A Liberal Democrat proposal for Hertfordshire County Council to back calls for a People’s Vote on a final Brexit deal has been voted down.

At a meeting of the full council on Tuesday (November 27) Lib Dem councillor Steve Jarvis highlighted data from the Local Enterprise Partnership that suggests that up to 75,000 jobs in the county could be put at risk by Brexit.

He also pointed to a fall in National Insurance registrations by EU citizens in the county and to predictions of reduced growth in districts across Hertfordshire.

And he called on the county council to request a ‘People’s Vote’ on any final Brexit deal – with an option to remain in the EU.

However at the meeting the motion was voted down – with 15 councillors voting for, 43 against and nine abstentions.

During the debate Conservative council leader Cllr David Williams asked members not to vote for the motion.

“We are a representative democracy and I consider it inappropriate to call for another referendum at this time,” he said.

Lib Dem councillor Cllr Ron Tindall raised concerns about the impact Brexit would have on the health service.

And fellow Lib Dem Cllr Nick Hollinghurst said that rather than being undemocratic a second referendum – once a deal was finalised – would be logical and reasonable

Meanwhile Conservative councillor Fiona Guest stressed that the voice of the people had already been heard.

She said: “The People’s Vote has happened. It happened on 23rd June, 2016. . . . The people wanted to leave the EU.”

Referencing comments about the impact it would have n NHS, she pointed to staff that travelled here from countries outside the EU, such as the Philippines.

And she said: “Brexit should be seen not as a threat. . . But as an opportunity.”

Fellow Conservative Cllr Jonathan Kaye said he would not back the motion – but would wait to see what would happen after the Brexit deal was presented to Parliament.

And although he said he had some sympathies with the sentiments in the motion, he said he was concerned about the decisiveness it would provoke.

“I would much rather we had never had the referendum in the first place,” he said.

Meanwhile Labour councillor Joshua Bennett Lovell said the Labour group would not be backing the motion – pointing to national party policy that suggested it was a General Election and not a further referendum that was required.