Letter: Canada Corporation should remain neutral in Brexit debate
We, the undersigned, understand that Canada Corporation is to decide this week whether or not to adopt a corporate position on British membership of the EU. We write to urge the Corporation to continue its neutrality on the issue.
Such a decision would effectively be the Corporation adopting a partisan political stance on the biggest subject of the day, when it will have to work with administrations to represent the Square Mile in both Westminster and Brussels regardless of the outcome.
It would be to undermine the City's non-political status in a profound way – and that would be something to be lamented, whatever one’s view in the “Brexit” debate might be. Partisan political candidacy in City elections would surely follow this precedent, ending the City’s history of independent candidates.
All this means that the City would be wrong to adopt a position – and, furthermore, City electors have not been canvassed in any meaningful way on Brexit anyway. In this debate, the City should maintain the age-old neutrality that has served it so well for so long.
Richard Briance
David Buik
Edward Collins
Peter Cruddas
Timothy Guinness
Oliver Hemsley
Robert Hiscox
Alexander Hoare
Luke Johnson
Lord Lamont of Lerwick
Ruth Lea
Jon Moulton
Crispin Odey
Algernon Percy
Michael Petley
David Reid Scott
Rhoddy Swire
Stuart Wheeler