Sadiq Khan urged to join forces with newly elected mayors in heavyweight Brexit group

Brexit: Sadiq Khan
NIGEL HOWARD
Pippa Crerar17 May 2017
WEST END FINAL

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Sadiq Khan was today urged to join forces with newly elected mayors across the country to form a heavyweight Brexit group.

The influential body, including Manchester’s Andy Burnham and the West Midlands’ Andy Street, would push ministers to protect their interests in negotiations with the European Union.

The Centre for London called on the city leaders to lobby for an EU deal that reflected the importance of service sector exports and gave them the power to continue attracting skilled migrants.

Its ‘Convention of City Leaders’ - also including town hall chiefs - would also demand greater devolution over services as well as tax-raising powers to help boost their local economies.

The think tank’s Brexit manifesto, published tomorrow, claimed that Government would be forced to “listen to the voices” of city leaders if they joined forces.

Former mayor Boris Johnson worked with the Core Cities group, the UK’s ten biggest cities which produce almost half of the nation’s wealth, in 2013 with a view to winning more powers over tax and services.

But Mr Khan needed to go beyond the “largely paper partnership” to create a properly funded and proactive alliance.

Tory mayoral victories in the West of England, West Midlands and Teesside could help the group get a hearing from a future Theresa May government.

The manifesto called for urgent clarity on transitional trade arrangements, to mitigate the loss of service-sector business in non-financial sectors such as media, law and architecture, as well as financial services.

It said the English regions and devolved authorities of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should be given the power to manage migration so they continue to attract the skilled labour they need.

This could include a generous visa regime for young Europeans, highlighting the vital contribution they make to the capital’s economy, as well as soft power.

It also argued that London and other cities need to urgently tackle long-standing economic and social inequalities with new powers over skills, childcare, apprenticeships and local property taxes.

Richard Brown, Research Director at Centre for London, said: “The Mayor of London should fight for a Brexit that keeps London open - to talent and trade - allying with newly elected metro mayors and other city leaders to make the case for the UK’s cities. London and the ten core cities account for 50 per cent of the UK economy; the Government should listen to their voice.”

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