Cllr Paul Osborn, shadow performance and corporate resources portfolio holder and vice-chair of the overview and scrutiny committee, says Britain needs to leave the EU:

The most compelling reason to leave the EU is democracy. Tony Benn, not someone I agree with on much, famously asked five questions that are vital in a democracy: “What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? How can we get rid of you?”

The problem with the EU is in the final two questions. The people in Brussels who make between 20 and 60 per cent of our laws, depending on how you count, are not accountable to the people of Europe and there is no way to get rid of them. The Council of Minsters, which alongside the European Parliament makes EU Law, meets in secret. What to know how the UK voted on steel tariffs? Tough. Interested to find out who has been blocking the UK from abolishing the tampon tax? No chance!

The President of the European Commission was elected without the support of any British political party. The European Commission has a monopoly on all EU legislation and must “work under the political guidance of its President”.

This is the rotten heart of the EU, if you can’t see how laws are made and can’t get rid of those who make them then you don’t live in a democracy and I want to live in a democracy.

Cllr Sachin Shah, leader of Harrow Labour Group, says we should stay:

Harrow Times:

Like all residents who have followed the EU debate I have found all of the endless negativity and dodgy statistics deeply misleading and unnecessary. For me, the arguments to remain in the EU are convincing enough to not have to resort to this type of politics.


Being in the EU means that whenever a local business buys or sells goods to the EU we don’t pay any tariffs, which makes it cheaper to do business with the massive EU market. Just common sense tells us that this is good for our businesses and will have a knock on effect for creating (and maintaining) jobs, apprenticeships and economic growth.


Not only does easier trade with the EU bring in extra investment, but EU funding has massively benefited people all in all corners of the UK, including, but not limited to, potential EU investment into our regeneration programme in Harrow, rural infrastructure in Wales and Scotland and the arts and culture.


But the argument for remaining in the EU should go beyond the money in our pockets. The EU was set up after WWII to maintain peace in Europe. Given the conflicts across Ukraine and the Middle East, now more than ever we should be working with our friends across the EU to bring security and stability in an increasingly uncertain world.