Sue Wilson Writes: Happy Un-Brexit Day! – A time of confused emotions for Brits in Spain

Sue Wilson Writes: Happy Un-Brexit Day! – A time of confused emotions for Brits in Spain

Apr 4, 2019 | Articles, Campaigns & Events, News, Sue Wilson Writes

Bremain in Spain’s Sue Wilson expects more shocks, surprises, twists, turns, and time-wasting. But in the meantime, be thankful that Brexit didn’t happen on March 29th.

For the last two years, ever since the triggering of Article 50, the clock has been ticking down to Brexit Day. Over 100 times, Theresa May informed parliament and the British people that we would be leaving the European Union on March 29th, 2019, but she finally accepted that this wasn’t going to be the case.

Brexit Day or not, last Friday was a momentous landmark in the Brexit story. The Leave campaign’s march arrived in London, after its long and poorly-attended trek from Sunderland – a trek on which its leader, Nigel Farage, showed only minimal participation. More importantly, Theresa May brought back the Withdrawal Agreement to the House of Commons for one final attempt to gain parliamentary support for her twice-defeated deal. Friday 29th was a day of mixed emotions for British citizens in Spain.

Despite the media asserting that Theresa May was destined to lose the vote, many people were naturally concerned that the deal would somehow pass, resulting in us leaving the EU on 22 May with our rights diminished. Despite the demands of citizens’ rights groups, such as British in Europe, both sides of the negotiating table have failed to ring-fence the rights already ‘agreed’ in the Withdrawal Agreement, and their reluctance to do so continues.

For many Bremain in Spain members, Friday 29th was a day of celebration. Or, as we like to call it, Un-Brexit Day! A day to celebrate our progress in the battle for another referendum – this time round, a fair, honest and legal referendum.

A year ago, campaigners for a second vote – and those discussing Brexit being postponed, or even cancelled – were considered dreamers. Our goals were deemed as being equally “unrealistic” as the fantastical visions of Brexit espoused by the Leave campaign. Yet here we are in April 2019, still members of the European Union, still European citizens, and with a real chance of achieving our goals. On Wednesday March 27th, parliament took control of the Brexit process for a day, the intention being to debate and vote on alternative options to May’s unpopular deal. Eight options were considered. While none achieved a majority, two clear favourites emerged: a customs union add-on, defeated by a mere eight votes, and a confirmatory referendum, which received the most votes.

The option of leaving with no deal was soundly defeated, with 400 MPs voting against it. To date, this is the most significant indication that parliament won’t tolerate a no-deal scenario, as May readily acknowledged. Parliament will repeat the process again this week, as it’s trying to reach consensus. Meanwhile, May seems intent on bringing back her deal for a fourth attempt: clearly, she still believes this is the only possible Brexit route. It’s debatable whether the Speaker, John Bercow, will allow a further attempt. The biggest concern for British citizens living and working in EU27 countries is the fear of a no-deal scenario on April 12th. As this is still the legal default option, fear of it happening has increased since the EU responded to recent events in Westminster by claiming that no-deal was now “more likely”. An emergency EU summit has been scheduled for April 10th. Before this date, the Prime Minister must apply for a long extension and commit to taking part in the European elections.

The EU will set further conditions – most likely a public vote or a general election – both of which are now being openly discussed in parliament. I still believe a no-deal scenario will never happen – as I did last week, last month and last year. UK parliament has finally flexed its muscles and it’s not finished yet. Parliament has confirmed that it won’t allow the UK to crash out of the EU under those damaging circumstances – even if it means a delay, a compromise, a new Prime Minister, or even a new government. We aren’t out of the woods yet! We can expect more shocks, surprises, twists, turns, and time-wasting.

However, we must be thankful that Brexit didn’t happen on March 29th, that May’s bad deal has been defeated – not once, not twice, but three times – and that a #PeoplesVote referendum is increasingly popular and close to reaching a majority amongst law-makers. Most importantly, we are still European citizens, with all the benefits of EU membership. I’ve said it before: three’s only one way to guarantee retaining our precious rights and freedoms – and that’s to stop Brexit. Not only are we closer to that goal than ever before, but a majority in the UK demonstrably wants the same outcome. So, pop that Cava cork and let’s celebrate our success. Happy Un-Brexit Day to all!

By Sue Wilson – For The Local

Bremain march against Brexit

Bremain march against Brexit

Apr 2, 2019 | Articles, News

AROUND 100 members of campaign group Bremain in Spain marched through central London as part of the ‘Put it to the People’ march which attracted nearly a million people from around the UK and Europe.

They were calling for another EU referendum, as MPs search for a way out of the Brexit impasse.
Protesters carrying EU flags and placards called for any Brexit deal to be put to another public vote.

Story from Costa News

 

Sue Wilson Writes: Why we Britons in Spain had to march for a People’s Vote

Sue Wilson Writes: Why we Britons in Spain had to march for a People’s Vote

Mar 27, 2019 | Articles, Campaigns & Events, News, Sue Wilson Writes

On Saturday 23 March, I was privileged to join the ‘Put it to the People’ March in London, alongside over 100 of our Bremain in Spain members.

Campaigning for a ‘People’s Vote’ has always been a priority for Bremain, so this wasn’t the first time we’d voted with our feet, but it was our biggest ever marching contingent.

The timing of the march was critical, coming just six days before the scheduled Brexit date of 29 March, which has now been postponed. Expectations ran high that numbers would exceed the 700,000 who marched in October. The organisers were not disappointed, with numbers confirmed at well over one million people.

Bremain in Spain marched with other campaign groups: Brexpats Hear our Voice, In Limbo Project and Espanoles de Reino Unido – a group of Spanish citizens based in the UK. We were also joined by a Spanish TV crew that was filming a documentary called ‘30 minutes’, scheduled for broadcast on TV3 in April.

Many excellent speakers – including First Minister for Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, deputy Labour leader, Tom Watson and Lord Michael Heseltine – gave passionate speeches about the shocking state of Brexit, and the urgent need for another referendum. This is now the only democratic and sensible option left to extract Britain from the Brexit impasse.

Since Theresa May gave her widely derided speech on Wednesday evening, pitting the public against parliament and laying the blame for the failure of Brexit at the feet of MPs, there has been a noticeable change in mood. Both the public and parliament have reacted rather differently from how May might have hoped or expected, by expressing widespread outrage. Most notably, the public has been signing a new petition, ‘Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU’ (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/241584), literally with millions of signatures, making it the largest petition in British history. It seems that we Remainers are making history all over the place at present!

The march itself was peaceful, fun, full of humour, hope and inspiration. The inventiveness of the banners and the costumes was a sight to behold, and I was in good company in my blue wig! 

Following events on the main stage in Parliament Square, the No. 10 Vigil hosted its own event opposite Downing Street at its usual, thrice-weekly venue. I was invited to make a speech on behalf of the five million UK-in-EU and EU-in-UK citizens, and directed much of my speech directly at Theresa May. I reminded the crowd how the British citizens in the EU have been ignored and side-lined since June 2016 – out of sight and out of mind. How our rights and freedoms have been threatened, and how the only way to guarantee their preservation is to revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit. 

With the petition and the march, we are now closer to reaching our goals than ever before. A year ago, only 25 MPs supported another referendum – now it’s rumoured to be 10 times that number and climbing. The amazing events on Saturday will not have gone unnoticed in

Westminster or, indeed, in Brussels, and the appeal of putting the Brexit issue back to the public will only continue to grow.

This week, parliament will debate alternatives to Theresa May’s unpopular deal, with the aim of reaching consensus. With Remain MPs committed to averting a no-deal Brexit, and extreme Brexiters equally determined to prevent any softening of Brexit, it’s difficult to see what other option might achieve a majority. Putting the decision back to the people could be the only option that stands any chance of being supported by both sides.

It was always the intention of the People’s Vote campaign to not push too hard or too soon in parliament for another referendum, in the hope of ruling out other options first. A People’s Vote referendum needs to be the ‘last man standing’, so the timing has always been crucial. Whether all campaigners agree with that approach is questionable, but nobody can argue about the success of the march or the wide media coverage achieved on Saturday.

For those taking part, the march was a chance to feel part of something historic and significant – a huge shot in everyone’s arm that made us even more determined to do everything we can to further the battle.

For me personally, it was a fantastic opportunity to meet friends old and new, to put faces to names, and to be moved by the passion and eloquence of speakers and marchers alike. We are closer than ever to another referendum but, as I said in my speech, “we should not think of it as a second referendum, but as a first referendum based on the facts – a referendum that is fair, honest and legal”.

Theresa May’s lead role in the Brexit soap opera looks destined to end soon. It’s difficult to see how she could have alienated more people, had she been trying! So, I’ll end here as I ended my speech on Saturday, with a direct message for the Prime Minister, from Brits all over the EU: “You are not on my side. You do not speak for me. It’s time to pack your bags and leave!”

The UK is not leaving the EU on Friday March 29 – but wouldn’t that be a great day for May to make her exit!

Sue Wilson – Chair of Bremain in Spain

Article from The Local

Bremain Strong at the march

Bremain march for People’s Vote

We want a final say!

Sue goes all EU

John Moffett Flying the flag for Bremain

Over a million strong march

People’s vote march

Bollox to Brexit!

All the way from Spain to march

The ladies go all blue for the EU

Sue Wilson speaks.

Sue Wilson Writes: Having a second Brexit referendum is the only way ‘to take back control’

Sue Wilson Writes: Having a second Brexit referendum is the only way ‘to take back control’

Mar 18, 2019 | Articles, News, Sue Wilson Writes

Isn’t it high time we “took back control” of the referendum process to establish if leaving the EU really is the “will of the people”, argues Sue Wilson from Bremain in Spain.  Since the fateful day of 23 June 2016, I have never been able to respect the result of the Brexit referendum.

At first, my lack of acceptance was due to my reaction of shock, anger and sadness. It was then exacerbated by the emerging lies and misinformation of the Vote Leave campaign, which persuaded so many people to vote the way they did, through no fault of their own.
 
Over time, it has become increasingly clear that the people behind the lies and misinformation were complicit in breaking the law, including some senior members of government.
 
The Vote Leave Campaign were fined the maximum amount possible by the Electoral Commission, having exceeded legal spending limits, especially in the run-up to the referendum. Vote Leave was subsequently referred to the Metropolitan Police and National Crime Agency to answer possible criminal charges.
 
Several months later, we still await the outcome – or any news whatsoever – of those investigations.
 
Recently, I took Theresa May to court, through the UK in EU Challenge, to question the validity of the referendum result. The premise of our case, known as “Wilson vs. The Prime Minister”, was that the illegal activity renders the result of the referendum unsound, and that the Prime Minister made an error of judgement in activating Article 50 in the belief she was acting on the “will of the people”.

Our legal team believes that Leave’s overspend directly affected the referendum result and, even if it hadn’t, the result was still invalid.

 
Read the full article in The Local
 
Expat pro-EU remain group considering appeal against High Court Brexit referendum case dismissal

Expat pro-EU remain group considering appeal against High Court Brexit referendum case dismissal

Dec 16, 2018 | Articles, Campaigns & Events, News

A COSTA BLANCA-based group of British expatriates campaigning to remain in the EU have said they are considering appealing against High Court ruling on the legality of the Brexit referendum.

Bremain in Spain, part of the UK in EU group, said it would appeal against the dismissal of their court appeal for judicial review after the judge called it “hopeless”.

Mr Justice Ouseley presided over the hearings which were launched after Britain’s Electoral Commission ruled the Vote Leave organisation had broken campaign spending laws.

Susan Wilson, lead claimant in the case and head of Bremain in Spain, said she was disappointed with the ruling.

“The government has aggressively countered our claims and has shown a blatant disregard for democratic values,” Wilson said.

Read full article in the Euro Weekly News