Agenda item
Notice of Motion by Councillor Yuill
“That this Council notes:
1. The mounting popular concern at the prospect of leaving the EU with either a bad deal or no deal at all.
2. That 61.1% of people in Aberdeen who voted in the EU referendum voted to remain in EU.
3. That in May 2018 the Bank of England estimated that households in the UK are already around £900 a year worse off because of lower growth due to Brexit.
4. The participation of hundreds of thousands of people in “Marches for a People’s Vote” across the UK this year.
5. That jobs are already moving from the UK to other parts of the EU.
6. The uncertainty caused for the 2.9 million EU citizens living in the UK and the 1.2 million UK nationals who live elsewhere in the EU.
7. The support for a “People’s Vote” - a referendum on the terms of any Brexit deal including an option to remain, by organisations including Prospect, TSSA, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, the BMA and the NUS.
8. That, in November 2018, the Scottish Parliament overwhelmingly backed the campaign for a People’s Vote.
That this Council therefore:
1. Supports the call for a People’s Vote on any final Brexit agreement, with that referendum to include an option to remain in the EU.
2. Instructs the Chief Executive to write to Aberdeen’s MPs, MSPs and MEPs, asking them to support a People’s Vote for the above reasons.”
Minutes:
The Council had before it the following notice of motion by Councillor Yuill:-
“That this Council notes:
1. The mounting popular concern at the prospect of leaving the EU with either a bad deal or no deal at all.
2. That 61.1% of people in Aberdeen who voted in the EU referendum voted to remain in the EU.
3. That in May 2018 the Bank of England estimated that households in the UK are already around £900 a year worse off because of lower growth due to Brexit.
4. The participation of hundreds of thousands of people in “Marches for a People’s Vote” across the UK this year.
5. That jobs are already moving from the UK to other parts of the EU.
6. The uncertainty caused for the 2.9 million EU citizens living in the UK and the 1.2 million UK nationals who live elsewhere in the EU.
7. The support for a “People’s Vote” - a referendum on the terms of any Brexit deal including an option to remain, by organisations including Prospect, TSSA, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, the BMA and the NUS.
8. That, in November 2018, the Scottish Parliament overwhelmingly backed the campaign for a People’s Vote.
That this Council therefore:
1. Supports the call for a People’s Vote on any final Brexit agreement, with that referendum to include an option to remain in the EU.
2. Instructs the Chief Executive to write to Aberdeen’s MPs, MSPs and MEPs, asking them to support a People’s Vote for the above reasons.”
Councillor Yuill moved, seconded by Councillor Delaney:-
That the Council approve the notice of motion.
Councillor Laing moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Malik:-
That the Council -
(1) note Aberdeen City Council supported remaining in the European Union on 11 May 2016;
(2) agree that Aberdeen is stronger now and will be stronger in the future economically, politically and socially as a partner within the European Union;
(3) agree that a no deal scenario would not be in the best interests of the people in Aberdeen, Scotland and the UK;
(4) instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister and all other Party Leaders at Westminster today, setting out the Council’s position as noted above, asking them to support an immediate general election as a means of resolving the House of Commons impasse on Brexit; and
(5) agree that, should the House of Commons fail to support the holding of a general election, the Council supports the call for a people’s vote on any final Brexit agreement with that referendum to include an option to remain in the European Union.
Councillor Flynn moved as a second amendment, seconded by Councillor Allard:-
That the Council approve the notice of motion, subject to the following:-
(1) insert after 2. -
That a report by the Centre for Cities and the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics states that Aberdeen will be more negatively affected as measured by change in Gross Value Added, making it the hardest hit city in the UK irrespective of whether the UK Government implements a ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ Brexit;
(2) insert after 6. -
That EU nationals will be expected to pay £65 to remain in the UK and have settled status, and that the UK Government will prevent the Scottish Government from paying this on behalf of public sector workers.
That roughly 10% of Aberdeen City Council’s workforce are from other EU countries and considers that any barriers to retaining residency in Scotland poses a risk to the Council.
And instruct the Director of Resources to report to the first appropriate meeting of the City Growth and Resources Committee with an impact assessment on the Council’s workforce in terms of the United Kingdom leaving the EU; and
(3) insert at the end -
Support calls for a vote of no confidence in the UK Government and instruct the Chief Executive to write to Aberdeen’s MPs accordingly.
Councillor Lumsden moved as a third amendment, seconded by Councillor Bell:-
That the Council take no action.
During the course of summing up, Councillor Yuill agreed to incorporate Councillor Flynn’s amendment and parts (1), (2) and (3) of Councillor Laing’s amendment into his notice of motion. Consequently, Councillor Flynn withdrew his amendment.
There being a motion and two amendments, the Council first divided between the motion and the amendment by Councillor Lumsden in terms of Standing Order 28.16.
On a division, there voted:-
For the motion (22) - Councillors Allard, Alphonse, Cameron, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Delaney, Jackie Dunbar, Flynn, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, Catriona Mackenzie, McLellan, McRae, Nicoll, Noble, Samarai, Sandy Stuart, Townson and Yuill.
For the amendment by Councillor Lumsden (12) - Depute Provost; and Councillors Bell, Boulton, Houghton, John, Lumsden, Avril MacKenzie, Mason MSP, Reynolds, Sellar, Jennifer Stewart and Wheeler.
Declined to vote (9) - Lord Provost; and Councillors Allan, Lesley Dunbar, Duncan, Graham, Grant, Laing, Macdonald and Malik.
Absent from the division (1) - Councillor Imrie.
The Council then divided between the motion and the amendment by Councillor Laing.
On a division, there voted:-
For the motion (22) - Councillors Allard, Alphonse, Cameron, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Delaney, Jackie Dunbar, Flynn, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, Catriona Mackenzie, McLellan, McRae, Nicoll, Noble, Samarai, Sandy Stuart, Townson and Yuill.
For the amendment by Councillor Laing (9) - Lord Provost; and Councillors Allan, Lesley Dunbar, Duncan, Graham, Grant, Laing, Macdonald and Malik.
Declined to vote (12) - Depute Provost; and Councillors Bell, Boulton, Houghton, John, Lumsden, Avril MacKenzie, Mason MSP, Reynolds, Sellar, Jennifer Stewart and Wheeler.
Absent from the division (1) - Councillor Imrie.
The Council resolved:-
to adopt the motion as follows:-
(i) to note Aberdeen City Council supported remaining in the European Union (EU) at its meeting on 11 May 2016;
(ii) to agree that Aberdeen is stronger now and will be stronger in the future economically, politically and socially as a partner within the EU;
(iii) to note the mounting popular concern at the prospect of leaving the EU with either a bad deal or no deal at all;
(iv) to note that 61.1% of people in Aberdeen who voted in the EU referendum voted to remain in the EU;
(v) to note that a report by the Centre for Cities and the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics states that Aberdeen will be more negatively affected as measured by change in Gross Value Added, making it the hardest hit city in the UK irrespective of whether the UK Government implements a ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ Brexit;
(vi) to note that in May 2018, the Bank of England estimated that households in the UK are already around £900 a year worse off because of lower growth due to Brexit;
(vii) to note the participation of hundreds of thousands of people in “Marches for a People’s Vote” across the UK this year;
(viii) to note that jobs are already moving from the UK to other parts of the EU;
(ix) to note the uncertainty caused for the 2.9 million EU citizens living in the UK and the 1.2 million UK nationals who live elsewhere in the EU;
(x) to note that EU nationals will be expected to pay £65 to remain in the UK and have settled status, and that the UK Government will prevent the Scottish Government from paying this on behalf of public sector workers;
(xi) to note that roughly 10% of Aberdeen City Council’s workforce are from other EU countries and consider that any barriers to retaining residency in Scotland poses a risk to the Council;
(xii) to instruct the Director of Resources to report to the first appropriate meeting of the City Growth and Resources Committee with an impact assessment on the Council’s workforce in terms of the UK leaving the EU;
(xiii) to note the support for a “People’s Vote” - a referendum on the terms of any Brexit deal including an option to remain, by organisations including Prospect, TSSA, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, the BMA and the NUS;
(xiv) to note that, in November 2018, the Scottish Parliament overwhelmingly backed the campaign for a People’s Vote;
(xv) to agree that a no deal scenario would not be in the best interests of the people in Aberdeen, Scotland and the UK;
(xvi) to support the call for a People’s Vote on any final Brexit agreement, with that referendum to include an option to remain in the EU;
(xvii) to instruct the Chief Executive to write to Aberdeen’s MPs, MSPs and MEPs, asking them to support a People’s Vote for the above reasons; and
(xviii) to support calls for a vote of no confidence in the UK Government and instruct the Chief Executive to write to Aberdeen’s MPs accordingly.
- BARNEY CROCKETT, Lord Provost.