A statement from the Camden Leader in response to the Prime Minister's speech on Brexit

“Camden residents voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU and Camden businesses, universities and research institutions have told us that it is vital that they continue to have access to the Single Market. The confirmation yesterday by the Prime Minister that the UK will be leaving the Single Market is therefore deeply concerning for our communities, our economy and our wish to ensure that Camden remains open to business. 

“Many international businesses have their headquarters in Camden in order to sell to UK and EU markets. Growth and investment for Camden's businesses helps the rest of the country, from both the taxes they pay and the jobs they create. We will continue to work with businesses to make the case to Government for the greatest possible access to the Single Market and push for the delivery of tariff-free trade with Europe. The Prime Minister said yesterday that she would aim for this, but failure to deliver this would hit Camden’s 29,000 businesses, which contribute up to 2% of the UK’s economy.

“Many thousands of EU citizens and people with EU national heritage live in Camden and we want them to continue to feel welcome here and, vitally, we need to keep their skills so Camden continues to thrive. One in ten of Camden’s workforce is an (non-UK) EU national, and the cloud of uncertainty which still remains over their future status must be resolved by the Government without delay.

“Dealing with Brexit will remain a major concern for the Council over the coming years and in order to understand the impacts and secure the best possible deal for the borough, we’ve established a cross-party, Member-led Brexit working group – one of the first councils in the country to do so.”