Brexit would lead to “black hole” for local government finances, say Labour council leaders

More than 60 Labour council leaders have put their name to an open letter claiming Brexit would harm “almost every area” of local authority work.

They say that leaving the EU would cause “a further funding black hole” in their budgets, which are already strained after six years of cuts to local government by the Tories.

The open letter, signed by 64 council leaders in today’s Times, also says that “it is our communities that will be hardest hit” by an Out vote in June’s referendum.

They write: “The economic damage that leaving the EU would bring would wreak havoc on our local businesses and make it harder than ever for Councils to deliver the services people rely on.  Given the government’s recent decision to devolve business rates, in that context the disastrous economic effects of Brexit could mean catastrophe for our councils’ ability to deliver the services people rely on.”

Council leaders from all over the country have put their names to the letter, including Manchester’s Sir Richard Leese, Liverpool’s Joe Anderson, and Lewisham’s Mayor Steve Bullock.

The letter states:

“Local Councils have already had to make substantial cuts to their budgets over the last six years and leaving the EU will represent a further funding black hole that would make it harder to build homes and protect our towns against flooding.

“In almost every area of council work, leaving the EU would have a negative impact. “

This comes on the same day that former Labour Foreign Secretary David Owen, who left the party to found the SDP, gave a speech warning about the dangers to the NHS of staying in the EU. However, writing on LabourList this morning, Rachel Reeves said it is leaving the EU that would put the health service “in peril”.

You can read the full list of signatories to the letter below:

Cllr Cheryl Butler, Leader, Ashfield District Council

Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader, Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council

Sir Stephen Houghton CBE, Leader, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Simon Greaves, Leader, Bassetlaw District Council

Cllr Mohammed Khan OBE, Leader, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Leader, Blackpool Council

Cllr Clifford Morris JP, Leader, Bolton Council

Cllr David Green, Leader, Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Cllr Warren Morgan, Leader, Brighton & Hove City Council

Cllr Mike Connolly, Leader, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Keith Reynolds, Leader, Caerphilly County Borough Council

Cllr Lewis Herbert, Leader, Cambridge City Council

Cllr Sarah Hayward, Leader, Camden Council

Cllr John Burrows, Leader, Chesterfield Borough Council

Cllr Tom Beattie, Leader, Corby Borough Council

Cllr Ranjit Banwait, Leader, Derby City Council

Cllr Ros Jones, Leader, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Simon Henig CBE, Leader, Durham County Council

Cllr Doug Taylor, Leader, Enfield Council

Cllr Peter Edwards, Leader, Exeter City Council

Cllr John Clarke, Leader, Gedling Borough Council

Cllr Steve Cowan, Leader, Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council

Cllr Christopher Akers-Belcher, Leader, Hartlepool Borough Council

Cllr Peter Chowney, Leader, Hastings Borough Council

Cllr Steve Curran, Leader, Hounslow London Borough Council

Cllr David Ellesmere, Leader, Ipswich Borough Council

Cllr Richard Watts, Leader, Islington Council

Cllr David Sheard, Leader, Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Cllr Lib Peck, Leader, Lambeth London Borough Council

Cllr Judith Blake, Leader, Leeds City Council

Mayor Sir Steve Bullock, Leader, Lewisham London Borough Council

Cllr Richard Metcalfe, Leader, Lincoln City Council

Mayor Joe Anderson, Leader, Liverpool City Council

Sir Richard Leese CBE, Leader, Manchester City Council

Cllr David Budd, Leader, Middlesbrough Council

Cllr Peter Marland, Leader, Milton Keynes Council

Cllr Alun Thomas OBE, Leader, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader, Newcastle upon Tyne City Council

Cllr Elizabeth Shenton, Leader, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

Sir Robin Wales, Leader, Newham London Borough Council

Cllr Bob Bright, Leader, Newport City Council

Cllr Ray Oxby, Leader, North East Lincolnshire Council

Cllr Alan Waters, Leader, Norwich City Council

Cllr Jon Collins, Leader, Nottingham City Council

Cllr Dennis Harvey, Leader, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council

Cllr Bob Price, Leader, Oxford City Council

Cllr Peter Rankin, Leader, Preston City Council

Cllr Jo Lovelock, Leader, Reading Borough Council

Cllr Richard Farnell, Leader, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Chris Read, Leader, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Denise Hyland, Leader, Royal Borough of Greenwich

Mayor Ian Stewart, Leader, Salford City Council

Cllr Iain Malcolm, Leader, South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Peter John OBE, Leader, Southwark Council

Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE, Leader, Stevenage Borough Council

Cllr Bob Cook, Leader, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Cllr Geoff Wheeler, Leader, Stroud District Council

Cllr Paul Watson, Leader, Sunderland City Council

Cllr Kieran Quinn, Leader, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Kuldip Sahota, Leader, Telford and Wrekin Council

Cllr Neil Moore, Leader, Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council

Cllr Ian Moran, Leader, West Lancashire Borough Council

Cllr Phil Davies, Leader, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Roger Lawrence, Leader, Wolverhampton City Council