Membership  of the  European Union  is vital to London and the London assembly, as the Greater London authority is the strategic body responsible for issues such as London’s economic prosperity, jobs and employment, the environment and safety and security. For example, in the current mayor’s report, it is recorded that London has just been awarded €745m from the European social fund and European regional development fund programmes to be spent in the capital over the next four years, a sum set to double with matchfunding, money we would not get if the United Kingdom left the EU.

It is very welcome that Sadiq Khan, Labour’s candidate for London mayor, has made clear that he supports our continued membership of the EU and is campaigning on the issue as part of his mayoral pitch, too. However, the Conservative candidate, Zac Goldsmith, is a ‘Brexiter’, but he is keeping quiet about his position. I believe London is a pro-EU city, and no doubt Goldsmith does too. He seems to think that Europe is not relevant to his campaign – but this is probably because he sees it as a vote-loser among the wider electorate, beyond his own Tory hardcore supporters.

The ‘Brexit’ campaign would have you believe many myths. That our membership costs us dear – in fact, the net cost is 30p per person per day. They say the EU needs us more than we need them but our exports to the EU constitute 12 per cent of our GDP – the EU exports to us only three per cent of their GDP. 2.2 million UK citizens, including many retirees, live in the EU and benefit, for example, from their health systems – almost as many as the 2.3 million EU nationals living here, mainly younger people contributing to our economy. The European commission is not overblown – it has less than 10 per cent of the number of officials in Britain’s Whitehall. And many of the Brexit claims about silly rules are urban myths too – there are not thousands of pages of EU rules about the sale of cabbages- but there are several hundred pages from the UK’s own ‘red tractor’ scheme.

In 1975, I voted ‘no’ to continued EEC membership. But I would not vote ‘no’ now. The world has moved on. Our old Commonwealth trading partners have found new customers – and their trade has reconfigured too: it is inconceivable for example that we would be importing coal and iron ore from Australia, its main export now being such commodities, and for which it has its market in China and the Pacific rim. Barack Obama has made clear that the United States’ trade priority is a new deal with the EU, which needs tough negotiations to ensure the TTIP works for both sides of the Atlantic. If we were to have to negotiate our own TTIP, which country would have the whip hand: us or the United States, and how long would it take starting from scratch?

The fact is that in 2014 London exported £12.3bn of goods to the EU (nearly 43 per cent of all London’s exports of goods). The Centre for Economics and Business Research says that EU membership could add £13.9bn to London’s economy by 2030. London and the EU are economically intertwined. Putting up a barrier between us and the world’s biggest free market would be financially devastating.

542,000 jobs in London are associated with the EU. These jobs would be far less secure if our major trading partner was less favourably accessible. HSBC alone has warned that around 1,000 of its jobs would move over the Channel if Britain were to exit the EU. We must also recognise the improved rights and protections that EU membership has given British workers, from maternity and paternity leave to paid holidays, protections for agency workers and laws against discrimination.

Tackling and adapting to climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing London this century. It is only through working with our European partners that we can ever hope to bring down carbon emissions and create a more sustainable way of living. European directives have driven progress in tackling London’s biggest environmental challenges from toxic air, to waste and recycling and combating climate change.

The European Union is vital in the fight against international terrorism. Jihadists threatening Britain cannot be defeated by acting in isolation. The Metropolitan police leads on counter terrorism for the country. Britain’s membership enables working in partnership with other EU nations, gathering and sharing intelligence that assists with identifying and preventing terrorist threats. Andrew Parker, the director general of MI5, stated that his agency and its international partners had together thwarted six terrorist threats in the UK and several plots overseas. London’s deputy mayor for policing firmly believes we are safer in the EU than out. Without this collaboration and partnership Britain leaves itself vulnerable at a time of significant threats to our safety. Our membership of the European arrest warrant scheme gives Britain an extra layer of security for our citizens. Its loss would be a significant blow to the scope and capability of our criminal justice system.

In terms of security, environment, finance and economy we are inextricably intertwined with our neighbours.  To get the best deal for London we need to be at the table: so I will vote for our continued EU membership.

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Andrew Dismore is member of the London assembly for Barnet and Camden. He tweets @Andrew_Dismore

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Photo: barnyz