Andrew Cooper of Kirklees Council claims UK citizens were "conned" by Brexiteers and has called for a second referendum on the issue

BREXIT brought out the best - but often worst - of Europe's 'second-tier parliament' during a fiercely-charged debate on the social, economic and political consequences for local and regional governments, its implications for citizenship and the future of the Irish border.

In an a marathon session of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) in Brussels, there was a call for a second referendum, the threat of a breakdown of the northern peace process was raised, and there was even a plea from Belgium to allow the Belfast-Derry Capital of Culture bid to proceed.

The CoR is a collective of 350 local and regional leaders from across Europe, its members mostly all elected at city, town or village level and whose views represent grassroots opinion and champion the cause of the farmer, fisherman and small businessman.

And when those sub-national authorities had the opportunity to weigh into the Brexit debate at the 126th CoR plenary session, they spoke in the sort of emotive language which we've yet to hear from Messrs Barnier or Davis.

Many CoR debates tend to be timid and anodyne, but Brexit raised their heckles, running over its allotted time slot by nearly two hours and forcing a planned reception by Estonia to fall flat.

During the discussions, CoR president Karl Heinz-Lambertz spoke against the creation of a hard border and argued that Brexit should not in any way endanger the size and significance of cohesion policy in the future EU budget.

"A hard border will have hard consequences," he warned.

"From trade to tourism to agriculture to the lives of thousands of daily border commuters, such possible upheaval will be costly to regions and cities on both sides of this regrettable divorce.

"Brexit should not be used as the pretext to diminish the role of EU cohesion policy which creates jobs, offers training, invests in infrastructure and reinforces public services for all Europeans."

CoR vice-president Markku Markkula added: "English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish authorities have worked closely within the EU for 40 years. Together we've been stronger. But we need to try to ease the difficulties of separation and respond to the shared global challenges faced by regions and cities such as economical, ecological, social and cultural dimensions of sustainable growth."

Other speakers included Irish MEP Brian Hayes, who led discussions on the challenge of external borders; and two local politicians elected outside their home country - Guilherme Rosa, a Portuguese citizen who is now deputy mayor of Lambeth Council in London, and Derek Monks, a British citizen who is a local councillor in Rojales in the Spanish province of Alicante.

But it was when the debate was thrown open to the floor that the already emotive language became even more charged and often militant, with more than 30 delegates wading in with opinions (an unprecedented number at CoR level).

Andrew Cooper from Kirklees Council claimed UK citizens had been "conned by the hijacked perversion of real democracy", and insisted that "only the most rabid foam-mouthed Brexiteer" could argue against a second referendum on the issue.

Enda Stenson from Leitrim County Council said: "I've seen what a physical border can bring, and the impact of violence. We must never revert to the past so need compromise now as never before."

And Jerry Lundy, a member of Sligo County Council, asked: "What will happen to Donegal if its sick can't have access to their main hospital across the border in Derry? This is nothing short of a disaster for my region."

Dublin councillor Mary Freehill said: "I was reared half a mile from the border and remember good times and bad. But I worry that progress is threatened and all those peace funds from the EU will come to nought.

"And if we have to produce passports again it will open old wounds and seriously threaten the peace in Northern Ireland."

Other speakers raised the issue of Erasmus and Interreg funding, which means research centres can't plan ahead and budget.

And Belgian Alain Hutchinson said he was appalled the five UK bids for 2023 European Capital of Culture would not be allowed to proceed, adding: "This week was to have seen publication of the first short list, yet the EU Commission, without consultation, simply cancelled the process.

"This needs reversed as Europe must retain its commitment to UK candidate cities in this process."