Metro Mayor pushes city region’s case with Brexit minister

Steve Rotheram will travel to London today to meet with Brexit Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, and other government ministers, to make clear what actions the city region needs the government to take relating to Brexit.

The Metro Mayor will tell the Brexit Minister that:

• No deal must be taken off the table
• Government must give the regions a proper voice in the Brexit process
• The Liverpool City Region needs a post-Brexit settlement from government to replace the funding it has previously received from the EU
• The city region needs further devolution to give us the powers to deliver inclusive growth and address cases of economic shock
• Government must work with the city region to ensure that it is as ready as it is possible to be when the country leaves the EU

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“I have been pushing for this further opportunity to let the government know what our city region needs as we approach Brexit. The government must move heaven and earth to avoid crashing out without a deal, which, according to the University of Sussex, could put 15,000 jobs at risk in the North West.

“The government needs to properly engage with politicians and businesses in the city region, if they are to understand what is happening. Brexit is having an impact now, even before we leave.

“It is vital for our future prosperity that the government ensures that our city region receives adequate future funding to offset the huge loss of EU funds. And that we ensure that planning for Brexit readiness includes direct work with city regions such as ours, which is home to one of the UK’s major infrastructure assets in the Port of Liverpool, which will face challenges and, potentially, opportunities as we leave the EU.

“We also need reassurance over the future of the 23,000 EU-citizens who live in our city region. These people are not just our friends, neighbours and often family, they play a vital role in our economy, keeping our health services, universities and businesses afloat.”