Councillor Marianna Ebel, the city council’s Brexit lead said:

“We welcome the announcement of a Brexit Deal, and that pragmatism has prevailed over populist clamour. Nevertheless, no Brexit deal, however good the terms and conditions, can ever be as beneficial as a membership in the European Union. So it still represents a hit on the economy which under the Conservatives will see the most marginalised hit hardest.

“We are hugely frustrated that it took till the eleventh hour for a Brexit Deal to be confirmed. The noise and bluster from the Prime Minister has seen many anxious, needlessly, about their future. The uncertainties of not knowing the outcome of the negotiations were particularly challenging and damaging for our local businesses.

“Free movement of people, goods and services will end and there will be changes to the border operations and procedures. Businesses reliant on overseas workers, especially in the care sector and the hospitality and construction industries, will struggle to recruit much needed staff from abroad under the new Points Based System. Many of our nurses from EU countries fled after the referendum – their absence has of course been felt sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are also deeply disappointed at how EU Citizens were treated by the UK Government in the last 4.5 years. Left with uncertainty over a long period of time, the Government eventually decided that all EU Citizens had to apply for the right to remain in the country they call home.

“Whilst we do not feel it should be necessary for EU Citizens to go through this application process at all, we know that it is the only way of securing EU Citizens’ right to stay in the UK. Therefore, if you haven’t done so yet, we urge you to please apply for EU Settled Status as soon as possible. And please encourage fellow EU Citizens to apply if you know of someone who hasn’t applied yet.”

The post “No Brexit deal can ever be as beneficial as membership of the European Union” says the council’s Brexit Lead appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

More than 400 residents from countries in the European Union have been helped to apply to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021 – and Greens have called for greater support to be offered to those looking to stay.

Brighton and Hove City Council began offering a ‘document check’ service to those seeking to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme in October, following a Green proposal agreed by a meeting of councillors in July 2019.

Following the meeting the council purchased scanners, which are now available to people looking to complete the ‘identity checking’ requirement of the application process. Residents can access these scanners at Brighton Town Hall.

Greens have since asked the council to do more to promote the service in Brighton and Hove, raising concerns that many EU citizens may not be aware of the support available. Compared to the national figures, the number of registrations to the scheme in the city remains low.

The free ‘drop in’ identity document (ID) check service is available Monday – Friday, at times advertised on the council’s website.

Councillor Marianna Ebel, who asked the council to commit to further promotion at a meeting today, said:

“With Brexit now a reality, city residents from the EU have been left uncertain about their future. I am glad that the request from Green Councillors for scanners and other support has resulted in 400 people applying for ‘settled status.’ However we must reach many more EU residents who call this city home.

“The application itself requires ID. Many EU citizens do not have an ID document currently, and may have to travel to obtain one. I welcome news that the council may offer assistance to those who might otherwise be excluded from this process – however we urge them to make sure any help is swift and clear, so that residents who have made their lives here are properly supported to stay.”

Councillor Siriol Hugh-Jones, who put forward the request for ID scanners said:

“Green councillors are delighted to see EU citizens are being supported with their applications for Settled Status and encouraged to continue to make their home here. As a City of Sanctuary, it is only right that Brighton & Hove should reassure residents from the European Union that they will always remain welcome in our city.”

The post Greens urge council to promote ‘settled status’ application for residents looking to stay after Brexit appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

“There is nothing in this deal to benefit our country.  It will leave people worse off, jobs harder to find, businesses struggling and a race to the bottom as environmental and social standards are dumped.

“It looks like a huge con on the British people because, if the vote succeeds, it will take us into a short transition period – giving people the completely false impression that there will be no impact on living standards, or workers’ rights and consumer protections outside the EU.  Boris Johnson will doubtless use this opportunity to try to win an election and put in power a hard-right government which will then run down the clock to the end of the transition period so we end up leaving with no deal.  One of the Conservative hardliners has already admitted that this is the plan.

“By then it will be too late to stop it.  We will be out of the EU, we will have lost our environmental, social and consumer protections, and we will be an easy target for the corporations of Trump’s America as the government desperately looks for new trade deals.

“This is an incredibly dangerous moment for our country.   Theresa May used to say ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’.  This deal is both: a bad deal with a no deal hidden inside.”

The post Caroline Lucas MP statement ahead of Saturday’s vote on Brexit deal appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Brighton and Hove City Council has shared information on the plans to prepare for a no-deal or other Brexit scenario as a result of an emergency meeting called by the Greens.

An emergency meeting to discuss the council’s response to Brexit was called today, 3rd October, by the Greens, following a request that will also see the council contact the Prime Minister condemning his actions to suspend Parliament – and to request a People’s Vote. [1]

As a response to the emergency meeting proposals, the meeting agenda also put information about the council’s response to Brexit in the public domain – information that Green Councillors say is vital for residents, businesses and EU citizens to prepare. [2]

Citing repeated attempts to suspend Parliament – including a further notification of Parliament’s suspension made today – Greens say today’s meeting represented a vital opportunity for discussion on the response to Brexit to take place among elected councillors.

However, Green Councillors condemned the actions of local Conservative councillors who refused to participate in the public meeting, leaving their seats empty in the council chamber. Greens say the absence of the Conservatives from the discussion and debate marked a ‘shocking disrespect’ for local residents and particularly EU citizens.

Green Councillors highlighted a number of concerns over the impact of Brexit, including asking for further clarification on the likelihood of potential medicine shortages, bathing water quality, the effects on children in care, small businesses and the impact on vulnerable citizens. Local councillors also thanked council officers for their work so far to prepare the council for a variety of ‘deal’ scenarios – including a no deal.

Commenting on the meeting, Green group convenor Phélim Mac Cafferty said:

“Since the referendum we have been asking to get the most information as possible for our city, its businesses, tourists and residents. We called this meeting on the understanding that it may be the only opportunity to discuss avoiding a no-deal Brexit – given that our own Prime Minister is taking every opportunity to shut down the discussion in Parliament. Whatever the noise of Westminster, we need to ensure that our city has the detail it needs to prepare for the potential impacts.

“A no-deal Brexit, or indeed, any Brexit – has huge potential risks particularly for our most vulnerable residents. For them and for our small businesses, our tourist industry and all those residents who have raised questions or concerns, we called for this meeting today.

“Given the possible effects of Brexit on the city, local residents deserve to know that their elected representatives are taking the issues seriously. The absence of local Conservative councillors is testament to the shocking disregard with which they have treated such a momentous issue. The impacts of their party’s neglect has been felt both by councils struggling to get the information they need from Government but also, the risks the Conservatives are taking with uncertainty over the Irish border.

“Whatever happens in the next few weeks we have to provide clarity for residents and businesses. Precisely because of the democratic deficit posed by the attempt to close down Parliament twice, it is vital that as community champions Councillors keep on discussing Brexit as the situation evolves. Our residents deserve to know that councillors are taking all steps to defend our city.”

Councillor Marianna Ebel who seconded the proposals from the Greens added:

“Whatever your feelings are on Brexit, we must ensure that the public are given the information on the effects of Brexit that we have been given as councillors. Like many other EU citizens I was deeply disappointed to see empty Tory chairs at today’s debate – after their party’s actions caused us so much distress. They should have the decency to show up and participate in the debate – especially given that this mess is one of their creation.

“In the last Full Council meeting in July, Greens put forward a proposal to give EU Citizens help when applying for settled status. This proposal has now been put into action. The hostile environment has caused fears and concerns amongst non-British EU citizens and the wider migrant community. For years we have been treated with utter disrespect by the government – and the absence of local Conservative councillors at this latest discussion sadly sends a message to local EU citizens that they have no plans to represent or listen to us.”  

Information from Brighton and Hove City Council is available at: https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/news/2019/get-ready-brexit including further advice on applying for Settled Status.

Notes for Editors

[1] Green Group Notice of Motion: Brexit Preparedness and City-wide Scrutiny: https://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000117/M00009900/AI00076024/$Item37GrnGrpBrexitNoM.docxA.ps.pdf

[2] Brexit Contingency Planning Briefing, Brighton and Hove City Council, 3^rd October 2019: https://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000117/M00009900/AI00076024/$Item37bBrexitContingencyPlanningBriefingdocx.pdfA.ps.pdf and ‘Brighton and Hove City Council Brexit Contingency Planning Report, October 2019: https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/default/files/news/brexit/brexit-readiness-report-october-2019.pdf

The post Council meeting backs Green call for public information on Brexit preparations – while Conservative councillors refuse to show up for debate appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Green Councillors have called for an emergency meeting to discuss the council’s response to Brexit.

Rallying against the suspension of Parliament by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Green Councillors say the city’s communities must not be denied their opportunity for democratic scrutiny and debate.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s emergency plans for a ‘hard’ or ‘no-deal’ Brexit have been explored by a Brexit Working Group – a team set up to review the impact of leaving the EU on the city council.

With less than two months to go before the planned date of departure from the European Union (E.U), Greens ask for the city’s communities and business to be given sight of the council’s contingency arrangements.

Green proposals also call for a letter to be sent to Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemning his attempts to suspend Parliament – moves that Greens say prevent the city’s elected MPs from providing further scrutiny or democratic oversight.

Given the possible impacts of Brexit on the city, Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Convenor of the Green Group, said that city residents ‘deserve to know that their elected representatives are taking the issues seriously.’ [3]

Cllr Mac Cafferty commented:

“As the council’s own impact assessments make painfully clear, all forms of Brexit will harm our city. We remain concerned about critical issues such as the impact on our European residents, community cohesion, the local economy and the effects felt by our many local and small businesses.

“Greens have said repeatedly that any legislation on Brexit affecting our council must be properly scrutinised – and have been horrified to witness Prime Minister Boris Johnson effectively close down Parliament, just weeks before October 31^st. Suspension of Parliament is just one way that scrutiny and democratic debate has been denied to us all.

“From the news that residents who are EU citizens are struggling to obtain the right to stay in the country, to the potential impact on the peace process in Ireland, it’s clear there is so much at stake.

“The Conservative Government clearly sees no issue with leaving councils in the dark. Greens say: we owe it to our city’s communities and businesses to not only let them see how the council is preparing, but also, to know that these matters are being discussed by all 54 councillors. But above all, in a city which voted overwhelmingly to remain part of the European Union, residents deserve to know that their elected representatives are taking the issues seriously.”

Councillor Marianna Ebel added:

“As a Councillor who is also a non-British EU citizen, I know that European citizens residing in Brighton and Hove are alarmed about the most recent developments – particularly the attempts by the Prime Minister to undermine democratic debate and scrutiny. I am deeply concerned to learn that many EU citizens in Brighton and Hove who have met the requirements for ‘Settled Status’ are not being granted it due to flaws in the system.

“Non-British as well as British EU citizens in Brighton & Hove feel their views on Brexit are being ignored – and their right to participate in the process is being denied. This is understandable as their elected representatives cannot debate the topic if Parliament is suspended. It is vital for our communities and businesses that our council is able to continue debate, discussion and democratic oversight at this time.”

The post Greens rally against suspension of Parliament appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Continued uncertainty over Brexit has put residents, businesses and council funding at risk, say Green Councillors.

Local councillors were asked to support a set of proposals designed to support residents and businesses affected by a potential ‘no-deal’ Brexit at a meeting of full council 25^th July. [1]

It is estimated that Brighton and Hove receives an estimated £340k a year in European funding, with council Brexit scenario testing stating that no-deal could lead to business closures and recruitment and retention problems. Pointing to statements that indicate new Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be prepared to take the U.K out of the European Union on a ‘no deal’ basis, Green Councillors urged the council to establish how E.U funding programmes for the city would be replaced. [2][3]  

Green Councillor Marianna Ebel also asked the council to provide better support to EU citizens hoping to stay in the U.K in the event of the U.K’s exit from the EU. An estimated 20,000 EU citizens reside in Brighton and Hove, but will be expected to apply for ‘U.K settled status,’ to keep living in the city.

Cllr Ebel voiced the concerns of EU residents who say they have been provided with little information on how to apply for settled status, including how to manage the online application, which to date is only available on an Android phone. [4]

Green Councillors Siriol Hugh-Jones and Cllr Ebel called on all councillors to consider how the council can do more to support our European ‘colleagues, partners, family and friends.’

Councillor Siriol Hugh-Jones, who put forward the proposals to council, commented:

“It is estimated that a ‘no-deal’ Brexit could mean the loss of 3,950 jobs in Brighton and Hove alone. When I first saw this, I admit I found it remarkable that a UK Government would allow a ‘no deal’ Brexit to happen. After all, Brighton & Hove would be far from suffering alone.

“Sadly, the incoming Prime Minister appears to care little about people’s jobs and livelihoods or the impact of any loss of EU funding. Greens refuse to allow this critical issue to be neglected by our council.

“We have secured Labour backing for the council’s Chief Executive to write to the Minister to find out how the government intends to replace this funding. We have also requested that Government consider a freeze on business rates for local businesses to help them weather the loss of staff and potential downturn in the economy following a no-deal Brexit. I am disappointed that our Tory colleagues failed to support local business and instead chose to abstain. But perhaps this is the logical outcome of their new leader’s dismissive attitude towards the impact of Brexit on our economy.”

Councillor Ebel added:

“In addition to the impact that will be felt by our businesses and council in terms of funding and jobs, the prospect of Brexit is also causing a great deal of anxiety and distress for EU citizens living in Brighton and Hove. EU citizens are our friends, partners, family members, neighbours and colleagues. The Government’s expectation that people who have already been living and working here apply for ‘settled status,’ has not been matched with good support. Instead, they have created anxiety, fear and uncertainty. EU citizens who have lived and worked here for years should not have to fear deportation. Instead, we want to see the council do all it can to ease the pressure, provide support with applying for settled status – and demand that the Government rethink the entire, failed, ‘no deal’ Brexit process.”

Labour councillors voted in support of the Green proposals at a meeting of full council on 25 July. Tory councillors abstained.

–ENDS

Notes for Editors

[1] Green Group Notice of Motion: ‘Settled Status,’ https://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000117/M00009859/AI00075273/$Item3003GrnGrpSettledStatus.docA.ps.pdf

[2] Brighton and Hove City Council: ‘Brexit Scenario Testing,’ https://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000912/M00008108/AI00070640/$20181128101007_018128_0061459_Appendix1BHCCBrexitScenarioTestingPaperNov2018.docxA.ps.pdf

[3] https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-flies-into-no-deal-brexit-storm-as-war-cabinet-meets-to-step-up-preparations-for-uk-a4200301.html

[4] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/apr/24/beyond-belief-brexit-app-for-eu-nationals-wont-work-on-iphones

The post Greens condemn Brexit impact and lack of support for businesses, council and EU residents appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Speak out for anti-Brexit Brighton and Hove

Labour Party leadership: support a People’s Vote, Greens urge

The Labour Council must speak out against a damaging Brexit deal for the city and back a People’s Vote, Greens have said this week.

Council reports have revealed that Brighton and Hove faces a local funding and jobs crisis if the UK crashes out of the European Union.

Ahead of a series of critical votes on the UK’s future deal with the European Union in Parliament, Greens have called on the Labour Council to publicly lobby the Labour Party leadership for better support and protection for Brighton and Hove in the face of Brexit disruption.

An analysis of the impact of various Brexit ‘scenarios’ requested by the Green Group of Councillors has revealed that key sectors in the city’s economy such as tourism, hospitality and healthcare would be hit hard by the confusion over the status of EU migrants, workforce visas and border regulations. [1]

A ‘no-deal’ Brexit could also leave the city facing an EU funding ‘black hole’ of up to £1.7m. [2]

Greens say that while they have been pushing for impact assessments, advocating for Brighton and Hove to remain a key EU partner, and supporting residents petitioning for a People’s Vote, the Labour Council has let residents down by failing to speak out against a catastrophic Brexit deal. [3]

With Parliament voting tonight on the issue, Greens say the Labour Council must now clearly back the city in standing against Brexit, or urgently join calls for a People’s Vote.

Convenor of the Green Group of Councillors, Phélim Mac Cafferty, commented:

“Our city rejected Brexit. We call on Labour Councillors to join us to make clear that any deal from Theresa May will make life harder for residents who are already struggling the most. The Conservative government wasted two and a half years and their deal will almost certainly fall tonight.

“As a result a disastrous no-deal Brexit is a very real prospect but that’s why we’re calling on Labour Councillors to lobby the Labour Party leadership to get behind a People’s Vote.

“In the absence of a clear national position, Brighton and Hove’s local Labour-led Council has sadly let residents down over Brexit. It was Green Party Councillors who pushed for an assessment of the impact of leaving the European Union. That analysis makes for grim reading: grants to our EU funded council services uncertain, supply chains disrupted, staffing shortages in our local NHS and tourism industry. It has never been clearer: as a city we simply cannot afford Brexit.”

He added:

“250 local projects could stand to lose EU funding after Brexit and it’s clear we can’t simply stand by and adopt the Labour Council’s ‘wait and see’ approach. Locally, Greens pushed our Council to become the first to formally back calls for a People’s Vote. We have advocated for our city to remain a key partner in EU funding discussions. Greens are clear that we must remain a city of sanctuary for migrants – and argue strongly for freedom of movement.

“Between a deal that will mean hardship for our city and no deal that will mean catastrophe, we demand an end to this Brexit chaos. The Conservative Government has failed to lead in the national interests and our city deserves to have a say on what our future should look like. A People’s Vote is the only way forward.”    

—

[1] Following a call for better investigation of the effects of Brexit on the city by the Green Group of Councillors, council staff have now analysed the likely impact that a range of Brexit deal ‘scenarios’ could have on the city, including a ‘no deal’, ‘continued uncertainty’ and an ‘EEA style agreement.’

Detail on Scenario 1, ‘No Deal Brexit’ includes the following:
> Tourism: People 1st estimate that the sector will require 1.3m new staff by 2024 due to growth and high turnover rates. A “no deal” Brexit will cause confusion over rights or EU nationals in the UK and the ability of EU nationals to come to the UK to work

> Hotels and restaurants in the UK import approximately 50% of their foodstuff, the majority of which come from Europe. A No Deal would impact significantly on supply chains

> Skills: /Workforce: Increasing difficulty in recruiting well qualified talent, senior and skilled employees. Decline in language skills and diversity of available work force could impact upon key employers remaining in the City.

Universities: Loss of funding for research & Innovation including funding post Horizon 2020 Impact on the falling value of sterling on EU income.

http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000912/M00008108/AI00070640/$20181128101007_018128_0061459_Appendix1BHCCBrexitScenarioTestingPaperNov2018.docxA.ps.pdf

[2] The council has and does receive funding via EU programmes for various initiatives. Between 2012/13 and 2017/18 approximately £1.7m EU funding was received. Following EU withdrawal it is not clear whether or not access to these funds would continue or be replaced through UK government programmes and funding.

http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000912/M00008108/AI00070640/$20181128101006_018099_0061458_CommitteeReportTemplate210617newsavedformat.docxA.ps.pdf

[3] Brighton and Hove Green Party, Dec 2017. ‘Green success as local Council formally backs call for Brexit ‘final deal’ referendum.’
https://www.brightonhovegreens.org/news/2017/12/15/green-success-as-local-council-formally-backs-call-for-brexit-%E2%80%98final-deal%E2%80%99-referendum/

and

https://www.brightonhovegreens.org/news/2018/10/16/1399-residents-sign-peoples-vote-petition/

The post Speak out for anti-Brexit Brighton and Hove appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

The petition, started by Green Party Councillor Pete West, states:

“The government and parliament were given a mandate to negotiate a Brexit deal for Britain. However, they have no right to impose a final deal. The people must have the final say on whether or not to accept the proposals on the table.

“We, the undersigned people of Brighton & Hove, call on the Government to allow the people the chance to have our say on the final terms of the Brexit deal negotiated with the EU, including the possibility that no deal may have been reached.”

The petition is still open and is available to sign:
https://action.greenparty.org.uk/bhgp-eu-petition

The request of the petition will now be heard formally at a meeting of Full Council on 18th October, after the number of signatories received reached 1,399 – exceeding the threshold required to trigger a debate in the council chamber.

Nationwide support for a People’s Vote is estimated to have grown steadily since the EU referendum. Polling shows that more than 100 constituencies which previously backed leaving the EU would now vote to remain. A YouGov poll of trade unions GMB, Unite and Unison also found that a majority of union members are in favour of a People’s Vote. Brighton and Hove City Council became the first in England to formally endorse a call for a ‘People’s Vote’ after a proposal from the Green Group of Councillors.

At the next Full Council meeting (October 18th), Councillors will also vote on Green proposals demanding a thorough investigation into ‘the impact that Brexit will have on Brighton and Hove and its council services.’ Green Councillors fear that the risks posed to the city and council services by leaving the European Union have to date not been adequately assessed. Recent reports have suggested that around 250 local projects could stand to lose EU funding after Brexit. 

Councillor Pete West commented:

“The reaction to this petition on the doorsteps of Brighton and Hove has been phenomenal. People are exasperated and demand a say on the Brexit deal. With less than six months to go until ‘exit date’, residents have no sense of what the future holds. They have been frozen out of the debate – and worse still, told bare-faced lies about issues as crucial as extra funding for our NHS. The Conservative Government and Labour Opposition are equally divided over what, if any, ‘plan’ will be in place and what it should say.

“Greens have been clear from the outset that a ‘People’s Vote’ on the final deal is needed – we have led the way. We will also join the thousands expected to march in support for a People’s Vote in London on 20th October. Putting the deal – or no deal – to the people is the only way to reconcile the divisions of opinion between Parliament and the nation and prepare us for whatever future we face together.”   

Councillor Ollie Sykes, Green Group Finance Lead, added:

“The gap between national politicians’ words and reality has never seemed greater than during this damaging Brexit paralysis. The logical, moral and democratic way out of this Conservative-created morass is to hold a People’s Vote. We were the first Council in the country to call for this almost a year ago and demands for a People’s Vote are now coming from all sides.

“Of course we still don’t know what’s going to happen and Greens are very concerned about the immediate and longer term impact of any form of Brexit on the country, and on our city. We think there’s more we could do to prepare the city and the council itself for the worst scenarios. Other coastal towns have seen local acceptance of the Euro currency and we think this idea could be assessed by businesses and also by our council to see if it makes financial sense.”

—

The ‘People’s Vote March for the Future,’ will take place on 20th October in central London. https://www.peoples-vote.uk/march

Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty also tabled a question on the subject of Brexit to a meeting of Policy, Resources and Growth Committee, 11th October:

“[…] Will the Chair of the Committee urgently write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union asking them to share with the City Council the assessments their departments have written about how the city and the region’s economy will be affected by Brexit; what assurances their departments will give to residents that everything is being done by their departments and the government to mitigate risks to jobs and livelihoods; and that in the absence of such mitigation that they will aid and compensate city residents whose income is lost through Brexit.”

Chair of the Committee, Cllr Dan Yates, agreed to the request.

The post Renewed push for a say on Brexit deal as 1,399 residents sign People’s Vote petition coming to Council appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Just this week further details of the Brexit mess have been unveiled:

• The National Audit Office has slammed government departments for their inadequate planning for Brexit, warning that they have put at risk billions of pounds in exports and damage to key industries.
• According to the Open University 3 in 5 firms say that the UK’s skill shortage worsened in the last year; more than half of businesses expect the situation to deteriorate.
• The Governor of the Bank of England has warned that a no-deal Brexit could be as bad as the 2008 financial crash.

As a Councillor here in Brighton and Hove I am especially concerned how Brexit will hit our community and I have every right to be anxious. The Local Government Association calculates that local communities face an £8.4bn funding gap from the point the UK exits the EU. Councils around the country are already beginning to fail due to cuts from the Conservative Government. Over the summer we learned that Somerset Council is likely to join Northamptonshire County Council in going bankrupt. Another 15 may join them in the next 12 months.

Councils need a further £8bn by 2025 just to stand still, never mind pay for the rising cost of adult social care. We can not withstand a Brexit double whammy too. We have repeatedly raised concerns about the impact on local councils. With such Brexit uncertainty who can plan for the future of local services, never mind make wise decisions?

Last year the EU invested £17m to support 600 farmers around Brighton; it has invested over £100m to support research projects and £1m to create jobs. Our city and this country still has had absolutely no clarity about where any of the EU funds will come from in the future.

This was the biggest decision in a lifetime and so much of it was built on lies, half truths, conjecture and so little of it on accountability, the truth, democracy. On a self-interested gamble from the Bullingdon Club we have redirected the entire fate of the nation. While a key ‘Leave’ argument focused on how the UK public could ‘take back control’, on core issues like human rights, or our trading relationship with the world post-Brexit, the public are being frozen out of the debate. While the lies are now coming out daily in the wash, have we had anything other than the hubris of government ministers about the lies and corruption at work?

Twenty years on from when fences and borders were being pulled down by communities in Northern Ireland on their brave steps towards peace, it is a disgrace that the European Research Group and their far right friends are leading the charge on ending this legacy. There are hundreds of jobs in Northern Ireland- and so much of its infrastructure- that relies on EU funding. Over the summer I talked to dozens of people in Northern Ireland about how they feel- many sadly are now openly talking about the return to war. We should be very clear: that if there is war in Northern Ireland there will be war here too. So we must do everything we can to revive the Northern Irish peace process and give functioning, thriving democratic institutions back to the people.

A Pandora’s box of resentment and suspicion has been opened up by the fanciful claims that ‘we’ could somehow get ‘our’ country back through a Brexit vote. The xenophobic genie is out of the bottle – but what do you expect against a backdrop of 8 years of Tory cuts, of nasty scapegoating. We must be clear: we will oppose the growth of the far-right and will not allow the current climate of fear to go unchallenged. That’s because not just Brighton and Hove- but this country- is better than this.

It is time to drag Brexit back to the drawing board so that councils like Brighton and Hove and the people we serve have our say and stand a chance in the future. Last year Brighton and Hove City Council became the first English Council to back a ‘People’s Vote’ when Green Councillors brought a proposal forward. It has now been joined by dozens of other councils. We have already asked the Government to reveal the truth about the impact that leaving the EU will have on the city. But I won’t be holding my breath for a response.

The times are uncertain but we must be focused and vocal as our city and our country stands to be drastically affected. There is a way out of the dreadful mess. Defiance is the only reasonable response in the face of such political incompetence. Repeatedly polls are showing a slim majority support for a second vote on Brexit. Now the shambolic ‘deal’ is coming to light, people deserve a genuine say over the future of the country through a people’s vote. We can still stop Brexit. We can still repair our relationship with Europe. But we can’t stop there, we have to fundamentally change how the European Union works so it works for the very communities who have felt so alienated by it and our precious environment.

The post Councils mired by cuts cannot bear a Brexit double whammy appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

—

Who said: “In a 52-48 Referendum this would be unfinished business by a long way,”?

The answer – Nigel Farage.

Farage has now said “maybe – just maybe – I’m reaching the point of thinking that we should have a second referendum on EU membership.”

It’s ironic that just as the ex-UKIP Leader concedes that the British people may deserve to be consulted on their future, the Leader of the official opposition who campaigned (albeit half-heartedly) for the UK to remain in the EU, has set his face squarely against both such a Ratification Referendum and against an amendment supported by the other Opposition Party leaders (e.g the Greens’ own Caroline Lucas MP) to ensure Parliament would have to be consulted before the UK could leave the Single Market or Customs Union.

What this means in effect is that the core of the Labour leadership is refusing to oppose the will of the Tory Brexiteers.

Meanwhile, some of his Labour Party colleagues are highlighting the dangers of Brexit. The Mayor of London, on discovering that the Tory Government has no idea how damaging Brexit would be, commissioned a report showing the billions of pounds that it would cost the British economy.

This report echoes that of Green Party MEP for London, Jean Lambert, which shows the amount London would lose through Brexit.

It’s not only in Parliament or in London that Labour are split on their approach to Brexit. Just before Christmas, Brighton and Hove’s Green Group of Councillors secured a hugely significant victory for democracy, pushing our Council to become the first in the country to formally request a Ratification Referendum. (You can read the terms of what was agreed below).

Unsurprisingly, as with all things Brexit, the vote itself was met with confusion and division. Despite an overwhelming majority of Brighton and Hove’s electorate voting to ‘remain’ in the European Union back in June 2016, their local Labour and Conservative representatives still struggle to take on the responsibility of presenting any serious scrutiny or opposition to the Conservative Government’s Brexit farce. Our proposals, called ‘Brighton and Hove and Brexit’ passed 26-25. All the Greens and the Independent voted for; all the Tories voted against; Labour voted 16-5 in favour.

Somewhat bafflingly, one of the Labour Group in the vote ‘leave’ camp called the idea of a referendum on the terms of any Brexit deal negotiated by the Conservative Government ‘anti-democratic.’ He argued during the meeting that those opting to Remain were ‘ruled by fear.’ As I said at the time:

Whilst I agree that we shouldn’t we ruled by fear, fear can also be an intelligent response. That’s why most people don’t run into burning buildings. More and more, as time goes by, we come up against the fact that the vote of 37% of the eligible electorate at last summer’s EU ballot is being taken as Holy Writ by the Conservative Party and, to a very slightly lesser extent, the Labour Party.

The statistics on how damaging our current perilous position is are becoming ever firmer, and, somewhere in the bowels of Whitehall there may exist ‘Impact Assessment Studies’ which show how much worse it would get were we ever to be foolhardy enough to press the ejector-seat button and fire ourselves out of Europe, without so much as a parachute. Or maybe they don’t exist. Or maybe, they do and David Davis is just calling them something different this week. Perhaps, like Humpty Dumpty in Alice Through the Looking Glass: ‘When he uses a word, it means just what he chooses it to mean — neither more nor less’. Who knows? What is certain is that either the Government knows how bad Brexit would be and won’t tell us, or they haven’t even bothered to find out just how much damage it would do. Either way, it makes the work of those of us struggling to cope in the world of Local Government, along with everyone else in the country, increasingly difficult.

Clearly, on this issue, neither of the current major political Parties in this country can be trusted with deciding what is in the Nation’s best interests. So, once whichever of them is in charge by March 2019 has cobbled together whatever sort of ‘deal or no deal’ they can; the decision on whether to press that button must lie with the British People.

A ratification referendum is essential once the present lack of clarity and downright obfuscation is over and we know the full impact Brexit would have on Brighton and Hove and the country as a whole.

Even if we, as a Nation, are torn out of the EU; we as a city have made it abundantly clear that we wish to remain part of the European project. We need clarity of our position within the sorority of European cities (known as the Eurocities network) so, we are also asking that our Chief Executive makes this clear to our sister cities in mainland Europe.

Regardless of whether you think Brexit would be good, bad, or indifferent, we all need to recognise that it should only happen if the form it takes reflects the will of the British People.

Democracy doesn’t stop with a vote, it starts with one. Regardless of party position we should be voting to allow the people of this city and this country to determine their own future. Let’s give back control. Let’s let the people decide.

Leo Littman is a Green Party Councillor for Preston Park ward in Brighton and Hove
@prestonparkgrns 

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Brighton and Hove City Council adopted the following proposals (Notice of Motion) put forward by the Green Group of Councillors::

This Council notes the mounting evidence of damage that ‘Brexit’ would cause to the national economy and trans-European relationships, and the mismanagement of Brexit by the Government.

Council also notes with concern the potential impact of Brexit both on our local economy and on established mutually beneficial partnerships and links with European cities such the Eurocities network.

The Council requests:

• That the Chief Executive write to the President of the Eurocities Network, Mayor of Ghent Daniel Termont, expressing our desire to continue working with sister cities at this time of uncertainty for the UK, and exploring the status of Brighton and Hove’s membership of Eurocities following any ‘Brexit’;
• That the Chief Executive writes to Sajid David, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, expressing this Council’s and this city’s strong desire for a referendum on the final terms of a Brexit deal, including the option to maintain full EU membership;
• That the Chief Executive writes to Hilary Benn MP, chair of the Brexit Select Committee, requesting that he share the full Brexit Impact Assessment Studies with particular relevance to the economy of our city.

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