Londoners Demand Independence After Brexit

Geoff Caddick—AFP

Over 40,000 people have signed a petition claiming British capital should be allowed to independently join European Union.

Tens of thousands of Londoners signed a petition for their metropolis to stay in the European Union on Friday, as Mayor Sadiq Khan said the city must have a say in Britain’s exit negotiations.

More than 40,000 people signed a petition on the change.org website saying: “Declare London independent from the U.K. and apply to join the E.U.”

While Britain voted 52 percent in favor of leaving the E.U. in Thursday’s referendum, 60 percent of Londoners voted for Britain to stay. “London is an international city, and we want to remain at the heart of Europe,” the petition said. “Let’s face it—the rest of the country disagrees. So rather than passive aggressively vote against each other at every election, let’s make the divorce official and move in with our friends on the continent. This petition is calling on Mayor Sadiq Khan to declare London independent, and apply to join the E.U.,” it said.

Khan himself issued a statement on the negotiations for Britain’s departure from the E.U. “It is crucial that London has a voice at the table during those renegotiations, alongside Scotland and Northern Ireland,” the pro-E.U. mayor said. “Although we will be outside the E.U., it is crucial that we remain part of the single market,” he said.

“Leaving the single market of 500 million people—with its free-trade benefits—would be a mistake. I will be pushing the government to ensure this is the cornerstone of the negotiations with the E.U.,” he said.

Another petition entitled “London to remain part of the European Union” garnered over 9,000 signatures on change.org, saying the vote to leave the E.U. was “a vital decision that we don’t agree with.”

A Twitter account @London_Stays was also quickly set up and many people tweeted under the hashtag #londonstays in the wake of the vote. “Really hoping we’re just out, not out out,” said one user. Another user wrote: “No longer British but a Londoner.”

“I am now officially all for Scottish independence, a united Ireland and the City-State of London,” another tweeted.

Besides London, Scotland and Northern Ireland were the only other parts of the U.K. where a majority voted in favor of Britain staying in the E.U.