Proposed by Councillor Hargey,
Seconded by Councillor McLaughlin,
“This Council notes with deep concern the hugely damaging, toxic and chaotic politics currently being administered by the Conservative British Government regarding Brexit.
This City has an ever-growing population of young people who will ultimately have to live with the long term consequences of this British Government’s damaging policy of attempting to drag citizens out of the European Union against the wishes of the majority of citizens in Belfast who voted to remain.
As a Council, we have a duty to protect all our citizens, young and old, against the policies and hardship that this British government and its allies will bring by dragging them out of the European Union. There is no Brexit that is a good Brexit for the citizens of Belfast or elsewhere in Ireland.
This Council must, therefore, investigate alternative solutions to Brexit that seek to protect its citizens from the damaging effects which Brexit will ultimately bring.
In seeking alternative solutions to protect Belfast citizens, a referendum on Irish Unity, as enshrined within the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, must be legitimately considered. This is a solution that would protect our citizens from Brexit and is supported by categorical statements from the European Council where, in the event of Irish Unity, the citizens in the north would be returned back into the European Union.
We call upon this Council to write directly to the Taoiseach and to the British Secretary of State requesting that they clearly specify what would satisfy the requirement, as provided for under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, to facilitate an Irish Unity referendum.”
(To be debated by the Council)
Minutes:
In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor Hargey proposed:
“This Council notes with deep concern the hugely damaging, toxic and chaotic politics currently being administered by the Conservative British Government regarding Brexit.
This City has an ever-growing population of young people who will ultimately have to live with the long term consequences of this British Government’s damaging policy of attempting to drag citizens out of the European Union against the wishes of the majority of citizens in Belfast who voted to remain.
As a Council, we have a duty to protect all our citizens, young and old, against the policies and hardship that this British government and its allies will bring by dragging them out of the European Union. There is no Brexit that is a good Brexit for the citizens of Belfast or elsewhere in Ireland.
This Council must, therefore, investigate alternative solutions to Brexit that seek to protect its citizens from the damaging effects which Brexit will ultimately bring.
In seeking alternative solutions to protect Belfast citizens, a referendum on Irish Unity, as enshrined within the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, must be legitimately considered. This is a solution that would protect our citizens from Brexit and is supported by categorical statements from the European Council where, in the event of Irish Unity, the citizens in the north would be returned back into the European Union.
We call upon this Council to write directly to the Taoiseach and to the British Secretary of State requesting that they clearly specify what would satisfy the requirement, as provided for under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, to facilitate an Irish Unity referendum.”
The motion was seconded by Councillor McLaughlin.
Amendment
Moved by Councillor Long,
Seconded by Councillor Hanvey,
That the motion standing in the name of Councillor Hargey and seconded by Councillor McLaughlin be replaced with the following:
“Brexit is not an orange or green issue and attempts to make it so are profoundly unhelpful. This Council will continue to investigate issues relating to Brexit through the Brexit Committee, as they pertain to the city of Belfast.”
On a recorded vote twenty-four Members voted for the amendment and twenty-seven against and it was declared lost.
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For 24
The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor McReynolds); The High Sheriff (Alderman Sandford) Aldermen Copeland, Haire, Kingston, McCoubrey and Rodgers; and Councillors Brooks, Bunting, Cobain, Dorrian, Flynn, Graham, Hanvey, Hussey, M. Kelly, T. Kelly, Kyle, Long, McDonough-Brown, Newton, O’Hara, Pankhurst and Verner.
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Against 27
The Lord Mayor (Councillor Finucane); and Councillors D. Baker, S. Baker, Beattie, Black, Canavan, Carson, Matt Collins, Michael Collins, Corr, De Faoite, Donnelly, Ferguson, Garrett, Groves, Hargey, Heading, Lyons, Magee, Magennis, McAteer, McCusker, McKeown, McLaughlin, Murphy, Walsh and Whyte. |
At the request of Councillor Ferguson, the proposer agreed to amend her motion to provide for the addition of the following wording before the last paragraph:
“The Council believes that winning people to the idea of a unified state will require a vision of a different kind of Ireland, which sees an end to the low tax haven and soaring rents in the South, the complete separation of church and state, an all-island NHS and an end to sectarianism and racism and the communal carve up of resources in the North, where those who live here are welcome here, no matter where they are born, and where the rights of women and the LBGTQ+ communities are respected.”
The proposer agreed, at the request of Councillor de Faoite, to amend her motion further to provide for the addition of the following wording before the second last paragraph:
“The Council calls for the establishment of a New Ireland Forum for the 21st Century, alongside a series of comprehensive Citizens’ Assemblies, to examine the practical, social and economic aspects of a New Ireland.”
The motion, as amended and set out hereunder, was thereupon put to the meeting and passed, with twenty-seven Members voting for and twenty-two against:
“This Council notes with deep concern the hugely damaging, toxic and chaotic politics currently being administered by the Conservative British Government regarding Brexit.
This City has an ever-growing population of young people who will ultimately have to live with the long term consequences of this British Government’s damaging policy of attempting to drag citizens out of the European Union against the wishes of the majority of citizens in Belfast who voted to remain.
As a Council, we have a duty to protect all our citizens, young and old, against the policies and hardship that this British government and its allies will bring by dragging them out of the European Union. There is no Brexit that is a good Brexit for the citizens of Belfast or elsewhere in Ireland.
This Council must, therefore, investigate alternative solutions to Brexit that seek to protect its citizens from the damaging effects which Brexit will ultimately bring.
In seeking alternative solutions to protect Belfast citizens, a referendum on Irish Unity, as enshrined within the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, must be legitimately considered. This is a solution that would protect our citizens from Brexit and is supported by categorical statements from the European Council where, in the event of Irish Unity, the citizens in the north would be returned back into the European Union.
The Council calls for the establishment of a New Ireland Forum for the 21st Century, alongside a series of comprehensive Citizens’ Assemblies, to examine the practical, social and economic aspects of a New Ireland.
The Council believes that winning people to the idea of a unified state will require a vision of a different kind of Ireland, which sees an end to the low tax haven and soaring rents in the South, the complete separation of church and state, an all-island NHS and an end to sectarianism and racism and the communal carve up of resources in the North, where those who live here are welcome here, no matter where they are born, and where the rights of women and the LBGTQ+ communities are respected.
The Council agrees to write directly to the Taoiseach and to the British Secretary of State requesting that they clearly specify what would satisfy the requirement, as provided for under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, to facilitate an Irish Unity referendum.”