Councillors in Perth and Kinross have backed a second referendum on leaving the European Union.
They voted 20 to 16 to support a motion noting the negative effect that Brexit “on any terms” would have on the region and said the option of the UK remaining in the EU should be on the ballot paper.
Councillors filed past a small pro-European Union demonstration in front of the authority’s headquarters to vote in favour of the motion, which comes after local government membership COSLA backed a ‘people’s vote’ last month.
They attended a local Brexit briefing in late November which outlined the expected effects on Perth and Kinross, including damage to the agriculture, care and education sectors.
The motion, proposed by Councillor Willie Robertson of the Liberal Democrats, is symbolic but contributes to growing momentum behind organising a second referendum to break the current Westminster impasse.
An amendment, proposed by Conservative Roz McCall, that “the council does not believe it is the role of local authorities to suggest holding a further referendum on a subject that has already been put to the electorate”, was defeated with 16 votes.
Susannah Rae, 50, of Perth for Europe, one of the pro-European demonstrators, said she was “very pleased” with the result.
“I am also happy that a number of councillors spoke out in favour of freedom of movement. Getting rid of freedom of movement doesn’t just affect those who want to come to this country but is a great loss of rights for all UK people.”
She acknowledged the result was only symbolic. “We know the council doesn’t have the authority to order a second vote, but what is important is that a large number of councillors are coming out in favour of this process.”
Opening the half-hour long debate, Mr Robertson said: “This chamber is not the place to argue the pros and cons of Brexit, but we must free up the political log jam that is clearly evidenced in Westminster. This can only be done by handing the decision back to the British people.”
Councillor Crawford Reid, a Conservative, compared Brexit to the Shakespeare tragedy Hamlet.
He said: “Even as a remainer, I am not convinced that a second referendum would do anything to help the situation.
“I believe that those in favour of a second referendum believe the result would be different but this is based on the assumption people did not know what they were voting for, although recent polls have refuted this.”
