IN contrast to Westminster, there is no majority party holding power in the European Parliament, so MEPs often work together on issues across party lines.

Liz Lynne, Liberal Democrat MEP, explained she had been working with the Labour and Conservative MEPs in opposing the working time directive, which would have seen a maximum 48-hour week imposed on British workers, with no opt-out.

All-night talks between EU governments and MEPs over the directive collapsed two weeks ago, meaning Britain will retain the right for individuals to opt out of the 48-hour week.

Mrs Lynne said she feared ending the opt-out would mean retained firefighters losing their jobs.

Neena Gill, Labour MEP, said many people did not realise the original directive was responsible for giving British workers the right to four weeks paid holiday.

Phillip Bushill-Matthews, Conservative MEP, explained he did not believe the issue was an example of the EU trying to impose unwanted laws on Britain.

He added: “People say the EU is trying to take away the opt-out but it isn’t that simple.

“There are 15 out of the 27 member states that want to keep it and the European Commission wants to keep it too.

“The only body that wants to get rid of the opt-out is the Parliament and that is only by a small majority.”

The European Commission is the EU’s executive branch, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions and upholding the union's treaties.

MEPs have the power to approve, amend or reject nearly all EU legislation and can hold the commission to account and force it to resign.

Mr Bushill-Matthews’s fellow Conservative MEP for the region, Phillip Bradbourn, however, said much of his time in Parliament was taken up opposing legislation he did not believe in.

He explained: “The question I always ask is ‘does an EU regulation add any value to our national regulations that we apply through local authorities?’ “I don’t believe in having one homogenous mass called Europe.”