Bremain In Spain was invited to speak at a rally ‘Better In:Reclaim Your Future’ in Wrexham, North Wales. The cross-party event was organised by Donna Lalek on behalf of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. As Sue Wilson was unavailable with other appointments in London and as I’d grown up just 12 miles away, I really couldn’t say no.
I certainly didn´t relish the prospect of speaking in public for the first time and about Brexit and in my local town. Campaigning in London and online suddenly felt far more comfortable.
There was a sizeable group of people gathered ready to march around town before the rally so I joined them. This was not an excuse for a march. The route took us around town and down the High Street and around the park. We did receive a few heckles from Leavers but not half as many as I’d expected. (Wrexham was chosen as the venue for being a Leave-voting town).
When it came to my turn to speak, I realised that I wasn’t even nervous. It wasn’t about me.
I followed on from three very moving speeches from the In Limbo group of EU citizens living locally.
The speeches from the politicians and the non-politicians were inspirational and set out the perils of Brexit and how a #PeoplesVote is our best way forward.
The best part of the day was meeting up with fellow campaigners from up and down the country and connecting with the local groups: Wrexham For Europe @Wrexhamforeu, North Wales 4 Europe @Gogs4Europe, Chester for Europe @chesterforeu, Wales for Europe @WalesForEurope who I will be joining for local campaigns this summer.
Many thanks to Donna Lalek for wonderful organisation and making sure that we kept hydrated!
The full list of speakers:
Jane Dodds (Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats), Statement from Susan Elan Jones (Welsh Labour MP), Statement from Baron Dafydd Wigley (Member of the House of Lords, former MP and AM for Plaid Cymru) unable to attend due to illness, Silas Jones (Wales for Europe), Duncan Ress (Green Party), Angela Ramsell @spaceangel1964 (Women for Europe), Ciaran Donovan (European Courier) @donnyc1975, Femi Oluwole @Femi_Sorry (Our Future, Our Choice) @OFOCbrexit, Cosi Doerfel Hill, Matthias Wauz and Lars Kretschmer (In Limbo) @InLimboBrexit, Elspeth Williams for @ElspethElspeth @BremainInSpain, Stuart Thomson (Veterans for Europe) @Vets4EU, Baroness Christine Humphreys (Member of the House of Lords for Liberal Democrats) @WelshChrisHumph
Spaceangel’s (Angela’s) full speech:
https://twitter.com/spaceangel1964/status/1015920672185503745
We asked British citizens living in the EU what they think of the Brexit negotiations so far – and many are unhappy…
See the full video on the Sky News site…“Its a whole mess”
No trip to London would be complete without dropping in on Steven Bray & the SODEM protest outside parliament. MPs were very thin on the ground today, & a small rally in favour of the legalisation of cannabis was taking centre stage. Steve’s team were also pushed sideways by the BBC, who were setting up a mobile studio in advance of the forthcoming RAF centenary celebrations. Despite all that, & the scorching heat, SODEM were making themselves seen & heard as always. On a day like today, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, it really brings home Steve’s commitment, come rain or shine, to be there all day, every day.
Over the next few weeks you can expect to hear a lot more about how those plans are developing. We already have more Bremain in Spain members attending this event than ever before. Join us! It’s going to be a day to remember for a very long time!
Here is a link to the march website: Reuniting Britain
When we arrived at the cinema, we were greeted by a welcome party of campaigners waving European flags. I had expected the audience to all come from London, but some had travelled quite some distance especially to see the film. The film was very well received & as the credits rolled, there was cheering & applause. Almost all the audience then hung around for the Q & A session afterwards, despite it being after 11 pm when the film finally finished.
There are almost 40 screenings planned between now & the end of August, all over the UK. If you get the chance to see the movie, I would highly recommend it. Finally, the voices of the 48% will be heard.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in London at the weekend to demand that the British government hold a final public vote on the terms of Brexit, among them dozens of Brits who had flown over from Spain.
On the second anniversary of the Brexit referendum, around 100,000 people marched on Parliament holding banners and waving EU flags to call for a ‘People’s Vote’ on the final deal.
Among them were British citizens living in Spain who travelled to the UK to support the cause.
See the full story and pics on the The Local
Bremain Council Member Elspeth Williams was invited to a People’s Vote thank you event for pro Remain activists. Here’s Elspeth’s story about her day in London and the event itself: “It’s not every day you’re invited to Westminster! So we were delighted when Bremain in Spain received an invitation from the #PeoplesVote campaign, Britain for Europe, and European Movement to attend a ‘Thank you’ event for activists on 5 June. I was lucky enough to be the only Council member available to make the trip, and I was really excited to be able to attend.
I travelled out of Perpignan Airport in France, since I live in Northern Catalonia about equidistant between Barcelona Airport and Perpignan, and I always find it particularly poignant to be leaving Perpignan on #StopBrexit business. When I arrived in London, I first stopped by to say ‘Hi’ to Steven Bray (see below). It’s always exhilarating to pay Steve a visit at his permanent SODEM installation outside Parliament, where he protests against Brexit on a daily basis. He’s always good for a chat on the latest developments, but constantly keeps an eye on passers-by as he waits to tackle MPs with a simple question: ‘How will Brexit benefit me?’ Needless to say, a good answer to this question is a rare thing.
It was also lovely to meet Anne Juliff (@patanna) at last – a young campaigner from @Valleys4EU. Other people gathered in advance of the event included Mark from @stratford4eu, Sally from @BathforEurope, and Polly (@RemainingKind) from @Hereford4EU.
We made our way into the Houses of Parliament early, since we had been warned that the security queue can be lengthy. Security measures are tight, of course, but the staff could not be friendlier or more welcoming. One security guard even asked another campaigner, ‘Do you think you’ll be able to stop it?’ No prizes for guessing the answer! The official dress code is ‘smart casual’. Jeans are OK – but preferably not trainers. T-shirts referring to Brexit had to be covered up or turned inside out, but EU stars were allowed, and Sally from Bath felt like a rebel wearing her fabulous beret!
Walking towards Committee Room 10 for our meeting, we had time to look around. The name ‘Palace’ of Westminster seemed apt, since the building is impressive in its beauty, and packed with statues and sumptuous works of art. Even the toilets are worthy of high praise!
The atmosphere, however, is surprisingly relaxed, and all of the security guards we came across were friendly and helpful. At a certain point, photos are no longer allowed (in the circular hall where you see MPs being interviewed on TV, for example). As we waited in the corridor outside Committee Room 10, we spotted Ken Clarke ambling along, deep in thought, and took the chance to thank him for all of his hard work.
Soon, we entered the room, which quickly became packed with campaigners from all over the UK (and Spain!) – all of them focused on stopping Brexit. The host told us that we’d been invited because we were the people who actually put our foot down and said ‘No!’ to Brexit. The session aimed to thank us for our work whilst promoting the People’s Vote campaign to give the British public a say on the negotiated Brexit deal. It included a Q&A session with MPs Caroline Lucas, Tom Brake, and Chuka Umunna (Anna Soubry sent her apologies as she was unable to attend at the last minute).
The MPs were frank and generous in their replies – there was no political rhetoric to be seen. The general message was that gaining a people’s vote is now the best way forward to stop Brexit. Even though referenda can be flawed, the people started this process and must finish it – with a final say on the Brexit deal.
The challenges ahead were not understated: The need to convince Leavers that they should be able to change their minds and that Brexit will not improve their lives. The need to take the campaign out into the community.
All in all, the session was productive, energising, and another reminder that the #StopBrexit campaign belongs to all of us. Now is the time to act and truly own that campaign.”
What an amazing day! It was an honour to join fellow Bremainers, and our partners, to march with over 100,000 in support of a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal.
Young and old, families, pro EU groups, politicians from all parties, celebrities … and even pets came together with one aim. Here are just are a selection of photos from the path we Bremainers took.
