As a former teacher, I know better than most, the impact of education cuts. I have met with parents who have battling for equality for their children for years. Education is a critical area of public policy as it allows youth to achieve its potential. Denial of proper education facilities costs the state in the long term. As an MEP, campaigning for better educational and sports facilities will be one of my key priorities. Twinning education with sport is also an ambition of mine.

Sport has always been a huge part of my life, and the life of our nation. Sport is an essential part of the lives of millions of European citizens. Although it is not a direct EU competence, many EU policies touch – and are touched by – sport.

"Sport is an area of human activity that greatly interests citizens of the European Union and has enormous potential for bringing them together. Approximately 60% of European citizens participate in sporting activities on a regular basis within or outside some 700 000 clubs, which are themselves members of a plethora of associations and federations."(White Paper on Sport, 2007)

Although not directed specifically at sport, many of the rules, policies and programmes of the European Union have an impact on the sports world or are of interest to it. Moreover, a number of actions relating to sport are supported through EU programmes in fields, such as education, vocational training, youth, health, social inclusion and regional policy.

The European Commission acknowledges the essential role of sport in European society. On 11 July 2007, it adopted the White Paper on Sport, its first comprehensive document in this area. The main objectives of the White Paper are to enhance the visibility of sport in EU policy-making, to raise awareness of the needs and specificities of the sector, to ensure that the specificity of sport is taken into consideration in the development and implementation of EU policies, and to promote sport-related action at EU level.

The European Commission fully respects the autonomy of sporting organisations and the role of Member States in conducting sporting affairs. Therefore, the Commission does not intervene in issues such as the organisation of sporting competitions or the setting of sporting rules.