Council Sets Out Brexit Plans
'Raising aspirations and supporting diversity' at heart of council’s Brexit plans
A bipartisan motion setting out Wandsworth’s response to the EU referendum result received unanimous support at the full meeting of the council (20 July).
The proposal, put forward by council leader Ravi Govindia and leader of the opposition Simon Hogg, includes commitments to work with the Government and Mayor of London to secure the best possible deal from on-going negotiations with the EU.
Councillors also pledged to ensure Wandsworth residents and workers continue to enjoy a “respectful, inclusive and cosmopolitan quality of life” and to “condemn racist language and behaviour in all its forms.”
The motion’s early priorities include intensifying the council’s Aspirations Programme, with “a particular emphasis on ensuring future jobs and homes for local young people”.
The full Brexit motion reads:
COUNCIL MEETING –20TH JULY 2016
(a) Following the outcome of the referendum held on 23rd June 2016 on Great Britain’s membership of the European Union, this Council:-
(i) acknowledges the importance of the referendum outcome to London’s future as a global city and Wandsworth as one of its most dynamic boroughs;
(ii) recognises that although the country as a whole voted to leave the European Union, the preference in Wandsworth was to remain by amongst the highest margins in the country;
(iii) commits to supporting the Government in its efforts to ensure the best possible outcome for the country in its negotiations following the referendum, and the role of democratically elected local authorities within the country’s governance.
(b) The Council’s early priorities will be to:-
(i) ensure that all voices and points of view are listened to, and in particular that all Wandsworth residents and employees continue to enjoy the respectful, inclusive and cosmopolitan quality of life which makes this such an attractive part of inner London;
(ii) redouble our efforts in inward investment, house building and job creation so that Wandsworth continues to attract development that is financed elsewhere in Europe and across the world;
work with the Mayor of London and the City Hall team to ensure the continued devolution of powers from Whitehall to London and its boroughs, especially in the plans to enable business rates that are collected in London to be retained in the capital;
(iv) review and intensify the Council’s existing and successful aspirations programme, with a particular emphasis on ensuring future jobs and homes for local young people;
(v) strive to be an exemplar of the country’s future success – diverse, tolerant, low Council tax, enterprising, socially liberal – and open to the world for business; and
(vi) condemn racist language and behaviour in all its forms.
July 25, 2016