The places hit most by Brexit are the least equipped to
prosper in the digital economy, according to new research
published by MP, Labour’s Shadow Digital
Minister, today.
Research commissioned by Byrne from the House of Commons
Library shows that the 95 council areas expected to be hit most
by Brexit have average download speeds that are 65% worse than
the areas hurt least by Brexit.
The London School of Economics estimates the areas hit most
will suffer an average 2.4% hit to their economic output under a
Hard Brexit.
The research comes as Byrne sets out Labour’s approach for
developing a blueprint to turn Britain into “the most advanced
digital society in the world”.
A new Digital Taskforce of leading local government leaders
and thinkers – including Councillor Sam Dixon, Leader of
Cheshire West and Chester Council, Councillor Tim Swift, Leader
of Calderdale Council, Councillor Peter Marland, Leader of Milton
Keynes Council, Councillor Fiona Colley, Cabinet Member for
Finance & Modernisation and Councillor Peter Mason,
Cabinet Member for Transformation – will advise the front bench
team.
And Byrne will announce that he will draw on “a new
generation of digital democracy tools, tried and tested by new
parties in Europe”, like Podemos, to help pool the best ideas in
the world.
, Labour’s Shadow Digital
Minister, said:
“If we’re going to make a success of the future then every
part of Britain needs to be equipped to thrive. Especially those
areas hit most by a reckless Tory Brexit.
“Unfortunately, today’s Teletext Tories simply lack a plan
to turn Britain into the world’s most advanced digital
society.
“A quarter of our adults lack basic digital skills. Our
digital infrastructure is well behind our competitors. And while
cybercrime costs our economy £27 billion a year, our police
aren’t equipped to fight back.
“We can’t go on like this. It’s time to open up the debate
to the best thinkers and digital experts in the world to put
together a plan that’s got some real ambition.”
Ends
Notes to editors
· Labour’s
Local Government Digital Taskforce includes:
- Councillor
Sam Dixon, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council
- Councillor
Tim Swift, Leader of Calderdale Council
- Councillor
Peter Marland, Leader of Milton Keynes Council
- Councillor
Fiona Colley, Cabinet Member for Finance &
Modernisation
- Councillor
Peter Mason, Cabinet Member for Transformation
· Analysis
of Local Authority Areas: Hard Brexit impact and average
broadband download speed (Source: House of Commons
Library)
Quartile
|
10-year reduction in GVA
(%)
|
Average download speed
(Mbps)
|
Quartile 1 (Average of 95 authorities hit hardest
by Brexit)
|
-2.4%
|
24.1
|
Quartile 2
|
-2.1%
|
37.0
|
Quartile 3
|
-1.9%
|
45.7
|
Quartile 4 (Average of 95 authorities hit least by
Brexit)
|
-0.5%
|
68.6
|
Local Authority
|
10-year reduction in GVA
(%)
|
Average download speed
(Mbps)
|
City of London
|
-4.3%
|
13.8
|
Aberdeen City
|
-3.7%
|
22.7
|
Tower Hamlets
|
-3.6%
|
22.2
|
Watford
|
-3.1%
|
50.8
|
Mole Valley
|
-3.0%
|
39.6
|
Brentwood
|
-2.8%
|
24.1
|
Craven
|
-2.8%
|
30.8
|
East Hertfordshire
|
-2.8%
|
40.1
|
Islington
|
-2.8%
|
40.2
|
Slough
|
-2.8%
|
41.4
|
Wokingham
|
-2.8%
|
42.9
|
Reigate and Banstead
|
-2.8%
|
43.0
|
Halton
|
-2.8%
|
46.0
|
Reading
|
-2.8%
|
46.4
|
Swindon
|
-2.8%
|
48.1
|
Three Rivers
|
-2.8%
|
49.5
|
Worthing
|
-2.8%
|
53.7
|
Westminster
|
-2.7%
|
22.0
|
Eastleigh
|
-2.7%
|
39.1
|
South Cambridgeshire
|
-2.7%
|
39.7
|
Salford
|
-2.7%
|
41.7
|
Bracknell Forest
|
-2.7%
|
44.9
|
Camden
|
-2.7%
|
45.5
|
Bournemouth
|
-2.7%
|
46.0
|
Edinburgh, City of
|
-2.7%
|
47.2
|
St Albans
|
-2.7%
|
47.3
|
Hertsmere
|
-2.7%
|
48.3
|
Tunbridge Wells
|
-2.6%
|
32.4
|
Basingstoke and Deane
|
-2.6%
|
36.0
|
Hackney
|
-2.6%
|
36.9
|
Leeds
|
-2.6%
|
40.4
|
Trafford
|
-2.6%
|
43.7
|
Harrow
|
-2.6%
|
45.2
|
Epsom and Ewell
|
-2.6%
|
45.4
|
Ipswich
|
-2.6%
|
45.6
|
Bromley
|
-2.6%
|
47.0
|
Elmbridge
|
-2.6%
|
48.8
|
Northampton
|
-2.6%
|
48.9
|
Kingston upon Thames
|
-2.6%
|
49.6
|
Surrey Heath
|
-2.6%
|
51.2
|
Stockton
|
-2.6%
|
51.3
|
Nottingham
|
-2.6%
|
51.6
|
Bristol, City of
|
-2.6%
|
52.4
|
Hart
|
-2.6%
|
52.6
|
Rushmoor
|
-2.6%
|
57.3
|
Milton Keynes
|
-2.5%
|
26.9
|
Cheshire West and Chester
|
-2.5%
|
28.4
|
Cheshire East
|
-2.5%
|
31.9
|
Southwark
|
-2.5%
|
32.8
|
Barnet
|
-2.5%
|
33.4
|
Manchester
|
-2.5%
|
33.6
|
Lambeth
|
-2.5%
|
35.2
|
Glasgow City
|
-2.5%
|
36.3
|
Windsor and Maidenhead
|
-2.5%
|
37.1
|
Chiltern
|
-2.5%
|
38.3
|
Blaby
|
-2.5%
|
38.8
|
Dartford
|
-2.5%
|
38.9
|
South Oxfordshire
|
-2.5%
|
41.8
|
North Tyneside
|
-2.5%
|
42.0
|
Croydon
|
-2.5%
|
42.8
|
Dacorum
|
-2.5%
|
43.8
|
Redbridge
|
-2.5%
|
44.3
|
Warrington
|
-2.5%
|
45.2
|
Runnymede
|
-2.5%
|
45.7
|
Merton
|
-2.5%
|
46.6
|
Welwyn Hatfield
|
-2.5%
|
48.2
|
Cardiff
|
-2.5%
|
48.5
|
Guildford
|
-2.5%
|
49.9
|
Cambridge
|
-2.5%
|
52.0
|
Woking
|
-2.5%
|
52.8
|
Broxbourne
|
-2.5%
|
53.1
|
Peterborough
|
-2.5%
|
53.2
|
Brighton and Hove
|
-2.5%
|
53.5
|
South Gloucestershire
|
-2.5%
|
53.5
|
Havant
|
-2.5%
|
53.6
|
Gloucester
|
-2.5%
|
56.5
|
Vale of White Horse
|
-2.5%
|
68.6
|
St Edmundsbury
|
-2.4%
|
23.8
|
Waverley
|
-2.4%
|
29.9
|
Hammersmith and Fulham
|
-2.4%
|
30.5
|
Calderdale
|
-2.4%
|
30.6
|
East Hampshire
|
-2.4%
|
30.8
|
Winchester
|
-2.4%
|
31.6
|
Bury
|
-2.4%
|
33.2
|
West Lothian
|
-2.4%
|
34.5
|
Chelmsford
|
-2.4%
|
35.1
|
Wandsworth
|
-2.4%
|
35.8
|
Preston
|
-2.4%
|
42.2
|
Liverpool
|
-2.4%
|
44.0
|
Southend
|
-2.4%
|
44.3
|
Exeter
|
-2.4%
|
45.7
|
Cheltenham
|
-2.4%
|
48.3
|
Poole
|
-2.4%
|
48.5
|
Fareham
|
-2.4%
|
48.8
|
Stockport
|
-2.4%
|
50.4
|
Richmond upon Thames
|
-2.4%
|
50.8
|
Darlington
|
-2.4%
|
51.4
|
Inverclyde
|
-2.4%
|
51.9
|
Middlesbrough
|
-2.4%
|
52.6
|
Harlow
|
-2.4%
|
54.5
|
Broxtowe
|
-2.4%
|
54.6
|
Stevenage
|
-2.4%
|
57.4
|
Taunton Deane
|
-2.3%
|
21.8
|
Mid Sussex
|
-2.3%
|
26.4
|
Bolsover
|
-2.3%
|
29.8
|
Wycombe
|
-2.3%
|
30.2
|
Broadland
|
-2.3%
|
32.2
|
Shepway
|
-2.3%
|
32.8
|
Wiltshire
|
-2.3%
|
33.2
|
Lewisham
|
-2.3%
|
33.6
|
Sevenoaks
|
-2.3%
|
34.0
|
West Berkshire
|
-2.3%
|
35.3
|
Harrogate
|
-2.3%
|
38.2
|
Maidstone
|
-2.3%
|
38.4
|
Vale of Glamorgan
|
-2.3%
|
38.9
|
Coventry
|
-2.3%
|
40.7
|
Aylesbury Vale
|
-2.3%
|
42.0
|
York
|
-2.3%
|
42.2
|
Epping Forest
|
-2.3%
|
42.4
|
Test Valley
|
-2.3%
|
42.6
|
Tonbridge and Malling
|
-2.3%
|
42.9
|
Warwick
|
-2.3%
|
43.5
|
Sefton
|
-2.3%
|
43.6
|
Waltham Forest
|
-2.3%
|
44.3
|
North West Leicestershire
|
-2.3%
|
44.4
|
Knowsley
|
-2.3%
|
45.7
|
Havering
|
-2.3%
|
45.9
|
Birmingham
|
-2.3%
|
46.6
|
North Hertfordshire
|
-2.3%
|
47.1
|
Renfrewshire
|
-2.3%
|
47.3
|
Thurrock
|
-2.3%
|
47.8
|
Swansea
|
-2.3%
|
47.8
|
Norwich
|
-2.3%
|
48.0
|
East Renfrewshire
|
-2.3%
|
48.4
|
Rushcliffe
|
-2.3%
|
48.4
|
Sutton
|
-2.3%
|
48.9
|
Solihull
|
-2.3%
|
49.3
|
Redcar and Cleveland
|
-2.3%
|
54.2
|
Lincoln
|
-2.3%
|
56.2
|
Aberdeenshire
|
-2.2%
|
19.2
|
Canterbury
|
-2.2%
|
22.1
|
Thanet
|
-2.2%
|
23.2
|
Horsham
|
-2.2%
|
26.0
|
South Bucks
|
-2.2%
|
29.9
|
Doncaster
|
-2.2%
|
29.9
|
Bromsgrove
|
-2.2%
|
30.1
|
Bath and North East Somerset
|
-2.2%
|
31.3
|
East Cambridgeshire
|
-2.2%
|
31.4
|
Newham
|
-2.2%
|
33.0
|
Rossendale
|
-2.2%
|
33.6
|
Ashford
|
-2.2%
|
35.0
|
Rochdale
|
-2.2%
|
35.5
|
Tandridge
|
-2.2%
|
35.8
|
Castle Point
|
-2.2%
|
36.6
|
Wirral
|
-2.2%
|
38.1
|
Greenwich
|
-2.2%
|
38.1
|
Chorley
|
-2.2%
|
38.1
|
Great Yarmouth
|
-2.2%
|
38.9
|
Newcastle upon Tyne
|
-2.2%
|
39.1
|
Rugby
|
-2.2%
|
39.3
|
Gateshead
|
-2.2%
|
39.9
|
Bexley
|
-2.2%
|
40.2
|
Spelthorne
|
-2.2%
|
41.4
|
Stafford
|
-2.2%
|
42.4
|
Haringey
|
-2.2%
|
43.4
|
Bedford
|
-2.2%
|
44.2
|
Bolton
|
-2.2%
|
45.2
|
Enfield
|
-2.2%
|
46.3
|
Derby
|
-2.2%
|
48.0
|
North Lanarkshire
|
-2.2%
|
49.9
|
Mansfield
|
-2.2%
|
50.1
|
Medway
|
-2.2%
|
52.8
|
Portsmouth
|
-2.2%
|
53.4
|
West Dunbartonshire
|
-2.2%
|
60.0
|
Lancaster
|
-2.2%
|
64.8
|
Midlothian
|
-2.1%
|
18.1
|
Stirling
|
-2.1%
|
20.2
|
Denbighshire
|
-2.1%
|
20.7
|
South Norfolk
|
-2.1%
|
21.0
|
East Ayrshire
|
-2.1%
|
21.0
|
North Devon
|
-2.1%
|
21.2
|
Bridgend
|
-2.1%
|
21.8
|
Rother
|
-2.1%
|
22.1
|
Hastings
|
-2.1%
|
23.3
|
Lewes
|
-2.1%
|
23.4
|
Mendip
|
-2.1%
|
24.9
|
Eastbourne
|
-2.1%
|
25.0
|
North Ayrshire
|
-2.1%
|
25.2
|
Chesterfield
|
-2.1%
|
27.6
|
Staffordshire Moorlands
|
-2.1%
|
29.0
|
Fylde
|
-2.1%
|
29.2
|
Cotswold
|
-2.1%
|
30.0
|
Sheffield
|
-2.1%
|
30.6
|
Torbay
|
-2.1%
|
32.1
|
Fife
|
-2.1%
|
33.2
|
Harborough
|
-2.1%
|
34.0
|
Tewkesbury
|
-2.1%
|
35.4
|
Brent
|
-2.1%
|
36.6
|
Blackburn with Darwen
|
-2.1%
|
37.4
|
Colchester
|
-2.1%
|
38.8
|
Bradford
|
-2.1%
|
38.9
|
Daventry
|
-2.1%
|
39.1
|
Sunderland
|
-2.1%
|
39.6
|
Central Bedfordshire
|
-2.1%
|
40.9
|
Gravesham
|
-2.1%
|
42.1
|
Barking and Dagenham
|
-2.1%
|
42.8
|
Charnwood
|
-2.1%
|
43.2
|
South Lanarkshire
|
-2.1%
|
44.4
|
West Oxfordshire
|
-2.1%
|
45.4
|
Newport
|
-2.1%
|
45.7
|
Tamworth
|
-2.1%
|
45.7
|
St. Helens
|
-2.1%
|
47.5
|
Leicester
|
-2.1%
|
47.8
|
South Tyneside
|
-2.1%
|
50.2
|
East Dunbartonshire
|
-2.1%
|
51.4
|
Plymouth
|
-2.1%
|
54.1
|
Adur
|
-2.1%
|
54.3
|
Dundee City
|
-2.1%
|
54.9
|
North East Lincolnshire
|
-2.1%
|
61.0
|
Stratford
|
-2.1%
|
|
Newcastle
|
-2.1%
|
|
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff
|
-2.1%
|
|
Maldon
|
-2.0%
|
18.7
|
Mid Suffolk
|
-2.0%
|
19.1
|
Scottish Borders
|
-2.0%
|
19.6
|
Gwynedd
|
-2.0%
|
21.7
|
South Staffordshire
|
-2.0%
|
21.9
|
East Dorset
|
-2.0%
|
22.1
|
Northumberland
|
-2.0%
|
22.3
|
County Durham
|
-2.0%
|
22.6
|
Babergh
|
-2.0%
|
22.7
|
Wyre
|
-2.0%
|
22.9
|
Arun
|
-2.0%
|
23.1
|
Weymouth and Portland
|
-2.0%
|
24.7
|
North Warwickshire
|
-2.0%
|
25.0
|
New Forest
|
-2.0%
|
25.6
|
Suffolk Coastal
|
-2.0%
|
25.8
|
Worcester
|
-2.0%
|
27.6
|
Teignbridge
|
-2.0%
|
27.6
|
North Somerset
|
-2.0%
|
27.8
|
South Northamptonshire
|
-2.0%
|
29.9
|
Torfaen
|
-2.0%
|
30.2
|
Christchurch
|
-2.0%
|
35.7
|
Kirklees
|
-2.0%
|
36.9
|
Lichfield
|
-2.0%
|
37.3
|
Ealing
|
-2.0%
|
38.1
|
Huntingdonshire
|
-2.0%
|
38.2
|
Wyre Forest
|
-2.0%
|
38.3
|
Oldham
|
-2.0%
|
40.4
|
South Ribble
|
-2.0%
|
42.7
|
Telford and Wrekin
|
-2.0%
|
43.1
|
Basildon
|
-2.0%
|
44.1
|
Cherwell
|
-2.0%
|
44.5
|
Southampton
|
-2.0%
|
45.1
|
Wigan
|
-2.0%
|
48.0
|
Nuneaton and Bedworth
|
-2.0%
|
48.3
|
Oxford
|
-2.0%
|
49.2
|
Redditch
|
-2.0%
|
50.9
|
Luton
|
-2.0%
|
53.3
|
Falkirk
|
-2.0%
|
53.9
|
Hartlepool
|
-2.0%
|
56.1
|
Stoke
|
-2.0%
|
|
Highland
|
-1.9%
|
17.4
|
Malvern Hills
|
-1.9%
|
19.0
|
Torridge
|
-1.9%
|
19.5
|
Conwy
|
-1.9%
|
19.6
|
East Lothian
|
-1.9%
|
19.6
|
Stroud
|
-1.9%
|
20.4
|
Tendring
|
-1.9%
|
20.4
|
South Hams
|
-1.9%
|
20.4
|
Breckland
|
-1.9%
|
21.0
|
Caerphilly
|
-1.9%
|
21.2
|
Clackmannanshire
|
-1.9%
|
21.2
|
Braintree
|
-1.9%
|
21.3
|
West Dorset
|
-1.9%
|
21.4
|
Blaenau Gwent
|
-1.9%
|
21.6
|
East Staffordshire
|
-1.9%
|
21.6
|
Wealden
|
-1.9%
|
23.1
|
Chichester
|
-1.9%
|
23.2
|
Isle of Wight
|
-1.9%
|
23.3
|
Rochford
|
-1.9%
|
23.5
|
Purbeck
|
-1.9%
|
23.7
|
East Riding of Yorkshire
|
-1.9%
|
26.2
|
Wakefield
|
-1.9%
|
29.3
|
Rotherham
|
-1.9%
|
29.6
|
Perth and Kinross
|
-1.9%
|
30.2
|
Swale
|
-1.9%
|
33.6
|
Tameside
|
-1.9%
|
33.6
|
Walsall
|
-1.9%
|
40.2
|
Wellingborough
|
-1.9%
|
40.4
|
Kensington and Chelsea
|
-1.9%
|
40.4
|
Blackpool
|
-1.9%
|
42.9
|
Burnley
|
-1.9%
|
46.7
|
Wolverhampton
|
-1.9%
|
47.0
|
Gosport
|
-1.9%
|
50.1
|
Gedling
|
-1.9%
|
51.9
|
Rutland
|
-1.9%
|
58.3
|
King`s Lynn and West Norfolk
|
-1.9%
|
|
Ceredigion
|
-1.8%
|
16.8
|
West Devon
|
-1.8%
|
17.4
|
Mid Devon
|
-1.8%
|
17.6
|
Monmouthshire
|
-1.8%
|
19.6
|
Pembrokeshire
|
-1.8%
|
19.8
|
South Somerset
|
-1.8%
|
20.0
|
North Dorset
|
-1.8%
|
20.6
|
Boston
|
-1.8%
|
21.3
|
Bassetlaw
|
-1.8%
|
21.5
|
High Peak
|
-1.8%
|
21.6
|
Richmondshire
|
-1.8%
|
21.6
|
Cornwall
|
-1.8%
|
21.9
|
Shropshire
|
-1.8%
|
21.9
|
South Lakeland
|
-1.8%
|
22.2
|
Selby
|
-1.8%
|
23.0
|
South Ayrshire
|
-1.8%
|
23.9
|
Angus
|
-1.8%
|
24.6
|
Carlisle
|
-1.8%
|
25.8
|
Kingston upon Hull, City of
|
-1.8%
|
27.3
|
East Northamptonshire
|
-1.8%
|
43.0
|
Hillingdon
|
-1.8%
|
46.7
|
Kettering
|
-1.8%
|
47.4
|
Ashfield
|
-1.8%
|
53.3
|
Eilean Siar
|
-1.8%
|
|
Argyll and Bute
|
-1.7%
|
14.6
|
Carmarthenshire
|
-1.7%
|
16.6
|
Derbyshire Dales
|
-1.7%
|
18.2
|
Copeland
|
-1.7%
|
20.8
|
West Lancashire
|
-1.7%
|
21.5
|
Wrexham
|
-1.7%
|
21.8
|
Flintshire
|
-1.7%
|
22.0
|
Ribble Valley
|
-1.7%
|
23.0
|
Uttlesford
|
-1.7%
|
23.7
|
Scarborough
|
-1.7%
|
24.3
|
South Derbyshire
|
-1.7%
|
26.0
|
East Devon
|
-1.7%
|
26.9
|
West Lindsey
|
-1.7%
|
27.7
|
Cannock Chase
|
-1.7%
|
29.1
|
Barnsley
|
-1.7%
|
31.3
|
Dover
|
-1.7%
|
31.4
|
South Kesteven
|
-1.7%
|
33.3
|
Hinckley and Bosworth
|
-1.7%
|
41.2
|
Oadby and Wigston
|
-1.7%
|
43.8
|
Dudley
|
-1.7%
|
47.2
|
Barrow
|
-1.7%
|
|
Orkney Islands
|
-1.6%
|
13.5
|
Shetland Islands
|
-1.6%
|
15.7
|
Powys
|
-1.6%
|
15.8
|
West Somerset
|
-1.6%
|
17.4
|
North Norfolk
|
-1.6%
|
19.5
|
Wychavon
|
-1.6%
|
21.9
|
East Lindsey
|
-1.6%
|
22.1
|
Sedgemoor
|
-1.6%
|
24.4
|
Hambleton
|
-1.6%
|
26.4
|
Forest Heath
|
-1.6%
|
29.7
|
North Kesteven
|
-1.6%
|
36.3
|
Newark and Sherwood
|
-1.6%
|
37.1
|
Hyndburn
|
-1.6%
|
38.1
|
Sandwell
|
-1.6%
|
38.3
|
Erewash
|
-1.6%
|
45.8
|
Herefordshire, County of
|
-1.5%
|
18.7
|
Merthyr Tydfil
|
-1.5%
|
19.4
|
Waveney
|
-1.5%
|
24.6
|
Pendle
|
-1.5%
|
35.4
|
Forest of Dean
|
-1.4%
|
17.8
|
Dumfries and Galloway
|
-1.4%
|
18.5
|
North East Derbyshire
|
-1.4%
|
20.3
|
Allerdale
|
-1.4%
|
20.9
|
Amber Valley
|
-1.4%
|
21.5
|
Ryedale
|
-1.4%
|
22.2
|
Fenland
|
-1.4%
|
29.4
|
Neath Port Talbot
|
-1.4%
|
44.4
|
Eden
|
-1.3%
|
18.9
|
Moray
|
-1.3%
|
20.1
|
North Lincolnshire
|
-1.3%
|
38.1
|
Corby
|
-1.3%
|
55.3
|
Anglesey
|
-1.2%
|
|
South Holland
|
-1.1%
|
20.9
|
Isles of Scilly
|
-1.1%
|
29.0
|
Crawley
|
-1.1%
|
52.1
|
Melton
|
-0.8%
|
35.4
|
Hounslow
|
-0.5%
|
47.8
|