Andrew Dismore

Dear Editor,

This week, we have seen an important intervention made to ensure that our security arrangements with the European Union are protected after Brexit.

With the looming possibility of a hard Brexit on the horizon, there is a real possibility that we may lose access to a number of existing arrangements vital to our capital’s security, such as Europol and the European Arrest Warrant.

In addition, the cross-border co-operation that we have built with the EU has played a significant role in fighting terrorism through robust intelligence-sharing, rooting out organised crime networks, clamping down on the trafficking of illegal drugs and weapons, and preventing dangerous criminals from passing into our country.

The security of Londoners is not a commodity to be traded-off in the negotiations, so we must ensure that our police and the security services can continue to work efficiently with our European partners.

This is why I support the Mayor’s calls for a separate security agreement to be struck with the European Union, outside of the political context of the wider negotiations.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Dismore AM

London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden