On 24 May, the Maltese and Gozitans will have the opportunity to vote in elections for the European Parliament. I will be contesting those elections on behalf of the Labour Party.

People ask me: “Why did you choose to join and support the Labour Party from a very young age?”. Well, I chose Labour because the party is built on the values of work, social justice and social inclusion. Like myself, the Labour Party believes in opportunities for all.

For example, let’s look at the introduction of free child-care centres as from next month. I recently said, in a video blog, that the government should not just think about working parents but also those who are studying or who would like to start studying. At the moment only five per cent of student parents use the services of child-care centres.

I am glad to see that the government has agreed with me on this issue and that free child-care will now be available for both working parents and studying parents.

Like me, the Labour Party staunchly believes in a level playing field, giving everyone the opportunity to succeed.

I joined the Labour Party because this is the party that believes in and works for an inclusive society, so that no one is discriminated against because of their political ideology, gender, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

I feel comfortable working and supporting the Labour Party because this is the party that believes in social justice, the re-distribution of wealth and the right of everyone to improve. This is the party that assures people that no one is to be left behind and that those who do fall back should be helped to advance once again.

Another important question which people frequently ask is “What does Charlon believe in?”

Here’s the answer: I believe in an inclusive society built on values of fairness; a society which does not look at faces, gender, race or political ideology. I believe everyone should have the same opportunity to succeed. As a politician, I believe that we have to listen more than we talk and that decisions should be taken with humility and not pride.

If given the opportunity – as I trust I will – I will work with my colleagues to strengthen these principles at both local and European level.

PES Manifesto

The Party for European Socialists, at its recent Election Congress in Rome, adopted its manifesto for the next European Parliament elections. During this Congress all PES member parties, the Malta Labour Party included, voted for a 10-point roadmap. “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” is the number one priority for this roadmap. As Socialists, we strongly believe in the creation of jobs to give the unemployed dignity and an income, and to help those working in precarious conditions. I would go further and say we need the creation of good quality jobs.

Another important priority is the economy. In fact the manifesto proposed new ways of “boosting the economy”. Usually, the victims of austerity measures are those who least deserve it and this should be tackled with a new vigour, with a special focus on “innovation, research and training”.

Another important point raised by the PES in the 10-point roadmap for the next five years is the banking sector. As a socialist movement, we will move towards a financial sector serving all Europeans.

Let me give a clear example what this means on a national level. In the past week, the European Commission has published a report suggesting that there might be collusion between banks to the detriment of the consumer. This is a very serious allegation and the issue should be tackled. Even worse, a report presented by the Central Bank of Malta said the rates of interest on loans being charged to SMEs is 3 per cent above EU average.

This is another issue that needs to be tackled because the policy “pain for people – billions for banks” should not be tolerated at a local or European level. For me this is a priority.

The manifesto also includes progressive social measures to advance gender equality and a social Europe. We believe that this is the Europe in which we should live. It is important that people vote for the socialist, social democrats, labour and progresive parties in the European Union. A vote for the PL in Malta is a vote for a better Europe – with economic progress and more opportunities to succeed.