Core cities warn on Brexit risks

18 Mar 16
The leaders and mayors of the UK’s ten biggest cities outside London have said they believe Britain should remain within the European Union.

Mayors and council leaders from the ten core cities, which include Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow and Liverpool, said Britain is better off in the EU in terms of trade, jobs, skills, investment and influence.

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“From Birmingham to Brno, Manchester to Marseille, Liverpool to Leipzig, the economic fortunes of our great cities and the millions of people who live in them are closely linked to the great cities of our continent,” they wrote in a statement released by the Core Cities Group.

“Economic security is one big reason to stay in, but our cities also benefit from membership of the EU in other, softer ways that boost our profile and help prepare us for challenges ahead.”

European funding helps create and protect thousands of jobs, as well as encouraging entrepreneurship, they argued.

Similarly, £70bn in EU funds go towards funding research and innovation across the EU’s universities, which amounts to a 15% funding boost for higher education institutions in the core city areas.

The letter also pointed out that the EU is Britain’s biggest trading partner, with almost half of all exports destined for the continent, giving cities access to 500 million customers.

To leave the union would leave Britain in a weak position when looking to renegotiate trade deals with the continent in the event of a Brexit, putting the public finances, which rely on a good balance of trade figures, at risk, the leaders stated.

Core Cities UK chair and Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese added that big issues are shared between the UK’s cities and those across Europe, and that leaving would threaten our ability to influence and persuade at a macro-level.

“The Core Cities UK leaders and mayors are clear: we are better off in,” he stated.

In addition to Leese, the full list of signatories to the statement are: John Clancy, leader of Birmingham City Council; George Ferguson mayor of Bristol; Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council; Joe Anderson, mayor of Liverpool; Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council; Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council; Julie Dore, leader of Sheffield City Council; Frank McAveety, leader of Glasgow City Council; and Phil Bale, leader of Cardiff City Council.

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