25 Written explanations of Julie WARD

I voted against this report because I do not recognise Guaido as President, and because the EPP have consistently used the complex crisis in Venezuela for political ends rather than addressing the real democratic and humanitarian issues.It is time for a fair, free and fresh set of elections to restore faith in the political and democratic institutions in Venezuela. The UN must be at the heart of this through electoral observations in the region.The EU also must work with allies and the Venezuelan authorities to ensure that there is a peaceful process while this is implemented. The everyday Venezuelan must be a priority to ensure that there is basic food and healthcare provisions for all.

I voted for this report because under the steady hand of Emily O'Reilly, the office of the Ombudsman has shown itself to be tough, fair and highly effective, working closely with the Parliament's Petitions Committee as well as with civil society.

This report reiterates and supports the European Parliament’s resolution passed on 3 May 2018 with regard to the protection of migrant children. Sadly the House of Commons recently rejected proposals to maintain protections for child refugees in the redrafted EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill. It is a betrayal of Britain’s long-standing commitment to humanitarian support, especially to the most vulnerable. I’d like to pay tribute to Labour Lord Alf Dubs, himself a Jewish refugee, who led the campaign on this issue, and I hope the the government will follow the leadership of the House of Lords on this matter.If this is what Global Britain looks like post-Brexit, it sends out all the wrong messages as to who we are and who we want to be as a nation. Whether in or out of the EU, we must not abandon our commitment to human rights and internationalism, and as a child rights campaigner I ask all those in positions of power to remember Alan Kurdi and all the other child refugees who died whilst we turned our backs.

I voted in favour of this resolution because citizens rights must be protected in the Brexit process, and the EU has a duty to ensure non-discrimination. The UK government's continuing 'hostile environment' gives great cause for concern and Boris Johnson's poor record as an honest broker leave much to be desired. Voting in favour of this resolution demonstrates my ongoing support for EU27 citizens and British citizens in the EU. However, it does not mean I will vote to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement when it comes to the European Parliament's plenary session.

I fully support the Conference on the Future of Europe as one of the priorities of the new President of the Commission.The European Union and all of its institutions will need to foster greater collaboration and cooperation between Member States and demonstrate leadership in its relationships with global partners in order to address these challenges over the next 4-5 years, especially on issues regarding the root causes of extremism, the scourge of tax avoidance and climate change.As we are seeing with the tense situation in Iran and the bushfires in Australia, isolationism cannot fix these problems. If we fail to deal with and address these global issues they will eventually land on our doorstep.Only by working together inside the Union can prosperity at home and peace abroad be achieved. In this respect, a greater focus must be given to the power of arts and creative practitioners to build bridges where fear and division exist. The Cultural Diplomacy Strategy launched in the 2014-19 legislature must be reinvigorated and placed front and centre of the Commission's work programme.I also hope that the UK post-Brexit continues to be a close ally and a good neighbour in respect of both security and trade to the EU.

I abstained in this vote because insufficient credit has been given to Bolivia's progress under President Morales - the indigenous and poor of Bolivia have seen their rights and their standard of living increase enormously and this should have been reflected in the text. Inequality is the greatest scourge in our world today, but taking from the rich and giving to the poor always threatens the elite: the big businesses, the large corporations and in this case American interests.

I voted in favour of the European Parliament’s support of the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) because the climate emergency is the single most important issue today, with particular effects on Small Island Developing States and with far-reaching implications for future generations.

I voted in favour of this resolution. Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today but remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.Violence against women is not random or anonymous. If we consider the fact that most violence is carried out by men, it is just a small step to understanding that violence against women is structural violence.Ratifying the Istanbul Conventional would send out a signal and enshrine in law that the EU will seriously tackle violence against women.

I voted in favour of the renewal of the Partnership Agreement between the EU and ACP, known as the Cotonou Agreement, which was signed in 2000 and will expire in February 2020 because we must revitalise and reinforce the EU’s relations with the ACP countries. We must emphasise the importance of the parliamentary dimension of the future agreement in order to ensure democratic accountability at all levels and to promote the legitimacy and visibility of the partnership. We must also scale up the involvement of civil society and ensure any new agreement is rooted in the 2030 Agenda with a peer review mechanism for SDG implementation. The EU and the ACP are collectively a strong global voice and we can tackle shared challenges, and the new Partnership Agreement must reflect this.

Despite huge disappointment at the way in which the European Council manipulated the choice of Commission President, I voted in favour of the von der Leyen College of Commissioners because of the priorities given to women’s rights, the new Green Deal and the commitment to the European project and values, and to the economic and social progress of citizens. I was particularly pleased that our Socialist and Democrat candidate, Frans Timmermans, has promised to listen to the demands of young climate change activists.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, I voted in favour of the European Parliament’s position to uphold and promote children’s rights.

I am proud that the European Parliament paid attention to the effects of the collapse of the iconic British holiday company Thomas Cook. It left 150 000 UK holidaymakers stranded – many of them children and the elderly, working—class families who had worked and saved hard for a well-earned break. The collapse could cost up to 9000 British jobs, yet Thomas Cook say that the Conservative Government’s business secretary, Andrea Leadsom, did not even speak to their executives leading up to its collapse.Fortunately, the 600 000 holidaymakers who were affected were protected by the EU Package Travel Directive. It is important that we recognise that as the Tories try to take us out of the EU while watering down workers’ rights and customer protection: this safety net will not be there under a Boris Johnson-led Government post Brexit.

I voted in favour of this resolution, although I would like to have seen more recognition for the successful democratic and feminist revolution in Rojava, which is now under attack from the Turkish military.

I voted in favour of this resolution which was lost by just a few votes. It is hugely disappointing that the centre-right and the far-right groups in the European Parliament blocked an opportunity to end the shocking and appalling death toll in the Mediterranean.Once again we find ourselves discussing the lives of thousands of men, women and children who every day attempt the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, fleeing conflict and unsustainable lives - they must be protected. Far too many innocent people are losing their lives in the Mediterranean. Member State obfuscation and insufficient action at EU level is failing the people who need our help the most. We have a moral obligation as policy-makers, legislators and as fellow human beings to reach out to fellow human beings in danger and in distress

As a friend of the Western Balkans, I voted in favour of this resolution, as I have no doubt that Albania and North Macedonia will eventually join the EU. The recent act of sabotage in the Council (by France, Denmark and the Netherlands) to block accession talks is regrettable. I am convinced that the future of the Western Balkans lies in Europe and the future of Europe lies in unity with the Western Balkans.

I am supportive of the general budget including three key priorities for 2020: ensuring sufficient funding to address migration and the protection of the EU’s external borders against trafficking and organised crime, strengthening civil protection, and tackling climate change.These three key priorities are essential but they can only be achieved through collaboration.As the UK Government tries to take us out of the European Union, I have never understood how we can hope to tackle the great injustices of our time on our own.Now is not the time for isolationism. Standing alone in the world will only make us worse off. Outside of the EU we will be weaker economically, with less influence.This must also be the greenest and energy efficient budget.Environmental inaction will have grave consequences for all of our citizens.Finally, I would like to see additional funding for the creative sectors and education. I am happy to see Erasmus+ getting further funding – it is one of the great achievements of the European Union.

I voted in favour of this report because we do need to have a better common European asylum system by facilitating, coordinating and strengthening practical cooperation among Member States on the many aspects of asylum.

. ‒ I voted in favour of this report that serves as part of the EU’s contingency planning to mitigate the worst effects of a damaging no-deal Brexit. This is a fast-tracked reciprocal measure. If the UK were to leave without a deal but allowed fishing access rights in UK waters to European fishers, this report allows British fishers to fish in European waters too. It would greatly simplify the paperwork for European and British fishers to fish in each other’s waters and to swap quotas.

I voted in favour of the agreement.Across the EU and with our closest neighbours we must promote cooperation in the fight against serious crime, in particular organised crime and terrorism.This also goes hand in hand with the EU strategy for the Western Balkans.

I voted in favour of this resolution, as advised by my colleagues on the Budget Committee.

I wholly supported this.The UK stands on the precipice of a general election and, given the impasse over Brexit, we must be ready to address this issue of electoral interference and disinformation.Yet the UK Government has not implemented the legislation or framework to ensure that our elections are fully protected from hostile actors, and this is according to our very own intelligence services.This is a matter of grave urgency.This is not about political ideology; this is not about the right or the left: this is about the foundation and fundamentals of all of our democracies. This is a call to arms for all EU Member States, not just the UK. We must work together.Democracy can only be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.When we turn a blind eye to the potential corruption of our elections, then this becomes corrosive and eats away at our liberties, freedoms and inalienable rights.

I voted in favour because over the next five years, the European project and values must be built upon a progressive platform that unites economic and social issues.Without such a platform there will continue to be disparity and discrimination in the workforce and in pay. We must lower income inequalities, ensure wage growth for the bottom and middle percentiles, have training and education fit for purpose for the fourth industrial revolution, and tackle the gender pay and pension gaps.We have the opportunity to build upon the European Pillar of Social Rights by setting the first ever EU minimum wage. This is a basic human right to be paid enough to live. It would be a basis to ensure that those who are facing extreme deprivation have the opportunity through a furthering of accessibility in the labour market to get out of poverty and destitution.To have economic growth, we must invest in people; the two are intertwined and failure to acknowledge that means that we will not be able to tackle the great injustices that we currently face.

I voted for this resolution as a whole. The need for anti-money laundering legislation is essential, and since 1990, the EU has had laws to tackle such crimes. In 2018 in the UK, there were nearly 500 000 cases of suspicious activity reports – up almost 10% from the previous year, which in total costs the UK more than GBP 100 billion a year.Money laundering is used by criminals and terrorists to move funds and pay for assets and can only be stopped by working across borders at an EU level. If the UK pushes forward with Brexit, this will leave us at risk of increased fraudulent activity.

I voted for this draft, because for 30 years it has brought generations of young people in Europe closer together in the most practical and efficient way. Since the creation of the Erasmus mobility programme in 1987, more than three million young people have studied abroad and more than 300 000 research exchanges, teaching and training have been supported.Erasmus has proved that by working together schools, universities, youth organisations, public authorities and enterprises can learn from each other and strengthen education and youth systems across the EU. Cooperation projects foster modernisation and EU-wide collaboration, which in turn stimulates innovation and creativity and improves job prospects.Indeed, those who have studied abroad are less likely to experience long-term unemployment, and participation in the Erasmus study exchange programme increases job prospects for young people. Erasmus is more important than ever in times of economic hardship and high youth unemployment. Erasmus has also played a tremendous role in improving the quality of higher education in Europe by opening up our universities and colleges to international cooperation.

I abstained because, under the Johnson premiership, we are witnessing the decline of decency in the age of populism. Johnson is a most disreputable Prime Minister, and an embarrassment both to his party and to his country: a misogynist, a homophobe, an Islamophobe, a dangerous clown chosen by less than 1% of our population. He plays fast and loose with people’s lives. His no—deal Brexit threatens shortages of food and life—saving drugs, threatens peaceful coexistence. Yes, Brexit will cost lives, as well as livelihoods – and it already has.We have a government policy decided by an unelected advisor, Dominic Cummings, who is a man in contempt of our parliament. Is this taking back control? We have a government that is eroding trust in our institutions, from the civil servants to the courts and judges, our democratic foundations.