Firefighters campaign success!

11.30.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 29th Apr 2009

Lib Dem Councillors Colin Ive, Adrian Collett and David Simpson are delighted our retained firefighters can stay on call

The campaign by Lib Dem Euro MPs and local Lib Dem Councillors to allow our retained firefighters to opt out of the EU Working Time Directive has succeeded.

Plans supported by Labour Euro MPs to scrap Britain's opt-out from the 48-hour week would have prevented many 'retained' firefighters with other jobs from being on call.

Liz Lynne, a Lib Dem Member of the European Parliament, led a campaign to keep the opt-out and has worked closely with the Retained Firefighters Union.

Lib Dem County Councillor David Simpson, who led the campaign locally, said, "I'm relieved the planned changes have failed and our local firefighters are able to stay on call.

"This just goes to show that working together we can stop stupid legislation, and I want to thank everyone who took the trouble to e-mail and write to me supporting the petition."