Local members call for a People's Vote


Fleur Anderson - with Leonie Cooper, Assembly Member for Wandsworth & Merton, Seb Dance MEP, Councillors Claire Gilbert, Jeremy Ambache & Andy Gibbons, and members of the local Labour Party

Fleur Anderson, the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields, was at the forefront of the Conference motion which was passed recently by Putney Labour members calling for a People’s Vote on Brexit.

Fleur, who is a long-standing Councillor on Wandsworth Council, with a background in international development and community work told this website that as the 31 October approaches and Parliament awaits the decision of the Supreme Court on prorogation, concerns among residents in Putney are rising and local representatives are receiving more and more questions on Brexit from residents.

Fleur said: “Putney Labour has unequivocally reconfirmed that it is in favour of Remain. This recent vote is the democratic process of local Labour members voting to reaffirm their long-standing position on Brexit. We support Remaining in the EU, and we want to see a People’s Vote – a confirmatory public vote – on any deal. We know beyond any doubt now about the terrible effects of no deal from the Yellowhammer documents. I have spoken with local doctors and nurses who have told me that there are already shortages of medicines and staff. I’m determined to do everything that I can to stand up and stop this damage being inflicted on us. Putney Labour is also clear that any form of Brexit threatens jobs, the rights of individuals, refugees and migrants, and is a dreadful threat to our NHS, public services, the environment and security”.

The Guardian journalist Amelia Gentleman, who was instrumental in breaking the Windrush story, and whose partner Jo Johnson MP recently resigned from Boris Johnson’s government over disagreements in relation to Brexit, recently reported on “a sharp rise in the proportion of EU citizens not considered eligible for settled status” causing alarm and confusion among applicants. Over 1 in 10 people living in Wandsworth have EU passports other than British or Irish, and many will be affected directly by these issues.

Over the summer it was also reported that there had been a “surge” of EU nationals being incorrectly informed that they could not access Universal Credit, with some people reporting that their benefits had been stopped at short notice, raising concerns about a new “hostile environment” in relation to EU Nationals. Pro-Brexit MEP Daniel Hannan, who is a Conservative representative for the South East of England in Brussels, has called on the home secretary to act “before we end up with another Windrush scandal”.

Local residents who are concerned about this issue can book a free ticket to attend a public meeting hosted by Citizens Advice Wandsworth on Tuesday 8 October from 6:30pm to 8pm at Wandsworth Town Hall. This is one of a series of events at which legal advisors from Wandsworth CAB will offer up to date advice on the EU Settlement Scheme, the implications of the difference between Settled Status and Pre-Settled Status, access to benefits for EU Nationals, applicable time limits and more. There is also a wealth of information in the FAQ’s section of the www.cawandsworth.org website. Queries are also accepted via email and you can sign up for email updates to keep up to date with the changing picture.

Fleur said:“I was there and spoke at the People’s Vote marches, alongside my Putney, Roehampton and Southfields colleagues and local Labour members. I am ready to stand up for people across this constituency which we know voted in huge numbers to Remain. I am also listening very carefully to the people who voted to Leave the EU, and very valid concerns about the EU and our own politics and need for reform. The very worst outcome for both sides of this debate is a no deal Brexit which will just be the start of very long negotiations between each industry with each country and is no easy fix. I’m clear that we need to come together again as a country and can only Remain if this is chosen by a public vote, and so a democratic solution of a second referendum is the only way forward”.

September 20, 2019