Agenda item

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Joe Otten

That this Council:-

 

(a)       believes that it is important to Sheffield for Britain to stay in the European Union;

 

(b)       believes that only as a full member of a reformed European Union can we be certain Britain’s businesses will have access to markets in Europe and beyond;

 

(c)        believes that remaining part of the European Union is vital to the long term security of Sheffield businesses and to building a stronger local economy;

 

(d)       therefore calls upon Sheffield businesses and public sector organisations to highlight the importance of remaining within the European Union in the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum; and

 

(e)       urges all Councillors to sign up to the cross-party organisation British Influence and join the Yes to Europe campaign.

Minutes:

 

European Union

 

 

 

It was moved by Councillor Joe Otten, seconded by Councillor Cliff Woodcraft, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)        believes that it is important to Sheffield for Britain to stay in the European Union;

 

(b)        believes that only as a full member of a reformed European Union can we be certain Britain’s businesses will have access to markets in Europe and beyond;

 

(c)         believes that remaining part of the European Union is vital to the long term security of Sheffield businesses and to building a stronger local economy;

 

(d)        therefore calls upon Sheffield businesses and public sector organisations to highlight the importance of remaining within the European Union in the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum; and

 

(e)        urges all Councillors to sign up to the cross-party organisation British Influence and join the Yes to Europe campaign.

 

 

 

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall, seconded by Councillor Bryan Lodge, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of a new paragraph (f) as follows:-

 

 

 

(f)         also supports the principle of political parties developing their own distinctive ‘Yes Campaigns’, as already outlined by the Labour Party.

 

 

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

 

 

 

It was then moved by Councillor John Booker, seconded by Councillor Jack Clarkson, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the addition of the following words:-

 

 

 

(a)        believes that Sheffield and Great Britain have survived and prospered very well before we joined the EU and will survive and prosper to a greater degree after we leave;

 

(b)        notes that there are over sixty countries who are not members of the European Union that have access to markets in the EU, which include the USA, China and Russia, and believes that the EU is a shrinking market, and in years to come it will represent five percent of world trade, and that to tie our country to this union is incompetent and shortsighted;

 

(c)         believes that the long term future and security of Sheffield and Great Britain depends on us leaving the EU, and taking back our seat at the World Trade Organisation, and notes that we are a global trading nation, a G7 Country, the world's fifth largest economy, the fourth largest exporter of goods worldwide, the seventh largest manufacturing nation, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a founder member of the World Bank and one of the major players in NATO, and further believes that this country has a lot to be proud of, and that the European Union is not vital to Great Britain;

 

(d)        notes that before Britain joined the EU we made our own trade deals and traded freely across the globe, and that we surrendered our trade negotiating rights when we signed up to what was then the EEC, and believes the rest is a sad history - the disastrous Common Fisheries Policy, that now means we have to import two thirds of the fish we consume; the Common Agricultural Policy, which imposes excessive regulations on our farmers; and the Climate Change Act, dubbed the most expensive piece of legislation in British history, which costs £18 billion a year, is anti-productive and is pushing this country into an energy crisis; and

 

(e)        urges all Councillors to put their faith in Great Britain, reject the "Napoleonic Blueprint" that is the EU, and reject its aim to have one flag, totalitarian control of its member states, and believes that the EU wants our sovereignty, our democracy, our currency, and with that, our economy, and suggests that the country should break free from the bureaucratic nightmare that is Brussels.

 

 

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

 

 

 

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       believes that it is important to Sheffield for Britain to stay in the European Union;

 

(b)       believes that only as a full member of a reformed European Union can we be certain Britain’s businesses will have access to markets in Europe and beyond;

 

(c)        believes that remaining part of the European Union is vital to the long term security of Sheffield businesses and to building a stronger local economy;

 

(d)       therefore calls upon Sheffield businesses and public sector organisations to highlight the importance of remaining within the European Union in the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum;

 

(e)       urges all Councillors to sign up to the cross-party organisation British Influence and join the Yes to Europe campaign; and

 

 

 

(f)        also supports the principle of political parties developing their own distinctive ‘Yes Campaigns’, as already outlined by the Labour Party.

 

 

 

(Note 1: Councillors Richard Shaw, Rob Frost, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, David Baker, Katie Condliffe and Vickie Priestley voted for paragraphs (a) to (e) and against paragraph (f) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.

 

2. Councillors Aodan Marken, Brian Webster, Robert Murphy and Sarah Jane Smalley voted for paragraphs (a) to (d) and (f) and abstained on paragraph (e) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)