The European Movement UK ran its second nationwide Action Day on Saturday 5 August, with events in Oxford, Brighton and Hove, St Albans, Ealing, Cumbria, Liverpool, Hampshire, Edinburgh, Stratford-upon-Avon, Streatham and York, organised by local groups and branches.
The Action Day saw us out in force, campaigning for a future side by side with our European partners and inside the EU - we talked to the public about our opposition to leaving the EU; circulated campaign leaflets and a survey; and recruited new members.
Dr Graham Jones, chair of the Oxford Region branch of the European Movement UK, which was out and about on the Cowley Road, said: “We are not happy with the way things are going in the UK. We are not happy with the Brexit squeeze on households which will hit the poorest hardest. We are not happy with the impact of Brexit on the NHS with 96% fewer EU nurse applicants since the referendum vote. We are not happy with the prospect of living in a country where citizens’ rights are under threat.
“This is why we are out campaigning. We are at a turning point where it will be the sheer weight of opposition to plans to shut the UK off from our neighbours and steer us backwards which will make the difference in determining which direction the UK goes in.
“We find it impossible to just stand by as government backs us into a corner that we don’t want to be in, which is why we are part of the pro-European, grassroots European Movement fighting for a future alongside our European partners.”
James MacCleary, campaigns director for the European Movement UK, said: “The European Movement is growing day by day as more and more pro-Europeans find an organisation they can align themselves to and, through positive action, express their frustrations and discontent at the Brexit path Theresa May is directing us down.
“This is what we hope to achieve with our campaign days and our social media outreach. We want to give our supporters and members a voice and a range of opportunities to have their say on what we believe is a historic mistake, and is not in the best interests of the UK.”
Our next Action Day is planned for Saturday 2 September.