labour will be campaigning hard, making the case for remaining in the EU.”