The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today set out the ‘positive, patriotic and values based’ case for London and the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union (EU) in his first intervention in the referendum debate since being elected as Mayor.
Speaking to an audience of young Londoners and leading business experts at Second Home in Tech City, the Mayor argued that the capital and the United Kingdom are stronger, safer and better off in the EU, but particularly emphasised the emotional argument for remaining in the EU.
Sadiq Khan declared: “Throughout our history, Britain has always been open to the world. Always looking outwards and trying to learn from others. It is our open attitude that helped to build our country. It’s why London became the great city it is today. It’s why we attract the best and the brightest from around the world to make their home here.
"We wouldn’t be where we are today in London with an isolationist approach. We know from our experience that the answer is to get more involved, to form more alliances and actively to shape our future in the world. That is the British way. That is certainly the London way.”
During the speech, the Mayor made an impassioned plea to young Londoners to have their say on June 23.
He said: “The way we live now is the product of our long history and decisions made by the generations that came before us. It’s thanks to the choices they made that we can live and prosper in the successful country and capital city we have today. Now it’s our turn to do the same. Our generation now has one of those big decisions to make.”
Notes to editors
In London, 542,000 jobs were linked to trade with the EU in 2011 according to figures from the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR). The sectors that are most dependent on the EU are finance and insurance (85,000 jobs), business administration and support (83,000 jobs) and manufacturing (78,500 jobs). In addition, goods exports from London to the EU are worth £12.5bn.
London also benefits through receiving hundreds of millions of pounds of EU funding, which supports regional development, provides investment in businesses, creates job opportunities, and improves prospects for young people through apprenticeships and higher education.