Council blasted over lack of Brexit report

SNP member says local authority must produce impact assessment in bid to prepare for fallout

An Angus councillor has slammed the ruling administration’s “it will be all right on the night” attitude towards Brexit and the impact it will have on the local economy.

Lynne Devine, SNP member for Forfar and District, has urged the ruling administration to call for a report from the local authority’s Brexit committee as a matter of urgency and questioned why an impact assessment had not already been carried out.

She described the delay in asking for a report to be considered at committee level as “intolerable” and warned council services will be affected by the Brexit fallout.

At the council’s policy and resources committee meeting in Forfar, Ms Devine said there were many concerns among the public as to how Brexit will impact their lives and their livelihoods.

During the meeting, councillors were asked to consider three reports on economic development business support and investment activities for a period covering September 8 to November 27.

Ms Devine said: “We have three reviews but I feel the administration should have asked for a Brexit report.

“At this particular time there are so many concerns among the public. This will have an impact on the economy of Angus, its services, its food production.”

Council leader David Fairweather noted Ms Devine’s comments but after the meeting she stressed the urgency for details to be made available.

She said: “Only today, the Federation of Small Businesses came out asking for help for its members to prepare themselves for Brexit.

“There are so many voices out there desperately worried about food shortages, medicine shortages – some people are very frightened about that.

“In areas of the economy, people are needing to know what will happen to the EU staff and to their markets in the case of manufacturing and farming.

“The NHS, care homes, colleges and universities, hospitality, restaurants and hotels are not in any way getting reassurance.

“My point is this will impact on our communities, our economy and will, in the long run, affect our council services.

“But this administration seems to think it’ll be all right on the night and are not preparing for the worst case scenario.”

With no committee meeting in December due to the festive period, Ms Devine added the earliest committee members will be able to consider a report will be January 29, which she found to be “intolerable”.

“At this particular time there are so many concerns among the public. This will have an impact on the economy of Angus, its services, its food production. COUNCILLOR LYNNE DEVINE