LABOUR brought a touch of mystery when its campaign to keep Britain in Europe arrived in Swindon.

Actor Nathaniel Parker, better known to TV viewers as Inspector Lynley, was on board to add his support to Labour In.

The star admitted he had been undecided about the referendum until recently, but he told party supporters gathered to greet the campaign bus outside STEAM on Saturday. “I think what we have to be very wary of is the emotional jingoistic side of the other campaign.”

He said that people were still English, Scottish, Welsh or British but that being European was a bonus. “We are there. Why throw it away?” he asked.

Clare Moody MEP praised the work Labour’s campaigners had done in Swindon for the local elections and urged them to match that passion for the Labour In campaign.

Chris Bryant, shadow leader of the House of Commons said: “We believe we can achieve more by our common endeavour than we do by going it alone.

"As well as a weaker economy, Britain on its own would lose some of its ability to tackle international crime and terrorism. Without the European Arrest Warrant it would be more difficult to bring fugitives back to the UK and it would not be so easy for Britons to visit Europe.

“All the countries in Europe are facing the same problems with terrorism and people trafficking. We are far more likely to be safe if all the police forces and Europol are working together."

Not only that, people wanted to know they had the same protection and access to emergency health care as they did at home.

He accepted voters were unhappy with the EU, but said the way to affect change was to do it from within.

Leaving the EU would be like throwing the bathwater out with the baby, said Seema Malhotra, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Almost 50 per cent of the UK’s trade was with Europe and 30 per cent of our trade with the rest of the world was through the EU.

Did the country want to spent years re-negotiating deals while jobs were put at risk? she asked. Some countries had already indicated that Britain would become a lower priority for them if it left the EU.

The Labour In campaign says membership of the organisation has given vital rights to workers and consumer protection. It believes the country is stronger negotiating deals with America and China because of its membership and that if Britain leaves it will still have to adopt EU rules if it wants to do business with its members.