Building on a motion on 'London, Brexit and the Free Trade Agreement' passed by Lewisham Deptford CLP in January 2023 for London Regional Conference 2023, Lewisham Deptford CLP would like to put forward the following:
Noting:
1. The Port of London is the UK's largest port in competition with Rotterdam and Antwerp;
2. Horizon Europe funded €1.3bn to London research;
3. London is the world's premiere University city; its pre-eminence jeopardised by exclusion from Erasmus+ & Horizon Europe;
4. Many thousands of financial services jobs have moved from the City to the EU;
5. The Tory 'Hard Brexit' has led to reduced foreign inward investment, a worsening balance of trade, reduced employment, a labour shortage in many industries, particularly agriculture, hospitality and the NHS, and sterling has lost value against both the Dollar and the Euro;
6. Current labour shortages are compounded by xenophobia and the Tories' morally disgraceful "hostile environment"; and
7. There are over 1.1m EU citizen's living in London, many of whom will have come to be restricted by the measures of the hostile environment,
Lewisham Deptford CLP believes:
1. That in order to reverse the damage done by Brexit, we must advocate re-joining the European Single Market and Customs Union; and
2. That restoring free movement between the UK and EU would be a benefit, socially and economically, not a cost.
We call on the Party to:
1. Call for a new relationship with the EU involving the adoption of the single market and customs union;
2. Campaign in opposition and in Government to rejoin Horizon Europe and Erasmus+; and
3. Repeal the cruel 'hostile environment'.
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