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,
Fiona Twycross AM
Londonwide Assembly Member