All blogs

I think there are three reasons why my MP should support a People’s Vote and Britain’s continued membership of the European Union.

First, I think there are good reasons to invalidate the 2016 referendum. There was no specific proposal to vote on, so it wasn’t clear exactly what was being proposed and the ‘Leave’ campaign were able to promise different and incompatible things to
different people; Much of the ‘Leave’ campaign was based on xenophobia and even racism. The ‘Remain’ campaign was headed by people who didn’t believe in the cause such as David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn, it was set up to fail and excluded the voices of people who genuinely believe in Britain’s membership of the European Union. It was the cause of the ‘deep divisions’ that concern my MP. 

These divisions will only deepen if there is not a People's Vote. 

Read more

I have been studying the history of the Conservative Party and its attitude to the European Union and it is fascinating.

In 1946, Winston Churchill, who also founded the European Movement, made a speech in Zurich in which he was one of the first people to propose a ‘United States of Europe’. He also went on to say that: "Men will be proud to say: 'I am a European' We hope to see a Europe where men of every country will think as much of being European as belonging to their native land".

Read more

Recently, Brexiteers such as Jacob Rees-Mogg have described the post-war capitalist system in Europe, including Britain, as a “failed model”. In my view this model is far from perfect but has delivered peace and prosperity on a scale that has never been achieved before anywhere in the world.

Read more

Every day, the demand for a People's Vote gets stronger and stronger, as the wonderful benefits of the EU become more apparent, whilst the harsh reality of Brexit hits hard, which are set to get worse IF the UK leaves the EU. Every weekend and on many weekday evenings, the People's Vote local groups, including European Movement local branches highlight this through the events they hold. 

Whether it's social evenings, panel discussions or street stalls, our groups are engaging with people in their local area about the Brexit debate and about the importance of the People's Vote campaign, and this is why you should join them. 

Read more

Groups campaigning for a People’s Vote will be out in force on the streets of Ealing on Saturday 8th December for a National Day of Action involving thousands of people across the UK, joined by Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council, Rupa Huq MP and Stephen Pound MP.

The National Day of Action is being organised by activists and supporters from the People’s Vote campaign, just days before a crucial vote in Parliament on the government’s Brexit plans.

Julian Bell, the leader of Ealing Council, has agreed to join activists on Saturday, along with Dr Rupa Huq, the MP for Ealing Central and Acton, and Stephen Pound, the MP for Ealing North. Virendra Sharma has also been invited to attend the event.

Saturday’s National Day of Action follows the People’s Vote Summer of Action, which saw hugely successful rallies take place across the country, including in Bristol, Edinburgh, and in London, where the People’s Vote March for the Future saw a crowd of over 700,000 take to the streets.

As well as in Ealing, events are taking place all over the country, with thousands of activists and supporters involved. Street stalls will be set up in towns and cities the length and breadth of the country. This will be the last action day before Parliament votes on the deal on December 11^th.

There will also be eleven regional flagship events throughout the country, as well as a rally in Sheffield to highlight that public opinion is moving away from supporting Brexit in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Opinion polls consistently show a clear majority of voters in most constituencies across Britain, including all three Ealing parliamentary constituencies, want their say on Brexit in a People’s Vote.

As part of the government’s Brexit deal, the UK has agreed to pay a £50 billion divorce bill, but we’ll get nothing in return. Instead, we’ll lose all our rights as an EU member – with less trade, fewer opportunities, and lower living standards.

British people will lose the right to live, work or study visa-free around Europe. And following what would be the biggest single biggest loss of sovereignty and control in British history, we would continue to follow EU rules, but have no say over how they’re made.

Even the government itself has now admitted that the Brexit deal will severely harm our economy. Dominic Raab, the Cabinet Minister who was supposedly responsible for negotiating Brexit, has said this deal is worse than staying in the EU.

Curtis Parfitt-Ford, of the Ealing European Movement, said:

 “People don’t just have to accept a bad Brexit, they can demand their voice is heard. In every Ealing constituency, more than 60% of voters want a People's Vote on the final deal, and in both Ealing Central and Acton and Ealing Southall two-thirds of people do. The public needs to have the final say on this crucial decision because, in the end, only the people can really sort this mess out.”

Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council, said:

"The government’s Brexit deal is the worst of both worlds. It demonstrates clearly that the promises on which the referendum campaign was fought are undeliverable, while surrendering Britain’s seat at the table and our voice in Europe. This is a bad deal for Britain and a bad deal for Ealing. Now that we know what the deal looks like, it is time to give the people the chance to make an informed decision through a People’s Vote, with the option to remain, rather than parliament being given a false choice between a bad deal and crashing out. Ealing Council has backed a People’s Vote and I’d urge everyone to come along on Saturday to show their support for the people getting the final say."

The event will take place between 11am and 3pm on Saturday 8th December, outside Elizabeth Square/Christ the Saviour Church in Ealing Broadway. The Ealing European Movement invites volunteers to sign up here.

/ends

Read more

Support in Parliament for the Brexiteers’ call to “crash out of the EU and trade on WTO rules” seems to be ebbing away. But this just reflects fears about short term inconveniences (such as stockpiling medicines) rather than a proper appreciation of the huge, and continuing, risks to the UK’s foreign trade. Commentators have failed to test the full implications of the Leavers’ proposals against the complex reality that would face the UK.

Read more

Leavers argue that Remainers don’t respect democracy. We argue Leavers never had an agreed Plan and the Government doesn’t have a mandate to conclude the Brexit deal.

London4Europe Committee member Michael Romberg sets out some ways to bring that message homewith a series of analogies which invalidate various Leave arguments that the vote has taken place and the ‘will of the people’ must be respected.

Picnic in the rain

Last night, my girlfriend and l decided to have a picnic today.

Today it is raining.

Farage says we must have the picnic – the will of the couple must be respected. Our only choice is umbrella or anorak.

Instead we went to a museum.

A trip to the cinema

A group of us decided to go together to see a film and to decide which one when we got to the cinema. We found that there was no one film that most of us wanted to see. So a majority now want to go out together for a meal in a restaurant.

Theresa May would tell us that we had to see a film, as that decision had already been taken.

If we followed her advice most of us would be unhappy and we might split up into separate groups.

Buying a house

You find your dream house – hurrah.

You have it surveyed and send the papers to a solicitor.

The surveyor finds the foundations sinking, dry rot in the attic. Your solicitor tells you the title deeds are full of gaps and unexpected obligations.

You would change your mind.

We have had over two years of news on Brexit. Nothing has turned out easy or as promised. It’s all been bad news. With those surveyors’ and lawyers’ reports, do we still have to go ahead?

Read more

I wasn’t old enough to vote in the European Union referendum of 1975. I was fifteen. But I did know that I wanted Britain to remain in Europe, so I went down to the ‘Britain in Europe committee rooms and volunteered to help. They gave me a badge saying ‘Sovereignty: The whole of the illusion or a share of the reality’ and I wore it while I put hundreds of leaflets through doors. I was delighted when the referendum result was announced: Two to one in favour of ‘Remain’.

Much has always been made of the undoubted economic advantages to Britain of being a member of the European Union; but I think membership has far more important aspects than that. To me, the European Union is about a Europe of values. It is about European nations and peoples coming together to promote peace, democracy and civil liberties as well as prosperity. There is a democratic framework in which all those nations and peoples share in shaping the European Union.

While I was born a citizen of the United Kingdom, when Britain joined the European Union in 1973, I also became a European citizen. I have spent most of my life being both British and European and I am happy to have both identities. I have valued the ‘four freedoms’ of the European Union, being able to travel, work and do business anywhere in the European Union as a European citizen.

I am pleased to hear people speaking in different accents and languages. I am pleased to see food from many cultures in the supermarkets. I am pleased to see people of many ethnicities and faiths living in Britain. I am pleased when I see British leaders working collaboratively with the leaders of countries that share our values.

That is why I am a member of the European Movement.

Read more