31.03.16
Core Cities back staying in the EU
Continued EU membership will bring in jobs and investment for cities in the UK, Core Cities council leaders have said.
Leaders and mayors of the UK Core Cities met in Nottingham to publicly declare their support for the UK’s continued membership of the EU in the referendum on 23 June.
They say that the EU has created more than 63,000 jobs and protected at least 16,800 more across Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield, and at least £1.8bn of EU investment has helped build vital infrastructure, from tramlines to trunk roads.
The Core Cities’ UK cabinet said: “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 the continent.
“Economic security and trade are a big reason to stay in, but our cities also benefit from membership of the EU in other ways that boost our profile and help us prepare for the challenges ahead.
“The Core Cities UK leaders and mayors are clear: We are better off In.”
In contrast, the LGA is staying neutral on the referendum.
Recently, former Core Cities’ cabinet member Sir Albert Bore wrote for PSE on the need to deliver a devolved and joined-up approach to investment, and we interviewed Cllr Julie Dore of Sheffield City Council on place-based spending.
(Image c. Core Cities)