letter for publication CNJ Brexit and knowledge quarter Dec 18
Dear editor,
As the Brexit roadshow has evolved from pantomime to farce, to a vicious Punch and Judy show, the realities of Brexit will soon start to hit Britain. In Camden there is real uncertainty over the long term future of European Structural Fund investment in the borough’s major research institutions.
These funds are crucial to Camden’s place at the heart of the “Knowledge Quarter”, with £1.3 million granted to the British Library for their work with entrepreneurs, £3.7 million to Capital Enterprise for technology projects and £2.3 million to UCL to help develop technology for education.
This is more than £7 million of investment into Camden’s community and is part of what makes Camden a world beater for ground-breaking technology and international business.
Once Brexit happens and these programmes come to an end, from where will such significant investment come in the future?
It is a travesty that the Conservative Government is putting its own political interests before the future of jobs, economy and security, both in Camden and in the rest of the country.
Andrew Dismore
Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden