Agenda item

7.22pm – Councillor Iain Cassidy moved, seconded by Councillor Adam Connell, the special motion in their names:

“It’s now eighteen months since the referendum and it’s now plain to see that Leave campaigners told the British people a pack of lies. We were told the negotiations would be easy but the Rt Hon David Davis MP, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, described Brexit being “as complicated as moon landing”. We were told that by leaving the EU, we would save “£350 million a week” which would then be given to the NHS but instead we now see the madness of a government spending more of our taxes on Brexit than it is on our NHS or dealing with the horrendous increases in child and pensioner poverty. And people were told that Brexit would cut immigration, but the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP stated that Brexit could see Britain accept more immigrants albeit from outside of the EU.

Meanwhile:

·         The UK economy is now the slowest growing economy in Europe, reducing the prosperity of the UK and Borough residents;

·         Businesses within Hammersmith and Fulham, like those elsewhere in the UK, are cutting or delaying investment in new production and new jobs while they await the Brexit deal;

·         Both private business and public-sector organizations such as the NHS are facing labour shortages;

·         New investment in the Borough is being jeopardised and new job opportunities are being lost for residents in this Borough;

·         Inflation caused by Brexit-related depreciation of the pound is driving up living costs for the poorest residents in this Borough and further squeezing living standard;

·         The long-term prospects for the City of London remaining the most significant finance centre in the world have been undermined.

It’s evident that Brexit will hurt all but the richest of our citizens. So, while Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Jacob Rees-Mogg are wealthy enough to avoid its consequences the rest of us, and our children, will most likely be poorer and less secure.

The Council agrees that the current rights of EU citizens living in the UK should always be fully protected.

At the Referendum over 70% of Borough residents voted to remain in the European Union and that nobody voted to spend £50 billion of tax payers’ money on Brexit.

This Council calls on the government to abandon any plans for a hard Brexit and to give the British people a vote on whatever deal they end up getting along with the opportunity to vote on keeping the many benefits Britons currently enjoy by staying in the European Union.”

Councillors Iain Cassidy and Adam Connell gave speeches on the special motion (for the Administration).

Under Standing Order 15(e) 6, Councillor Andrew Brown moved, seconded by Councillor Donald Johnson, an amendment to the special motion as follows:

“Delete from: “It’s now eighteen months” …. to “and less secure”.

After “fully protected”, insert “This council further agrees to support residents of LBHF, who are from the other 27 EU countries, with any immigration issues they may be facing, and to fund this support, like other London Boroughs have done, such as Westminster and Wandsworth.”

Speeches on the amendment to the special motion were made by Councillors Ben Coleman, PJ Murphy, Stephen Cowan and Max Schmid (for the Administration) – and Councillors Andrew Brown, Joe Carlebach, Nicholas Botterill and Lucy Ivimy (for the Opposition).

The amendment was then put to the vote:

FOR                            16

AGAINST                  21

NOT VOTING            0

The amendment was declared LOST.

Speeches on the substantive motion were made by Councillors Andrew Brown and Joe Carlebach (for the Opposition) and Councillors Caroline Needham, Lisa Homan, Stephen Cowan and Ben Coleman (for the Administration).

Councillor Iain Cassidy then made a speech winding up the debate before the special motion was put to the vote:

FOR                            21

AGAINST                   16

NOT VOTING            0

The special motion was declared CARRIED.

8.42pm – RESOLVED

It’s now eighteen months since the referendum and it’s now plain to see that Leave campaigners told the British people a pack of lies. We were told the negotiations would be easy but the Rt Hon David Davis MP, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, described Brexit being “as complicated as moon landing”. We were told that by leaving the EU, we would save “£350 million a week” which would then be given to the NHS but instead we now see the madness of a government spending more of our taxes on Brexit than it is on our NHS or dealing with the horrendous increases in child and pensioner poverty. And people were told that Brexit would cut immigration, but the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP stated that Brexit could see Britain accept more immigrants albeit from outside of the EU.

Meanwhile:

·         The UK economy is now the slowest growing economy in Europe, reducing the prosperity of the UK and Borough residents;

·         Businesses within Hammersmith and Fulham, like those elsewhere in the UK, are cutting or delaying investment in new production and new jobs while they await the Brexit deal;

·         Both private business and public-sector organizations such as the NHS are facing labour shortages;

·         New investment in the Borough is being jeopardised and new job opportunities are being lost for residents in this Borough;

·         Inflation caused by Brexit-related depreciation of the pound is driving up living costs for the poorest residents in this Borough and further squeezing living standard;

·         The long-term prospects for the City of London remaining the most significant finance centre in the world have been undermined.

It’s evident that Brexit will hurt all but the richest of our citizens. So, while Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Jacob Rees-Mogg are wealthy enough to avoid its consequences the rest of us, and our children, will most likely be poorer and less secure.

The Council agrees that the current rights of EU citizens living in the UK should always be fully protected.

At the Referendum over 70% of Borough residents voted to remain in the European Union and that nobody voted to spend £50 billion of tax payers’ money on Brexit.

This Council calls on the government to abandon any plans for a hard Brexit and to give the British people a vote on whatever deal they end up getting along with the opportunity to vote on keeping the many benefits Britons currently enjoy by staying in the European Union.