Agenda item

8.1

It was moved by Councillor John Booker, and seconded by Councillor Jack Clarkson, that this Council:-

(a)       (i) believes joining the European Union was the biggest political blunder in Great Britain's history, and that, had we not joined, Britain would be more democratic, significantly richer and happier and (ii) further believes that never in living memory have the citizens in the United Kingdom been so at odds with their elected representatives;

(b)       notes that (i) the Conservative Party contested the 2015 General Election on the explicit promise of a binding referendum on membership of the EU, (ii) on 7th September 2015, a bill setting out its terms and format passed by 316 votes to 53 votes, a huge 85.6% mandate, (iii) in the “people's vote” that followed on 23rd June 2016, despite "Project Fear" and incessant media and government propaganda, a decisive 7.9% (1.3m) more people voted to leave than remain, (iv) on 8th February 2017, Parliament passed the Article 50 Bill, explicitly setting the 29th of March 2019 as the exit date, by 494 votes to 122 votes, a massive 80.2% vote to leave the EU, and on that date, and (v) the 29th of March 2019 will be 1,009 days after the Referendum, and believes that another delay after this date accomplishes nothing but damage to the UK;

(c)        contends that once the momentous decision was taken to proceed with a Referendum on continued membership of the EU, and after the result to leave was officially declared, the duty of all elected representatives should have been to work in a professional and diligent way, free of discrimination, to carry out the democratic will of the people, working for a positive future and leaving self-interest and personal ambition behind;

(d)       believes that the behaviour of the majority of MPs in the House of Commons over a considerable number of months has been disgraceful, and that, despite both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party stating in their General Election Manifestos that they would take the United Kingdom out of the EU, they now appear to be captivated by the EU; and

(e)       (i) notes that, should the United Kingdom Independence Party’s position on the EU be adopted, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland can look forward to the day when it becomes a sovereign nation once again; where all citizens can unite as one, working for a better society, free from discrimination on the grounds of their race, religion, ethnic origin, education, beliefs, sexual orientation, class, social status, sectarianism or any other basis prescribed by law and (ii) believes this would be in the interests of promoting liberty, democracy and respect for human rights and the essential, traditional freedoms of the people of the United Kingdom and those under the protection of the United Kingdom.

8.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Ben Miskell, seconded by Councillor Chris Peace, 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 the wishes of the people must be respected and the underlying reasons as to why so many people feel disenfranchised should be addressed;

(b)       notes the disillusionment that people on both sides of the referendum vote are feeling towards the current government and that only the Labour Party remains committed to bringing together both those who voted leave and those who voted remain;

(c)        believes that a hard Brexit would be a disaster for the majority of those who voted for change and would instead exacerbate economic problems, with the only real winner being a wealthy few and not the many, and that every effort must be made to avoid this outcome;

(d)       notes that, as soon as Article 50 was triggered, the Labour position has been clear that they will not give the Government a blank cheque to drive through a destructive Brexit deal, and is why Labour set out its six tests at the start of the Article 50 process;

(e)       believes that a hard Brexit, as championed by UKIP and many Conservatives, could mean a future of inequitable trade deals and American-style deregulation, undermining our rights, freedoms and prosperity;

(f)        supports the Labour Party in remaining resolute in opposition to this form of Brexit and the threat of no deal, and notes that, because of Labour’s opposition, there is no majority in Parliament for crashing out of the EU without a deal;

(g)       believes that the Prime Minister is refusing to show any real leadership, and is instead stubbornly persisting with a damaging approach which is focused more on appeasing factions of her party than finding a sensible solution that works for the whole country;

(h)       supports the following position put forward by the Labour Party, setting out credible approaches to prevent no deal or the damaging withdrawal agreement as it presently stands:-

(i)         a close economic relationship based around a permanent Customs Union, close alignment to the Single Market and robust protections for rights, and notes that a similar option came within 4 votes of a consensus in Parliament earlier this week; and

(ii)        in the event of no parliamentary majority on any further meaningful votes, the Prime Minister should accept her Government’s failings, step aside and call a General Election, and if the Prime Minister stubbornly continues to try and govern, then any damaging deal should be put to a confirmatory vote, in accordance with the commitment made at the Labour Party Conference;

(i)         notes that since the referendum, due to prolonged uncertainty caused by the disastrous handling of Brexit by the Government, this has badly damaged our economy and that Brexit has already cost the UK economy £40 billion a year, or £800 million per week, according to Bank of England economist Gertjan Vlieghe;

(j)         believes that since the 2016 referendum result, the UKIP Party has moved further and further to the right, and now hold abhorrent views which are completely at odds with those who had previously voted for the Party in such significant numbers; and

(k)        believes that this Council should take no lessons from UKIP councillors about discrimination, given that their Party’s advisor is the right-winger Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, or Tommy Robinson as he likes to be known, a man who is regarded by many as someone who actively encourages discrimination and hatred.

8.3

It was then moved by Councillor Joe Otten, seconded by Councillor Andrew Sangar, 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)       notes that various businesses and organisations have closed or are in the process of closing operations in the UK, resulting in job losses across the country and knock on economic impact; a no-deal scenario could leave the UK economy 6.3% to 9% smaller after 15 years, compared to what it would have been, and believes this will be disastrous for business and the people of Sheffield;

(b)       believes there is no deal that could be negotiated that could be more beneficial than continued membership of the EU, and that leaving the EU would therefore be damaging to the UK's fundamental national interests and the interests of Sheffield and South Yorkshire;

(c)        notes that Sheffield and South Yorkshire has received multiple grants and huge amounts of funding from the EU that has contributed to prosperity and the growing economy of the local area;

(d)       notes that over 50,000 people in Sheffield have signed the petition to revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU;

(e)       further notes that over 6 million people in total have signed the petition to revoke Article 50 and this is the largest and fastest growing petition in history;

(f)        notes that many Sheffield residents attended the million strong march for a People’s Vote on 23rd March 2019;

(g)       notes that 49% of people in Sheffield voted to remain in the EU in 2016, one of the closest results in the country;

(h)       believes that, if there was a People’s Vote now, the people of Sheffield would vote to remain in the EU, and notes that a poll revealed that 54% of Sheffield voters would now vote to stay in the EU;

(i)         notes that the Liberal Democrats campaigned to stay in the EU during the 2016 referendum and have led the campaign for a People’s Vote with the option to stay in the EU;

(j)         is dismayed that the main opposition party has no opinion and no voice on Brexit, with a leader who continues to ignore the majority view of his party to pursue his own pro-Brexit agenda;

(k)        notes that the parliamentary motion from 1st April 2019, if passed, would have triggered a People’s Vote and specifically, for the public to confirm the deal struck by MPs or remain in the EU, only lost by 12 votes;

(l)         agrees with the Rt. Hon. Sir Vince Cable MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, that “A fourth meaningful vote without a referendum attached will be a meaningless and fruitless exercise.”;

(m)      calls on the Government to create an emergency Brexit Support Fund of at least £7.5 billion to mitigate job losses caused by Brexit uncertainty, a No Deal Brexit or the Prime Minister’s deal, with the fund being ring-fenced to support UK workers made redundant as a result of businesses leaving the UK, closing down or downsizing as a result of the impact of Brexit, and to offer workers the chance to receive advice or re-training to help them secure employment or start a new business; and

(n)       calls on the Prime Minister to hold a People’s Vote with an option to remain in the EU and with the Liberal Democrats campaigning for Britain to remain a full and active member of the EU.

8.4

After contributions from three other Members, and following a right of reply from Councillor John Booker, the amendment moved by Councillor Ben Miskell was put to the vote and was carried.

8.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Joe Otten was then put to the vote and was negatived.

8.6

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 the wishes of the people must be respected and the underlying reasons as to why so many people feel disenfranchised should be addressed;

(b)       notes the disillusionment that people on both sides of the referendum vote are feeling towards the current government and that only the Labour Party remains committed to bringing together both those who voted leave and those who voted remain;

(c)        believes that a hard Brexit would be a disaster for the majority of those who voted for change and would instead exacerbate economic problems, with the only real winner being a wealthy few and not the many, and that every effort must be made to avoid this outcome;

(d)       notes that, as soon as Article 50 was triggered, the Labour position has been clear that they will not give the Government a blank cheque to drive through a destructive Brexit deal, and is why Labour set out its six tests at the start of the Article 50 process;

(e)       believes that a hard Brexit, as championed by UKIP and many Conservatives, could mean a future of inequitable trade deals and American-style deregulation, undermining our rights, freedoms and prosperity;

(f)        supports the Labour Party in remaining resolute in opposition to this form of Brexit and the threat of no deal, and notes that, because of Labour’s opposition, there is no majority in Parliament for crashing out of the EU without a deal;

(g)       believes that the Prime Minister is refusing to show any real leadership, and is instead stubbornly persisting with a damaging approach which is focused more on appeasing factions of her party than finding a sensible solution that works for the whole country;

(h)       supports the following position put forward by the Labour Party, setting out credible approaches to prevent no deal or the damaging withdrawal agreement as it presently stands:-

(i)         a close economic relationship based around a permanent Customs Union, close alignment to the Single Market and robust protections for rights, and notes that a similar option came within 4 votes of a consensus in Parliament earlier this week; and

(ii)        in the event of no parliamentary majority on any further meaningful votes, the Prime Minister should accept her Government’s failings, step aside and call a General Election, and if the Prime Minister stubbornly continues to try and govern, then any damaging deal should be put to a confirmatory vote, in accordance with the commitment made at the Labour Party Conference;

(i)         notes that since the referendum, due to prolonged uncertainty caused by the disastrous handling of Brexit by the Government, this has badly damaged our economy and that Brexit has already cost the UK economy £40 billion a year, or £800 million per week, according to Bank of England economist Gertjan Vlieghe;

(j)         believes that since the 2016 referendum result, the UKIP Party has moved further and further to the right, and now hold abhorrent views which are completely at odds with those who had previously voted for the Party in such significant numbers; and

(k)        believes that this Council should take no lessons from UKIP councillors about discrimination, given that their Party’s advisor is the right-winger Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, or Tommy Robinson as he likes to be known, a man who is regarded by many as someone who actively encourages discrimination and hatred.

8.6.1

(NOTE: 1. Councillors Bob Pullin, Richard Shaw, Adam Hanrahan, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Roger Davison, Paul Scriven, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Gail Smith, David Baker, Penny Baker, Vickie Priestley and Mike Levery voted for paragraphs (a), (c), (e), (g) and (i) to (k), and against paragraphs (b), (d), (f) and (h) of the Substantive Motion, and asked for this to be recorded.)