Local MEP Anthea McIntyre has been appointed Conservative employment spokesman in the European Parliament.

As the party's lead on a major area of the EU's legislative power, she will play a key role in fending off potentially harmful new rules and regulations and fighting for the support and freedom that British companies need to boost enterprise and jobs.

Having run her own small business for 20 years Anthea, who joined the Parliament in December as MEP for the West Midlands, has a wealth of experience in management consultancy.

She aims to roll back damaging social legislation and argues: "Most decisions on employment law are best left to national governments. I want to protect the right of British workers to opt out of restrictive regulations such as the Working Time Directive.

She said: "I know about the challenges and opportunities of running a small business and I recognise that, given the right backing and freedom from red tape, they can be the real engine room of a growing economy.

"Too often entrepreneurs, would-be wealth-creators, and jobseekers feel that Brussels is working against them. As the lead Conservative voice on the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, I shall be urging fellow MEPs to think growth instead of restriction, to promote enterprise ahead of bureaucracy, to back opportunity over regulation.

"That is what I came into politics to do. That is why I am a Conservative"

Miss McIntyre was congratulated by the leader of Britain's Conservative MEPs, Martin Callanan, who said: "I know that Anthea's passion for driving enterprises forward, combined with her grasp of the fine detail of business practice, will make her a formidable operator in this role."