The term "London Independence" ( Engl. London independence , sometimes abbreviated to Londependence [1] ) refers to the conviction of the full independence of London as a city-state separate from the United Kingdom .
Content
- 1 movement
- 2 Public opinion
- 3 Criticism
- 4 See also
- 5 notes
Movement
The status of London in the United Kingdom has been discussed for several years, there are calls for greater autonomy [2] [3] , whose supporters argue their views with the fact that Greater London with its population of more than 8 million people, given the size of its economy, its role, the multinational population and with its unique problems compared with the rest of England has the prerequisites for greater autonomy. The idea of turning London into a city-state has been discussed since the 1990s, and reappeared during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum [3] .
The autonomy movement or full sovereignty was boosted by a referendum on Britain’s EU membership in 2016, which resulted in the United Kingdom as a whole voting to leave the European Union (52%), although the majority in London voted to keep Britain in EU (60%). This led to 180,000 Londoners applying to Sadik Khan , the mayor of London , for independence from Britain to remain part of the EU. Supporters referred to the status of a “ global city ” and its demographic and economic differences from the rest of the United Kingdom, and argue that it should become a city-state based on the Singapore model, while remaining an EU member [4] [5] [6] [7 ] [8] [9] [10] .
Labor Spencer Livermore said London’s independence “should be the goal,” arguing that the city-state of London will have twice as much GDP as Singapore [11] . Journalist Tony Travers argued that Khan would "be well within his rights to tell the government that London did not vote for leaving the EU and that the city hall now considers the government to be dysfunctional." Analyst Kevin Doran noted that the establishment of London as an independent state is not only possible, but inevitable “in 20-30 years” [12] .
Following the EU referendum, Peter John, leader of the Southwark Labor Party, said it would be a “legitimate question” for London to consider its future in the UK and the European Union. In Southwark, 72% voted to remain in the EU. John also said that “London will be the 15th largest EU state, larger than Austria, Denmark and Ireland,” [13] .
Public Opinion
Two opinion polls were conducted by YouGov regarding their preferred constitutional status for Londoners.
| Date (s) carrying out | Organization Activities / Client | Sample size | Status Quo (London Assembly) | London Parliament | About the cancellation of the Assembly | London independence | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1-6, 2016 | YouGov / Evening Standard | 1,061 | 32% | 23% | 7% | eleven% | 28% |
| October 8-13, 2014 | YouGov / Evening Standard | thirty% | thirty% | 6% | 5% | 29% |
Another survey of 2,001 people, conducted by Censuswide in September 2014, showed that 19.9% of Londoners would like the city to become independent, supported by people aged 25-34 years [14] .
Criticism
London's idea of independence was criticized as unrealistic. Brian Groom of the Financial Times wrote that it’s ridiculous to think of any nation that happily waves “goodbye” to its capital, calling the idea of separation “a fantasy” [15] .
Dr. James Cur-Lindsay, a senior fellow at the London School of Economics , who specializes in separatist movements, said in connection with the London Independence Referendum that he "has difficulty imagining how any government would agree to such a vote." He also said that if London had fled without permission, he could not have joined the UN [16] .
See also
- Scottish Independence Movement
- London assembly
- City of London Corporation
Notes
- ↑ 'Londependence' May Be a Dream, but More Autonomy for the City Is Not . The New York Times (28 June 2016).
- ↑ The UK needs a devolved government for London (January 30, 2016).
- ↑ 1 2 Smith, Richard G London after Brexit: independence a non-starter but special status could protect global position .
- ↑ Second Scotland Referendum 'Highly Likely' .
- ↑ Hedges-Stocks, Zoah Londoners call for independence from UK . Archived June 25, 2016.
- ↑ It's time for London to leave the UK (24 June 2016).
- ↑ Thousands call on Sadiq Khan to declare London's independence (June 24, 2016).
- ↑ 'Londependence' petition calls for London to join the EU on its own (24 June 2016).
- ↑ Londoners want their own independence after Brexit result .
- ↑ Metro.co.uk, Nicole Morley for 70,000 sign petition for London to become independent and rejoin the EU (24 June 2016).
- ↑ London Independence Goes Beyond A Twitter Joke With Politicians Seriously Discussing It (June 24, 2016).
- ↑ London independence: Could the capital break away from the UK? .
- ↑ Alex Yeates . Southwark Council Leader backs calls for London to consider independence from UK after EU Referendum result (24 June 2016). Date of treatment June 26, 2016.
- ↑ Moore-Bridger, Benedict 'One in five Londoners want the capital to become independent' . Evening Standard (10 September 2014). - "19.9 per cent of the 2,001 people surveyed agree [d] it [London] would be better off as its own country.". Date of appeal March 31, 2017.
- ↑ Groom, Brian Could London ever be a city-state? . Financial Times (August 26, 2013). - "This is, of course, fantasy. Unlike Scotland, London has no separatist movement. ” Date of appeal March 31, 2017.
- ↑ https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/we-asked-an-expert-if-london-could-secede-from-the-uk%7C (link not available)