Labour MEP takes baby to European Parliament to make impassioned speech about tax avoidance

An MEP took her baby to the European Parliament to make an impassioned speech about the need for a crackdown on tax dodging.

In a show of solidarity with working mothers everywhere, Anneliese Dodds, Labour MEP for the South East of England, took her four-month-old daughter Isabella to work with her in Strasbourg and spoke for several minutes on the importance of a cohesive approach to tackling tax avoidance and tax evasion - and the need for Britain to do so while remaining "in the EU".

Ms Dodds posted the video of her speech to her Facebook page, describing it as: "Today I spoke in the parliament on how we can tackle tax avoidance and evasion in the EU by working with our partners in Europe. By sharing information across borders and taking collective action, we can close the loopholes that happen when countries have different approaches to tackling tax dodging. I supported the report in the Parliament today and call on George Osborne and others to make this Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive as ambitious as possible."

In the speech itself, which lasted around two minutes, she said: "When I meet people in my constituency in South East England they want real information - why it might be better or worse to be part of a union of 28 countries working together, or to be on our own, and it's hard to think of a more compelling case where collective action works than in fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.

"Tax dodging, just like pollution, climate change and international crime, does not respect borders. In fact, it thrives in the mismatches that happen when countries don't speak to one another - don't cooperate - and so helpful little loopholes emerge.

"We have to take a collaborative approach to tackling this problem if we are ever to succeed."

Ms Dodds, who cradled her young baby on her shoulder the entire time, said she supported a proposal for an anti-tax avoidance directive and said it should "set the template" for Britain to lead a crackdown on tax dodging internationally - something she said would be best served by remaining inside the EU.

"Ambiguity only serves those who are looking to dodge tax," she warned. "I would urge finance ministers like George Osborne to take on board these recommendations and make the anti-tax avoidance directive as ambitious as possible.

"This is a good step forward and a clear indication that anyone who cares about tackling tax dodging should see that the UK is best placed to carry on the fight by staying in the European Union."

In April, Ms Dodds also took her daughter - who was born in February - to vote with her in Strasbourg.

And she isn't the first woman to do the same - Italian MEP Licia Ronzulli regularly takes her daughter Vittoria, three, to vote in the EU parliament, and has done since she was just six weeks old.