To call for a People’s Vote on the terms of a Brexit Deal

London4Europe Committee Member Michael Romberg writes: 

** This blog post was updated on 9 May 2019 to reflect the latest position (RBKC rejected a motion) **

Successful Campaigns

In February 2018, Hero Borough of the Remain movement Hammersmith and Fulham Council was the first to call for the people to be given a vote on whether Brexit should go ahead or we should Remain in the EU. On 6 September 2018 the London Assembly passed a resolution calling on the Mayor to back a People's Vote. Soon after, on 16 September 2018 in the Observer, Mayor Sadiq Khan came out for a public vote with the option to Remain. 

So the Roll of honour for local authorities that have come out for a People's Vote now reads: Hammersmith & Fulham, LB Ealing (position re-affirmed by the leader after the local elections), London Assembly, LB Richmond upon Thames, LB Merton, Mayor of London, LB Tower Hamlets, LB Lewisham, LB Lambeth,  LB Waltham Forest, LB Hounslow, RB Greenwich, LB Camden, RB Kingston-upon-Thames, LB Redbridge, LB Brent

In addition, LB Haringey, LB Southwark, LB Islington and LB Hackney have called for a general election; if no general election is available all options should be on the table, including a public vote. 

If you sign up for updates on the London4Europe home page we will keep you informed of progress through newsletters. You can read the latest newsletter here, which has more detailed information on live campaigns and more links to documents.

Live campaigns

The following Boroughs have not yet backed the People's Vote. So if you live in these Boroughs, you can make a real difference (all voted Remain in 2016 except where stated) by writing to your councillors and the leaders of the party groups: 

• Conservative controlled: Hillingdon (voted Leave in 2016, opinion polls* now Remain)
• Labour controlled: Barking & Dagenham (voted Leave 2016; opinion polls* probably now Remain), Croydon, Enfield,  Harrow, Newham
• Liberal Democrat controlled:  Sutton (voted Leave 2016; opinion polls* now Remain; Liberal Democrat council group has come out in favour but no Council resolution)

However, there is no point in writing to Barnet, Bromley, City of London, Kensington & Chelsea, Wandsworth or City of Westminster (Councils rejected a motion); or Bexley or Havering (voted Leave in 2016, probably still Leave*).

* Assessment of present status is based on Survation's borough level analysis of polling, November 2018 and more background here

Check whether there will be a Council meeting coming up  soon (either Google the name of the council and "council meetings calendar" or look at the latest L4E newsletter on this campaign). 

Now that Labour has come out nationally in favour of a public vote then those Labour authorities that have not called for a People's Vote because of stresses within the Labour group may find it easier to pass such a resolution. 

Steps you can take

Five easy actions that you can take are:

1. write to your ward councillors, the leader of the council (in Newham: directly elected Mayor) and the leaders of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green groups 
2. write to your local newspaper - an under-utilised resource 
3. ask your friends and neighbours to follow steps 1 & 2
4. if your MP is supportive of a People's Vote, write and ask them to encourage the Council to come out in favour (London4Europe have written to selected MPs, but it is only constituents' letters that are taken seriously). You can find out more about your MP's stance here. 
5. tell us what you are doing and progress, e.g. commitments to table motions - E-mail: [email protected]

A draft letter is below. The more you can personalise it to reflect your own views and circumstances the better. If you know your councillor’s stance on Brexit or a People’s Vote on the terms you can tailor the letter to that. You may also wish to reflect whether your Borough voted Remain or Leave and if Leave whether the position has since changed. 

You should be able to find your councillors by entering your postcode here. Otherwise you can find councillors and the leader/ mayor by googling your council’s name and “Councillors”.  

You can then take your campaign to a higher level in your Borough with these steps:

• get involved with your local EM branch
• contact other Remain groups in the borough and ask them to mobilise their members
• meet your councillors, the leader of the council/ directly elected mayor (Hackney & Newham) and the leaders of the Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat groups
• ask a public question at a Council meeting - they will have a guide on their democracy pages
• launch a formal petition to the Council - they will have a guide on their democracy pages
• street campaigning with your EM local branch or other Remain organisation

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MODEL LETTER FOR YOU TO ADAPT

Dear Councillor

One of the key issues for voters in London is Brexit.

I ask therefore that you work with the other councillors to ensure that the Council passes a resolution calling on the Government and national politicians to arrange for a People’s Vote on the terms of Brexit with the option to Remain.

You will be aware of the campaign for it launched by a cross-party group of MPs and supported by a range of bodies that call for the UK to maintain a close relationship with the EU. More information is at www.peoples-vote.uk.

You will also be aware that LB Hammersmith and Fulham in February 2018 passed a resolution that effect.  The London Assembly passed a resolution on 6 September 2018 and Mayor Sadiq Khan came out for a public vote on Brexit in September 2018. By now fourteen London borough councils have come out in favour of a People's Vote - half of all the boroughs that voted Remain.

The case for a people’s vote is simple. Everyone reviews their intentions in the light of new information. Since 2016 we have all learned a great deal, becoming unexpectedly expert on the Customs Union and the Single Market. We have seen the promises of Brexiters evaporate and the Government struggle to put together a plan.

Central to the case for a people’s vote is that the Government has now produced a plan provisionally agreed with the EU. That plan covers Transition, the Withdrawal Agreement and the Framework for Future Relations. For the first time we stand to know what Brexit means. That plan has however been rejected by Parliament.

The same people who in 2016 voted for Brexit-the-idea should be given the chance to decide whether they like Brexit-the-plan. That would be the next question in the series. And of course the option always exists not to go with the plan, to Remain in the EU.

[FOR LABOUR COUNCILLORS: A general election cannot resolve Brexit. It answers a different question (who should form the government?). Parties are split internally on Brexit. What began with a referendum can only be confirmed or stopped by a referendum. In January an attempt to call a general election was defeated in Parliament.]

[IF THERE IS A COUNCIL MEETING COMING UP SOON: Therefore I ask that as my Councillor you work to ensure that the Council passes a resolution that calls on the Government and all national politicians to support a People’s Vote (a referendum) on the terms of Brexit with the option to Remain giving the electorate the Final Say on whether to go ahead with Brexit or stay in the EU. That People's Vote should take place whether Parliament accepts or rejects the Government's plans and without any precondition (such as calling for a general election first).]

[IF THERE IS NO COUNCIL MEETING COMING UP SOON: I therefore ask that as my Councillor you call on the Leader of the Council and Cabinet to issue a formal public statement that calls on all national politicians to support a People's Vote (a referendum) on Brexit with the option to Remain, giving the electorate the Final Say on whether to go ahead with Brexit or to stay in the EU. That statement should be subject to approval at the next Council meeting.]

Yours sincerely

{Give your name and street address so that they know you live in the Borough/ Ward}

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