THE body representing Scotland’s 32 councils has backed a second referendum on Brexit.
The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) voted 15 to ten in favour of a People’s Vote after it was promoted by Glasgow’s SNP leader Susan Aitken.
The decision was taken at a meeting of council leaders in Edinburgh on Friday.
With MPs set to vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal on December 11, Cosla president Alison Evison urged politicians to “do the right thing” in the Commons.
She said Cosla, which campaigned for Remain during the EU referendum, was “deeply worried” about the potential impact of Brexit on public services.
She said: “A big hit on our economy will mean an increase in local poverty, fewer resources locally to plan and deliver our services, no structured programme to support our local economies and real threats to all aspects of our import and export trade.
"The bottom line is that we must not end up with a no-deal by default. A no-deal would cause real pain in communities right across Scotland so all politicians have to come forward and do the right thing - and that includes the UK Parliament on December 11.
"A People's Vote is a practical way to get out of the constitutional crisis we are in."
Some individual councils have already voted for a People’s Vote.
Aberdeenshire became the first in Scotland to do so in September after Green, SNP, LibDem and Independent councillors outnumbered the authority’s dominant Tory group.
Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie said: “It’s excellent news that Cosla has formalised widespread feeling in Scottish councils that it is the public who should be getting the final say on whether the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal is good enough.
“As momentum grows, people take to the streets in protest and councils make their voices heard, the Labour party must start to see that they’re on the wrong side of history on this.”
Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, a leading campaigner for a People's vote, said: “Councils across Scotland are facing huge cuts, and the last thing we need is Brexit harming our economy and leading to further austerity, putting more valued services at risk.
"There is an alternative to Theresa May's bad deal and no deal - it's a People's Vote with the option of keeping the best deal we currently have as a member of the EU."
John Edward, of Scotland for a People’s Vote, said: “The support of council leaders the length and breadth of Scotland is welcome and extremely encouraging.
“A People’s Vote is a democratic opportunity for Scotland’s wish to remain in the EU to be respected.
“Over the coming days, all MPs must ask themselves: is the withdrawal agreement better than the deal we’ve already got inside the EU? If they cannot look their constituents in the eye and say it is, they must vote this deal down and then hand the decision back to the people.”
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