Information and advice on Brexit

Arrangements surrounding Brexit and how the UK will be leaving the EU are ongoing and are being managed by the government.

There is some uncertainty around whether local services might be affected, so here we’ve tried to answer some of the most common questions and concerns.

This page will be updated as negotiations and timescales progress.

1.What are the timescales/when will we be leaving?

The council will continue engaging with our partners and communities on any updated schedules and give advice and support where we can.

More information can be found at www.gov.uk/brexit.

2. Is motorway traffic going to be affected by Brexit?

We’re seeking more advice and guidance from the government on this, but any impact on the transport network will depend on the terms of how we leave the EU.

Work is currently going on across the region to minimise the impact of any disruption at ports and airports and we’ll know more in the coming months.

In the meantime, we’d advise checking www.gov.uk/brexit for further updates.

3. How will food supplies be maintained after Brexit?

The guidance we’ve had from the government is that they don’t expect there to be general shortages of food. There is a possibility that availability of some specific brands might be limited in the short term but we’ll know more once we have more clarity on the terms on which we’ll be leaving the EU.

4. And what about medicine supplies?

NHS England and local health trust have plans in place to ensure they have appropriate stocks of medication in the event of a no deal Brexit.

If you are concerned about your specific medication, we’d recommend contacting your GP for any further advice or visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medicines-information/getting-your-medicines-if-theres-no-deal-eu-exit/

5. In case of a no deal Brexit, will council services in Leeds like bin collections still run as normal?

We’ve got robust but flexible plans in place to ensure there shouldn’t be any disruption to day-to-day services like bin collections in the event of a no deal Brexit and we’re confident it will be business as usual for the council and other local services.

We’ll have more details about anything we might have to adapt to once we know the terms which we’ll be leaving the EU on. We’ll be sure to keep residents and partners fully informed as and when we’re able to give more details.

6. What about if people want to make their views known publicly?

We know people on both sides of the debate are very passionate and we always give people in Leeds the opportunity to make their voices heard.

As with any public protests or demonstrations, we work alongside the police and organisers to ensure these events can take place safely.

We also have a strong and ongoing commitment to community engagement and reassurance and our hope would always be that, as in the past, the city will work together.

7. What will the city do in the event of a second referendum or general election?

Decisions over whether any further votes or elections take place will also be made at national level.  Should this happen our elections team will be prepared to react and further information would be shared with the public as soon as we were made aware.

Our elections pages can be viewed here https://www.leeds.gov.uk/your-council/elections.

8. I’m an EU citizen. What should I do if I want to remain in the UK?

If you want to remain in the UK after Brexit then you’ll need to apply to the EU Citizens Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021, or by 31 December 2020 if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. 

You will be eligible for settlement if you have started living in the UK before the end of the transition period if the UK leaves with a deal. If there is no deal, you will need to have started living in the UK before 29 March 2019 – the original, elapsed ‘exit day’.

Irish citizens do not need to apply.

You can find more details on the gov.uk website at www.gov.uk/euexit or via the city council at www.leeds.gov.uk/brexit.

9. What are you doing to ensure Leeds takes advantage of the opportunities Brexit will provide?

No matter how we leave the EU, Leeds will remain an attractive city for investment and tourism and we’re committed to making the most of that.

As always, we’ll continue to promote the city as an exciting and vibrant place to live, work and visit and we’re excited about opportunities to enhance our already impressive global reputation.

We’ll be working alongside partners and the business community to identify specific opportunities over the coming months.

You can find more information about Brexit from the city council and some of our partners at:

Leeds City Council, including EU resettlement: www.leeds.gov.uk/brexit

Government, including EU resettlement: www.gov.uk/brexit or www.gov.uk/euexit

University of Leeds: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/forstaff/homepage/390/brexit

Leeds Beckett University: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/international-students/europe/brexit/