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From broken promises to curry house owners to a spike in hate crimes, there are plenty of Brexit concerns for minority communities.

Belonging to an ethnic minority in the UK encompasses a whole range of diverse experiences and issues. But whichever community you come from, the chances are you’ll have concerns about Brexit. Addressing these worries, and getting ethnic minority voices heard, is the driving force behind the new campaign Ethnic Minorities for a People’s Vote.

A number of Brexit-related issues have disproportionately affected ethnic minorities. One high-profile example is the broken promises to curry house owners during the referendum. They were regaled by Vote Leave’s “save our curry houses” campaign with pledges to increase work permits for non-EU migrant workers after Brexit. Current post-Brexit immigration plans, clamping down on low-skilled migration from anywhere, has betrayed their trust.

Meanwhile, the severe labour shortage in the curry industry continues. Discussions with industry leaders by People’s Vote shows that they think this crisis will never be prioritised, thanks to the constant focus on Brexit.

But the unfairness perceived in this “two-tier” immigration system between EU and non-EU migrants goes beyond this curry house crisis. It goes to matters of the heart: many African, Asian and Caribbean heritage people have expressed resentment at the apparent ease with which “white Europeans” could bring over spouses or family members from their countries of origin. By contrast, the minimum income threshold for British citizens to bring over a spouse from outside the EEA is £18,600. This has caused hardship and separation for tens of thousands of families.

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More than two years on from the referendum, the promises made during the campaign seem further away from ever. Remember the sunny uplands, the “easiest trade deal in history”, the £350m extra each week for the NHS? Brexit hasn’t happened yet – but the damage is already hurting us. Doctors, nurses, carers, scientists and academics are leaving, threatening the sustainability of our social care system and NHS. The economy has taken a hit; inflation is rising; and the weaker pound means holidays and imported food all cost more.

But Brexit isn’t inevitable. If enough MPs find the courage to stand up and do what is right we have a way out of this mess. Our letter, which you can download and print at home, is designed to be folded up like an old fashioned air-mail letter. In it, we call on MPs to back a People’s Vote, with an option to cancel Brexit, as an honourable way out of this mess.

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Lincolnshire European Movement has been taking their Brexitometer on a mini tour of Lincolnshire with some incredible results. 

Starting in Grantham, the birthplace of Margaret Thatcher, a key architect of the European Single Market, campaigners arrived early in the morning with a bit of trepidation. Lincolnshire EM had been told that the town was very hostile before the referendum and was a difficult place to campaign. Yet within 5 minutes of setting up our Brexitometer, they were receiving support for the People’s Vote. They did of course receive some forthright views in support of Brexit, but they were in the minority. Pretty much everyone was civil, and pretty much everyone agreed that the Government has not made a good job of Brexit and the support for a People’s Vote was strong.

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At the invitation of Sevenoaks & Swanley Together in Europe (SSTIE), Lord Adonis addressed local supporters of the UK remaining at the heart of the European Union.

Despite foul weather, a full house of almost two hundred Remainers and Leavers greeted Lord Adonis. The audience ranged from a large contingent of local school students though to pensioners, representing all walks of life across West Kent, united by their concern at Brexit.

West Kent MPs

Lord Adonis opened a fast paced and animated speech by talking of his personal connections to Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells. He spoke respectfully of the three MPs representing the constituencies covering Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells – Sir Michael Fallon, Tom Tugendhat and Greg Clark – then highlighted the decisive role that our representatives will have in the next months. Each had campaigned for remain during the referendum. Each fell-in behind the result despite understanding the damage it would cause, not least to their respective special-interests of the UK’s defence, foreign-affairs and businesses.
Lord Adonis implored the audience to write to, contact on social media, or arrange a meeting with our MPs, as it is absolutely critical we get across to them the strength of their constituents’ feelings on this epoch-shaping decision.

Lord Adonis addressing SSTIE, October 2018. Photo Rindy Bakker

The UK

Lord Adonis spoke of how he’s been continually travelling the country since the referendum, visiting all corners of the four nations. This was despite his having taken almost no part in the original referendum campaign. Out of this activity has come his book: Saving Britain: How We Must Change to Prosper in Europe, in which he highlights the need to address the underlying causes of the vote. He spoke amusingly of the amount of time he spends in TV and radio-studios opposite “Jacob” and “Nigel”, and ran through their evolving banter about The Middle Ages and German second-passports.

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The Friday before the Conservative Party Conference Charles Tannock, MEP, managed to fit a dinner with European Movement Wandsworth into his busy schedule.

EM Wandsworth were thrilled to hear him talk about his work in the European Parliament and at the same time sorry to realise that Britain may be leaving this successful pan-European co-operation if the Brexiteers get their way. Mr Tannock emphasised his worry about the intolerance that is spreading in public debate and the media.

After the dinner, Mr Tannock speaker tweeted: "I was pleased to speak tonight at a fund-raising event for euromove in Wandsworth & Merton, meeting members of the independent, cross-party organisation committed to keeping the UK in the EU, along with activists from other pro-European organisations in south-west London."

To find out more about European Movement Wandsworth, check out their website or their twitter page

For television viewers, the Labour conference Brexit highlight was perhaps the standing ovation for Keir Starmer's statement that nobody was taking "Remain" off the table when it comes to a public vote on the deal.

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One of the founding Articles of the EU makes its commitment to gender equality explicit:

“In all its activities the European Union shall aim to eliminate

inequalities and to promote equality between men and women”

This principle commits EU countries and institutions to trying to achieve gender equality and a more equal balance between men and women in all the areas in which member-states have decided to build a close union.

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Theresa May ended last week with the indignity of being publicly berated by Donald Trump over her Brexit policy and told her much cherished trade deal with the US might never be.  At home, she finds herself hostage to Brexit hardliners after the unravelling of her Chequers agreement. EU negotiating partners can only wonder who has the final say in London as talks approach an autumn deadline and preparations are made on both sides to tackle the chaos of a disastrous no-deal exit.

Meanwhile, the EU moves on, concluding a long-awaited deal with Japan  that creates the largest area for free trade that the world has ever known. As long as the UK is an EU member, British companies benefit from this arrangement. After Brexit, it's not clear whether, as a smaller trading entity, Britain will be able to secure the same terms as the EU for such an arrangement.

EU braces for chaotic no-deal outcome after Theresa May’s concessions to hardliners - Evening Standard
European leaders scramble to prepare for a “chaotic” no-deal Brexit after Theresa May gives concessions to the Tory Right to survive a week of rebellions, savage infighting and open threats to her leadership.

Now is probably a good time to remind ourselves of the government’s own secret analysis, leaked to the Sunday Times last month, which predicted food, fuel and medicine shortages within days and the Port of Dover collapsing “on day one” if there was no deal.

EU trade deal with Japan shines light amid global protectionist trends - New York Times

The EU signs its largest trade deal ever, a pact with Japan that will cover a quarter of the global economy — by some measures the largest free-trade area in the world — and is the latest in a string of efforts either concluded or in the works. They point to a more assertive Europe looking past frosty ties with the United States, and even the coming withdrawal of the UK from the bloc.

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Quote of the Week

“I thought that the white paper was going in the right direction. Now we see that unravelling again, so all the more reason for us to take more serious decisions.”

Airbus chief Tom Enders speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow

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InFacts

EU-Japan trade deal shows what we will be missing out on - Milo Mallaby

Boris Johnson’s resignation speech lays bare Brexit breakdown - Luke Lythgoe

For the Tories, breaking up is not so hard to do - Nick Kent

Chaos reigns as Brextremists grab the wheel from May - Luke Lythgoe

What should be the question in a People’s Vote? - Hugo Dixon

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More Brexit News

How the BBC lost the plot on Brexit - New York Review of Books
The BBC’s reporting of the scandals around the Brexit referendum is not biased or unbalanced: it barely exists. It’s like if the US networks had decided the Mueller investigation was no concern of theirs.

Prominent Tory MP suggests national unity government to save the UK , but what’s the likelihood? - Guardian
The idea of a government of national unity has been mooted as a way of saving the country from a Brexit disaster. But, Jonathan Freedland argues, wounds still run deep in the Labour Party from previous such arrangement back in the 1930s. A second referendum would be more likely.

Labour opens up biggest lead over Tories since general election - Observer

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Video of the Week

Justine Greening on Sky News explaining why she's backing a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal

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Brexit Comment

Brussels is set to unpick May’s white paper - Quentin Peel, InFacts
When Theresa May finally published her long-delayed Brexit White Paper last week, there was an audible sigh of relief in Brussels. Don’t knock it too much, they said. At least we have something to negotiate. Already, that looks like wishful thinking.

Boris Johnson has ruined Britain - Jenni Russell, New York Times
Boris Johnson saw the Brexit campaign as a manoeuvre to  secure his future, writes British journalist Jenni Russell. “Instead, in damaging the country, he fears he has wrecked his own future, too. As one of his allies told me last month: ‘He knows that the verdict of history is about to come down on him — and bury him.’”

Michael Gove: I wanted 'different feel' to Vote Leave campaign - BBC
Michael Gove has distanced himself from some of the arguments he made during the Brexit referendum, including claims over levels of Turkish immigration.

Hardline Brexiteer says we should leave without a deal; then we don’t have to pay the money - Express
Jacob Rees-Mogg says the UK should simply leave the EU on WTO terms “and then we don’t have to pay them the £39 billion. “So there’s nothing to be fearful about.”

Vote Leave broke electoral law and British democracy is shaken (Guardian)
A democracy is only as strong as the elections that set its course. If they can be bought or subverted, then confidence in democracy and the legitimacy of the governments it instals, ebbs away.

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Final Word

OFOC's Will Dry slams Brextremists for blaming everyone else for this chaotic, botched Brexit that the government are pursuing