Doug Taylor and Terry Neville occupy the opposite ends of the political spectrum in Enfield Council – and in the Brexit debate.

Cllr Taylor, leader of the council and the Enfield Labour party, believes the UK will be better served remaining in the EU, while Cllr Neville said “anyone with any sense” would back us leaving.

They both spoke to the Enfield Independent ahead of the referendum, which takes place on June 23.

Cllr Taylor said: “For Britain and for Enfield, the likelihood of prosperity is enhanced by remaining in with our biggest trading partner.

“From an economic view it makes sense, and in an uncertain world it offers us peace and stability.

“You look at countries like Norway and Switzerland, which are not members but which still have to accept the constraints without any influence, it is better to be on the inside.

“The argument of making our borders more secure is a figment of the leave campaign’s imagination, they can’t have it both ways with the single market but no free movement.

“Many Enfield businesses export to EU countries, they will be harmed by us leaving, and we have received funding which has allowed us to create jobs.

“It is a no-brainer, a simple conundrum.”

Both men voted in the last EU referendum held in 1975, and both have swapped sides, with Cllr Taylor admitting he wanted to leave back when Harold Wilson called for a vote on membership, and Cllr Neville saying back then he had wanted us to remain.

Now however Cllr Neville has fallen out of love with European politics, calling it a “fool’s paradise”, and the £197m a week Britain gives to the EU a “hell of a lot of money”.

He said: “The big issue is control of our borders – I have seen it over the years as a magistrate and as a councillor, we have no control, and Theresa May knows that too even if she is in the Remain camp.

“We do not have the resources to accommodate, we need a quota system, but that is impossible with the EU’s demands for free movement.

“There is no way we can deal with the volume of people while we are in the EU, we simply have not got the resources.

“With the money we could fix hospitals that are falling apart at the seams, create more homes and jobs, where is the sense in giving that money away?

“In 1975 I was more than happy to go along for the ride, but a lot of things have happened and circumstances changed since then.

“The bottom line is that the EU has descended into a socialist club, and I no longer want us to be a member”.