Macc co-signs open letter to the Prime Minister on No-deal Brexit

Macc has joined forces with over 85 organisations in expressing our grave concerns about the impacts a no-deal Brexit will have on civil society. Together with organisations from across the devolved nations, as well as a breadth of English regions, we have called on the Prime Minister to urgently engage with our concerns about leaving the EU without a deal on the 31st October. Signatories of the letter have serious concerns about how a no-deal Brexit will be a direct threat to the peace process in Northern Ireland, regression of rights and standards, the uncertainty of the future, and a lack of adequate engagement and support from the Government.



Dear Prime Minister,



As civil society organisations working with citizens and communities across the UK, we are writing to express our grave concerns about the risk of leaving the EU without an agreement as the 31st October is rapidly approaching.



A growing body of evidence shows that a no-deal Brexit would be detrimental to civil society and the communities that we work with. The uncertainty, the predicted economic shock, the prospect of legal uncertainty as well as the regression in rights and standards present a profound risk to the values civil society stands for.



Leaving the EU without a deal will see a return to a ‘hard’ border on the island of Ireland. This will have significant detrimental effects on trade, the economy, and on the ability of citizens to move easily between the two jurisdictions for work, study and family reasons.



A no-deal Brexit will be a direct threat to the peace process and the safeguards in the Good Friday Agreement. This would be at odds with the UK Government's stated commitment to guarantee these vital protections.



Business, civil society and communities across the UK are not ready for a no-deal exit.



There is not enough time to replace EU agencies that monitor and ensure compliance with the law, potentially resulting in food standards, environmental and animal welfare regulations not being sufficiently enforced.



Legislation to accommodate a no-deal scenario will be rushed through Parliament with little to no scrutiny from MPs and civil society. Neither is there enough time to put in place the necessary common frameworks to guarantee that devolution is respected.



Civil society faces the same Brexit related impacts and uncertainties as business, and yet we have not had adequate support, resources and engagement from the government. We urge you to better engage with civil society, including across the devolved nations, throughout the next stages of the Brexit process.



Leaving the EU without an agreement will have drastic and wide-ranging implications for citizens and communities, who deserve to be heard.



Yours sincerely,



Mike Wild, Chief Executive, Macc

Lucy Danger, Chief Executive, EMERGE 3Rs & EMERGE Recycling

Kush Chottera, Director of Europia, Europia

Edward Connole, Director, ALL ARTS & MEDIA

Alison Page, Chief Executive, Salford CVS

Darren John Knight, Chief Executive, Bolton Community and Voluntary Services (CVS)

Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive, Unlimited Potential

Carol Botten, CEO, Voluntary Organisations' Network North East

Brian Carr, Chief Executive, Birmingham Voluntary Service Council

Ruth Marks, Chief Executive, Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA)

Seamus McAleavey, Chief Executive, NICVA (Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action)

Vicky Browning, CEO, ACEVO

Sara McCracken, Chief Executive, Angel Eyes NI

Martin Cavalot, Chair, Arts Connection - Cyswllt Celf

Dr Sam Smith, CEO, C-Change Scotland

Sarah Jones, Head of Policy and Campaigning, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales

Ruth Harding, Clerk, Cardiff Local Quaker Meeting

Sheila Hendrickson-Brown, CEO, Cardiff Third Sector Council

Dr Anthony Soares, Acting Director, Centre for Cross Border Studies

Dr Michael Warhurst, Executive Director, CHEM Trust

Jackie Brock, Chief Executive, Children in Scotland

Catriona Williams OBE, Chief Executive, Children in Wales

Paddy Kelly, Director, Children's Law Centre

Karla Hill, Global Programmes Counsel, ClientEarth

Jane O'Toole, Chief Executive Officer, Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs

Brian Gormally, Director, Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ)

Dr David Holloway, Director, Community Dialogue

Bijon SINHA, Administrator, Compton’s Yard Charitable Trust

Janis McDonald, Chief Officer, deafscotland

Kevin Doherty, Chief Executive Officer, Disability Action

Rhian Davies, Chief Executive, Disability Wales

Ele Hicks, Policy Manager, Diverse CymruEmma Ritch, Executive Director, Engender

Ali Harris, Chief Executive, Equally Ours

Elizabeth Maria Kardynal, Founder & Director, European's Welfare Association CIC (EWA CIC)

Ms Shahida Siddique, Chief Executive Officer, Faithstar LLP

Susan Fleming, Administrator, Focus: The Identity Trust

Rene Meijer, Chief Executive Officer, Food Works

Craig Bennett, CEO, Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Professor Ian Welsh OBE, Chief Executive, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE)

Kevin Hanratty, Director, Human Rights Consortium

Mhairi Snowden, Coordinator, Human Rights Consortium Scotland

Dr Sally Witcher, Chief Executive, Inclusion Scotland

Michal Chantowski, Development and Services Manager, International Community Organisation of Sunderland (ICOS)

John Harris, Chair, International Group of the Church in Wales

Jen Ang, Director, JustRight Scotland

Professor Nicole Busby, Professor of Law, Law School, University of Strathclyde

Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive, LocalityCatrin Devonald, Prif Swyddog / Chief Executive, Menter Iaith Casnewydd

Fizza Qureshi, Co-CEO, Migrants' Rights Network

Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, Prif Weithredwr/Chief Executive, Mudiad Meithrin

Gaynor Richards MBE BA(Hons), Dip H&SW, Msc, LLD (hon), Director, Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service

Chris Quinn, Director, Northern Ireland Youth Forum

Professor Robert Moore, North Wales Regional Equality Network

Zamzam Ibrahim, President, NUS UK

Robert Murtagh, NUS-USI President, NUS-USI (N. Ireland Student Movement)

Anne Bonner, Chief Executive, Riverside Community Health Project

Charles Dundas, Chair, Scottish Environment LINK

Shaben Begum, Director, Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance

Gary Christie, Head of Policy, Scottish Refugee Council

Kim Dams, Director, Scottish Rural Action

Ann Shrosbree, Director, Small World Theatre

Judi Rhys, Chief Executive, Tenovus Cancer Care

Jackie Murphy, CEO, TGP Cymru

Dr Cath Larkins, Director, The Centre for Children and Young People's Participation - University of Central Lancashire

Janie Oliver, Executive Director, The Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility

Owen Reidy, Assistant General Secretary, The Irish Congress of Trade Unions

Kenneth R. Curran Snr, Chair, The Manor Assembly

Peter Kelly, Director, The Poverty Alliance

Colin Tudge, Trustee, The Real Farming Trust

Siôn Edwards, Communications Manager, The Venture I.C.C

Peter Hussey, Clerk, the Wales Focus Group of Meeting of Friends in Wales, (Society of Friends (Quakers)

Lindsay Cordery-Bruce, CEO, The Wallich Wiard Sterk, Advocate - Wales / Cymru, the3million

Laura Bannister, Senior Adviser: EU-UK Trade, Trade Justice Movement

Dyfrig Rees, General Secretary, Union of Welsh Independents

Dave Prentis, General Secretary, UNISON

Alexandra Runswick, Director, Unlock Democracy

Steve Nash, Chairperson and Coordinator, Voluntary Sector Advisory Group (VOLSAG)

Revd Dr Noel Davies / Parch. Ddr Noel Davies, Chair / Cadeirydd, Wales & Europe Working Party of Cytûn (Churches together in Wales) / Gweithgor Cymru ac Ewrop Cytûn (Eglwysi ynghyd yng Nghymru)

Susie Ventris-Field, Chief Executive, Welsh Centre for International Affairs

Russel Hobson, Director of Policy and Land Use, Butterfly Conservation

Maria Constanza Mesa, Operational Director / Cyfarwyddwr Gweithredol, Women Connect First / Menywod Gysylltu’n Gyntaf

Sarah Powell, Chair, Women's Equality Network

John Tizard, Strategic Advisor

Caroline Willcocks, Manager of WHISC, Women's Health Information and Support Centre (WHISC)

Anne McVicker, Director, Women's Resource & Development Agency

Tim Frew, Chief Executive, YouthLink Scotland

Rt Hon Alun Michael, Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales



The letter has been facilitated by the Brexit Civil Society Alliance, a UK wide alliance of charities, voluntary and campaigning organisations, with support from its sister Brexit Civil Society Projects in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Alliance does not take a position on what direction Brexit should take but seeks to raise concerns on behalf of its members and work to ensure that the Brexit process delivers on our three principles: open and accountable lawmaking; a high standards UK; and no governance gap after Brexit.



Mike Wild, Chief Executive at Macc said



“The challenge for us is that everything we are hearing is that in the short to medium term there will be an economic hit from Brexit, in whatever form it takes. Even those businesses with greater resources have struggled to prepare for Brexit due to lack of clarity.



Civil society organisations are not concerned only with preparing for the impact on current operations but also thinking about what we might need to do if there are negative consequences - as many predict. For communities where the last recession has still never really ended, we are concerned that those who are already struggling will face additional hardship. Charities are already working harder than ever to fill in the gaps from reduced public services over the last decade. If there is further pressure on them, some will simply not be able to cope with demand.



In the media battles on both sides of the argument, it is hard to tell what is true and what is exaggeration - and the conversation is now so politicised that even raising questions is to wade into a toxic debate. We need frank, practical engagement as a matter of urgency.”