Too late?

The Parliament reports that negotiations in Brussels on the opt-out from the EU's 48 hour working week have reached an impasse, with neither MEPs nor national ministers willing to back down. Formal negotiations will continue in two weeks time, on 1 April.

Glenis Willmott, Labour's new leader in the European Parliament, is quoted saying that the opt-out should be maintained, pending a review in five years. She said:

"At a time of financial crisis, workers need the flexibility to earn extra money."

Clearly we welcome Glenis' public support - but it would have been far more helpful if she had not voted to abolish the opt-out last December along with 12 other Labour MEPs.

Glad to see that Glenis has come round - we just hope that this period of clear thinking will last long enough so that she remembers to vote the right way next time.