Elspeth Williams’ Invitation to Parliament

Elspeth Williams’ Invitation to Parliament

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.

Elspeth with SODEM

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!

Security Clearance
Committee Room 10
Caroline Lucas MP
Tom Brake MP
Chuka Umuna MP
Anna Soubry MP

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.”

Sue Wilson’s latest trip to Blighty!

Sue Wilson’s latest trip to Blighty!

Bremain in Spain’s Chair, Sue Wilson, recently attended the People’s Vote March, along with Bremain Council members Elspeth Williams and Sue Scarrott.

Sue used it as an opportunity to set up meetings with some of our partners and friends and here is her daily journal:

 

Fri 22nd June

I started my day in Westminster having lunch with Peter French, director of Reuniting Britain. Peter & I have become close friends over the last 2 years, & he has invited me to speak at 3 marches over that time – in London, Manchester & Leeds. Peter has now asked me to speak at his next big event on 20th October 2018 & gave me an update on how his plans for the event are developing. Although October sounds like a long way off, at the time of writing, it’s actually only 17 weeks away, so the plans are already well developed.

Most of the action is under wraps, but I can tell you that this event will be much more than a march & a rally. In fact it will be a whole day of events, starting with a pan European/British village of stalls, with food from all over Europe, starting at 10.00 a.m. The rally, with an incredible list of speakers will be from 12.00 until 2.00, followed by a march on parliament in Westminster. The rest of the afternoon will be full of surprises – a visual extravaganza, the like of which you will never have seen before.

I urge you now, book your flight & make it a firm date in your diary. This will be the last big event before parliament votes on the deal. It’s going to be big, it’s going to be expensive & it’s going to be amazing. I’m going to be there, along with the Bremain council – I hope you will be too!

Reuniting Britain

In the afternoon, I visited the SODEM protest outside parliament to support Steven Bray in his daily protest. It is always encouraging to hear support from passing pedestrians, cyclists & drivers, whether it’s a cheer, a toot or a “Stop Brexit” shout, though Steve’s oft-heard chant would be hard to beat. The House of Commons was taking a day off today, so we didn’t have any politicians visit us. However, Steve is quite the celebrity in parliament now with members of both Houses regularly popping over to say hi & show their support. His dulcet tones are often heard above the debates inside too!

Steve Bray from SODEM

Saturday 23rd June

I had been looking forward to this day for weeks, & the #PeoplesVote march did not disappoint! It was wonderful to be joined by Bremain Council Members Susan Scarrott & Elspeth Williams, & we had new Bremain flags & stickers made especially for the occasion, featuring our new slogan “Brexit is Bonkers”.

The turnout for the march was fantastic, with over 150,000 taking part. It was the biggest march that I had ever attended, proving categorically that Remainers have yet to “get over it” & that we are not giving up the fight anytime soon.

Brexit is Bonkers!

There were some excellent, passionate speeches, most especially from Caroline Lucas, Tony Robinson, David Lammy & Anna Soubry. Unfortunately, due to the size of the crowd, we did not make it to the rally venue in time to catch the start, so we missed Gina Miller’s speech.

Gina Miller, Peter Kyle MP, Sir Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP

It was a pleasure to march with so many fellow Bremain in Spain members, who had travelled from all over Spain, but also from Italy, France, Germany & Portugal. It was also clear from the comments & thanks that we received on the day that our reach extends well beyond Spain, even beyond Continental Europe to the UK. It was also a privilege to march with other groups from Europe, such as Brexpats-HOV, RIFT & British in Europe, & with EU citizens groups In Limbo, the 3Million & Españoles en Reino Unido.

For further information about the march & to view our photo gallery, here’s the link to our #PeoplesVoteMarch special on our website:

Bremain People’s Vote Pages

To sign the People’s Vote Petition, please click here: People’s Vote Petition

Can’t wait for the next one now! With what is being planned, it’s going to be even bigger than this one. Get the date in your diary now – Saturday October 20th in London is not to be missed!

 

Monday 25th June

My second trip to London was to attend meetings with Best for Britain’s CEO Eloise Todd & Tom Brufatto, Chair of Britain for Europe.

Eloise & I discussed how we can work more closely together & brought me up to date with their latest campaign plans. They are targeting specific constituencies & I’ll be checking with our own lobby group whether any of our devoted lobbyists happen to hail from those particular constituencies. Eloise is also going to provide me with a copy of their new manifesto. Eloise has kindly agreed to feature in our July newsletter, so I will be asking Bremain members to submit questions shortly.

Eloise Todd, CEO Best for Britain

 

On my way to my next meeting, I dropped in to SODEM to say hello to Steven Bray. While we were chatting, he spotted a film crew on the green, so we wandered over to see who the interviewer & interviewee were. It turned out to be Faisal Islam of Sky News interviewing MP Greg Hands, who had just resigned over Heathrow’s 3rd runway proposal. I managed to film part of the interview, while Steve flag-bombed them live on Sky News. I hung around in the hope of a selfie (with Faisal, not the Tory MP, I hasten to add!), & was rewarded, not only with a selfie, but with a chat about Brits in EU. He seemed genuinely interested, said this was a subject that was not going away, asked for my card & said he would be in touch. Steve even managed to film most of the conversation. When I later bumped into Faisal again in the café where I had lunch, I was starting to worry that he would think I was a stalker! What an unexpected pleasure & what a nice guy.

Faisal Islam, Sky News Political Editor

 

My meeting with Tom Brufatto was at the #PeoplesVote Campaign headquarters in Millbank Tower – an office suite shared by all the groups collaborating on the campaign, such as European Movement, Open Britain, Scientist for EU & OFOC! They are currently taking stock after the hugely successful march, & their petition, which was only launched on the day of the march already has over 165,000 signatures. After the success of the march, & the widely reported chants of “where’s Jeremy Corbyn?”, Labour are now under enormous pressure to come out in support of the campaign for a #PeoplesVote. We are all watching closely to see what they will do next. The focus over the next few weeks will be at local level, so taking the fight back to grass-roots. I am going to get more personally involved over coming weeks too – more news on this soon.

Tom Brufatto, Chair Britain for Europe

 

Tuesday 26th June

Making the most of the heatwave, I met with Elena Remigi of In Limbo, at a pub on the river in Cookham, in Theresa May’s constituency. The 2nd book in the series, In Limbo Too, was released on Saturday & is the testimonies of Brits living in the EU, many of them from Bremain members. My own testimony is also in the book, in the final chapter entitled “Hope”. Now the book has been published, Elena is busy raising funds to print copies for distribution to politicians. If this 2nd book is anything like as influential as the first, which contained EU citizens testimonials, then our voices may finally be listened to.

A special thank you to Elena who presented me with copies of both books, including a lovely dedication to Bremain members – I will cherish it.

Elena Remigi from In Limbo
In Limbo Too Dedication
Why Do We Need A People’s Vote?

Why Do We Need A People’s Vote?

Suppose for a moment you buy airline tickets to a holiday destination. It might not be where you want to go but, hey, the kids want it. Suppose that circumstances change, an illness, a cancellation or a delay. You call the airline. They flat out refuse to accommodate. Best they can do is change the date.

How would that make you feel?

In the real world, this is happening on a much larger scale. Are you happy with the way Brexit negotiations are going, and don’t you want to have a say?

That’s what a ‘People’s Vote’ is all about – you having your say. In 2016, the British public voted to leave the European Union by 52 to 48 percent. They made a binary choice to leave, or to remain, within the European Union. Since that time, consequences have been felt and predictions indulged.

But no one knows what will happen next. What we know is that the UK Government and the Official Opposition refuse to let the British public have a say on any proposed ‘final’ deal between Britain and the European Union.

And ‘finality’ is key. Referendums may be about binary choices, but they must be followed-up with honest reflection. Circumstances change, precisely why they’re not legally binding in the United Kingdom. It is a misnomer to say that the British public has lost their right to change their minds. They haven’t, but the politicians need to be reminded.

If democracy was respected in 2016, it should be respected again in 2018. Bremain in Spain, campaign groups and a plethora of cross-party support up and down the country are demanding that voters be allowed to give their verdict on any deal put forward by the UK Government on how to work with Europe.

Since 2016 politicians have been hammering out negotiations with no clear trajectory. Compromises will be reached. Concessions will be made. No singular soul or party or household will agree with everything.

A people’s vote isn’t about re-running old debates. It’s not about ‘Brexiteering’ or ‘Remoaning’. A people’s vote is about enshrining the biggest, constitutional shake-up in modern times with the faith of the people.

If Brexit began with a people’s vote, it should end with a people’s vote too.

 

Alastair Stewart, Deputy Bremain Press Officer

 

Bremain in Spain members from across Spain and beyond today joined the march for a People’s Vote.

Harry Shindler MBE letter to Fellow Brits Abroad

Harry Shindler MBE letter to Fellow Brits Abroad

FROM…. Harry Shindler MBE

TO ….. All Fellow Brits Abroad

 

We are one step nearer winning the return of our RIGHT TO VOTE.

Friday February 23rd 2018…. 21  years after the start of the campaign…. The House of Commons agreed to send on its way a Private Members Bill, moved by Glyn Davies MP.

The Bill would give us back our right to vote. But this is not the end of the road, not yet; there will still be hurdles on the way.

So whilst a gallant band of MPs are battling for us in Parliament we can help them……

A short note to the MP in your last Constituency asking him/her to support Glyn Davies’ Bill and reminding your MP that your family, in his Constituency, hopes he will support the Bill.

We have come this far because of the support and activity of Ex-Pats everywhere the call now is WRITE A NOTE TO YOUR MP

 

Our MP supporters in the House….

  • Sir Roger Gale MP
  • Mike Gapes MP
  • Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP
  • Glyn Davies MP
  • Dunne Philip MP

…. a real Role of Honour

If you don’t know who your MP is, then a note to Glyn Davies MP telling him you support his Bill.

If this is the final assault, then let’s all get involved….

As the Leader of Votes for Women said many years ago
WE SHALL WIN BECAUSE WE ARE RIGHT

 

To find out more details on Bremain’s Votes for Life Campaign you can link to the page by clicking the image below.

Votes for Life

Update June 26 2018 – here’s the link to a Bloomberg article about Harry’s case:

Brexit likened to Dunkirk

Update July 04 2018 – here’s the link to a Guardian article about the case due to be heard tomorrow:

Court to hear Brexit Challenge

The Lords were almost a leaping! Sue Wilson returns to the UK

The Lords were almost a leaping! Sue Wilson returns to the UK

Day 1

My first event on Saturday 5th May was a regional launch event in London for the #PeoplesVote campaign. Launched by the Grassroots Coordinating Group (GCG), the meeting was hosted by Britain for Europe, European Movement & Open Britain, who are all partners in the GCG along with other groups such as Our Future, Our Choice, Scientists for EU & InFacts.

The surprise guest was Seb Dance MEP, who I had met previously in London & Brussels. As always, he gave a passionate speech about why Brexit must be stopped, & how giving the public a say on the final deal is the best way to achieve our goal.

People's Vote Logo

I was chuffed to bits that he gave me a wave & invited me, by name, to ask a question. I asked, “What are the chances of Labour supporting a #PeoplesVote before the Tories do?” Seb replied that Labour were moving in the right direction, with the front bench being very aware of the issue. He & others within the Labour party are constantly applying pressure, especially on the Shadow Cabinet, & are focusing a lot of attention on new, younger members, who are very pro-European. They are also constantly pointing out that the majority of Labour supporters are Remainers.

During the launch we talked about the strategy & the timescales for the campaign, & of course about the forthcoming march in London on the 2nd anniversary of the referendum. I shall be attending in person along with many Bremain in Spain members. We hope that many of you will join us.

Seb Dance at People's Vote Regional Launch

For more information about the campaign & the march, check out the #PeoplesVote website: www.peoples-vote.uk

Sue at Pulse of Europe event High Wycombe

Day 2

My next event was the Pulse of Europe event in High Wycombe, where I assisted on a street stall & gave a short impromptu speech. The High Wycombe branch meet in the town centre every 2 weeks to engage with the public & talk about Brexit. Surrounded by lots of EU flags plus the flags of all 28 EU countries, it was a colourful affair, & the stall was manned by several campaigners from Germany, Italy, France, Scotland & England – a truly European event. We spoke to many Remainers who were happy to receive free flags, badges, leaflets & advice. We didn’t see any Leavers, but maybe they were just avoiding us. Everyone we spoke to was very reassured to know that Brexit is not a done deal, & all were in favour of a #PeoplesVote on the final deal.

You can read more about Pulse of Europe at their website here: pulseofeurope.eu

Day 3

It is always a pleasure to meet up with Elena Remigi of In Limbo – this time it was at her home in Theresa May’s constituency. The preparations for the launch of her second book – In Limbo Too – are going well & it’s only a matter of weeks now before it will be published. This time the stories are all from British citizens living in the EU, & Elena was very grateful to all Bremain in Spain contributors for their moving testimonials.

Sue and Elena Remigi from In Limbo

She will shortly be writing to all contributors to say thank you in person & to update them on progress. I look forward to reading the book very soon – I suspect a box of tissues will be required! Here’s a link to their Facebook Page: Our Brexit Testimonies

Day 4

A trip to London is always very busy as so many of the campaigners that I wish to meet are based there & then, of course, there’s the Palace of Westminster.

Sue and Eloise Todd, CEO Best for Britain

My first visit was to the office of Best for Britain, where I met with the CEO Eloise Todd. I expressed out sincere gratitude for the £500 grant we received from them recently, which will be ring-fenced for the Best for Britain/Bremain in Spain Barnstorm training sessions. Eloise & her team are busy working on their campaign, & will be making a strong case for staying in the EU, not just getting the best Brexit possible. We will be looking to collaborate again further – always a pleasure to work with such a dedicated team.

My second visit was to the new shared offices of the GCG, where I got to meet colleagues from a variety of groups, most especially those we have a direct connection with. As members of Britain for Europe & partners of European Movement, there is always a lot of ground to cover, most of which I did with Tom Bruffato, Chair of Britain for Europe. We talked about the campaign, the march & new data requirements & I collected a supply of #PeoplesVote campaign leaflets.

Sue and Tom Bruffato, Chair Best for Britain

I also met James MacCleary, Campaigns Manager of European Movement & members of Open Britain & Our Future, Our Choice. It is wonderful to see the groups working so closely together for our common goal, & I’m proud of our connection.

Sue and Peter French, Director Reuniting Britain

I had the pleasure of meeting Peter French of Reuniting Britain for lunch. Peter is working on his own big march, scheduled for October 20th, just before parliament are due to vote on the Brexit deal. Peter has invited me to speak at what he hopes will be the biggest march the UK has ever seen – you can expect to hear a lot more about it once the June 23rd march has taken place. Many Bremainers have already booked their flights for this one, including a few Bremain council members.

SODEM Banner with Bremain logo top left

With only 15 minutes to spare before I was due at the House of Lords, I paid a brief visit to SODEM to see Steve Bray & his wonderful new banner, which features our logo amongst many others. It may not have been a long visit, but boy did I time it well! Madeleina Kay (EU Supergirl), Femi (Our Future, Our Choice) & Mike Galsworthy (Scientists for EU) all turned up just after me. I’ve met them all several times before, but it’s always a pleasure, & they always draw a crowd.

Femi, Sue, Steve Bray and Madeleina

My final & most important visit of the day was another visit to the House of Lords, to witness further EU (Withdrawal) amendment debates. Thanks to Baroness Sally Hamwee, I had a ticket for the good seats, & my visit kicked off with me bumping into Lord Heseltine in reception. I asked to shake his hand & thanked him for all he has been doing for the cause.

I stayed for 5 hours, & saw 3 debates & 3 defeats for the Government – 1 minor amendment, then an expected win over whether or not the exit date should be included in the Withdrawal Agreement (no it shouldn’t as it removes any flexibility), then finally, the amendment about EEA/Single Market membership.

Between debates, I spoke to Lord Wallace of Saltaire who I had previously met when we both made speeches in Leeds.

The EEA amendment debate was the longest, the most interesting & certainly the most significant. There were some amazing speeches, especially from Lords Mandelson, Kinnock, Wallace of Saltaire & many others. Labour Lords were expected to obey the whip & abstain, & the amendment was expected to be narrowly defeated. The debate attracted quite a crowd, including from the House of Commons – it was standing room only where I was sat, & close to my seat MPs were watching attentively, including Chuka Umunna, Owen Smith & Chris Leslie. Clearly Labour MPs were very keen to see what Labour peers might do.

When the results were announced, & the government were defeated, it was clear that many Labour Lords had defied the whip (83 in fact), & 17 Conservative Peers had followed suit. The surprise & delight on the faces of the Remain peers was clear to see – a fantastic atmosphere! I took the opportunity to leave at this point (now 8 pm) so was leaving the chamber at the same time as the Lords. I managed to introduce myself to Lord Newby, who recognised the Bremain in Spain name straight away & was happy to stand & chat – he could barely stop smiling. I also spoke to Baroness Ludford, who then continued the conversation on Twitter later saying that it was nice to meet me & that I had just witnessed history in the making – it really felt like it.

I also spoke to Chuka Umunna afterwards who told me he was delighted & was busy tweeting the result.

Baroness Ludford tweet

Day 5

My last day was spent at 2 events in Milton Keynes, organised by the local branch of European Movement. The first was at Milton Keynes College, & was a presentation & series of workshops for a group of teenage students.

There was a panel made up of Lord Adonis, Will Day of Our Future, Our Choice & Madeleina Kay & I helped out with the workshops. The audience of c 50 students was split 70% Remain to 30% Leave (although none had voted in the referendum).

I think we managed to open a few eyes & ears & gave them all some food for thought. Topics covered were tailored to be relevant to the young audience & included education, jobs & travel.

Lord Adonis at European Movement event Milton Keynes College
Will Day OFOC, Lord Adonis, Madeleina Kay

Afterwards the hosts plus Lord Adonis, Will & myself all attended a street stall outside the station to promote the #PeoplesVote campaign & to survey the public on their attitudes to Brexit. Happy to say we reassured a few worried Remainers, & it was agreed by most, regardless of how they voted, that Brexit was not going well. I did survey a couple of Leavers, but they were of the extreme variety, so I didn’t manage to convert anyone. Note to self – must try harder!

Juliet Smith and Lord Adonis at European Movement street event Milton Keynes
Brexitometer at European Movement street event Milton Keynes

Next trip already booked – roll on the #PeoplesVote March on 23rd June.
Please come & join me!

It Matters To Me ….

It Matters To Me ….

In February, we were thrilled that Best for Britain sent Kyle Taylor to host a joint Barnstorm event in Alicante, attended by around fifty members of Bremain in Spain. To date, we have held Bremain Barnstorms in Girona, Torrox, La Herradura and La Linea.

‘What’s a Barnstorm?’ let me tell you – it’s an event where we talk you through practical steps to fight Brexit and the actions you can take.

One of the fundamentals of the Barnstorm is to understand the issues that affect us and to share those with others. We all have our own reasons to fight Brexit, some will be the same and some totally different. We do an exercise called ‘ It matters to me …..’ where, in a short statement, you describe why fighting  Brexit is important to you and on Saturday, April 28, Bremain in Spain members were invited to submit their own statements which we’re happy to share with you below:

 

“It matters to me because I am European. I live in Europe, I work in Europe, I’ll retire in Europe. I want to keep that freedom and I want others to benefit from it too.”

 

“It matters to me because I am European. Freedom of Movement allowed us and our pets to move to Spain 17 years ago. It allows us to work, live and love anywhere in the EU. We love it here in Spain.”

 

 

“It matters to me because my human rights are being removed against my wishes.”

“It matters to me because I AM EUROPEAN. My parents were European immigrants. I was born in the UK, but I have loved having my EU citizenship, giving us all the freedom to travel, work and live within Europe, as I do now.”

 

“It matters to me because I am European, I live in Spain and have French family as well as grandchildren in UK. I would like all my family to be able to live and work in Europe and have the opportunities I have had.”

 

“It matters to me because I have a daughter born in Spain, I have lived here with my Swiss partner 11 years and built a life for myself. No-one should have the right to take that away, including governments!”

“It matters to me because I’ve lived, worked and studied in peace and happiness in various EU countries and only by remaining full EU members can those same freedoms and privileges be preserved for my children and grandchildren.”

“It matters to me because….it matters to so many of YOU…believe me we at Bremain in Spain will continue with all we can to #StopBrexit…… and I know I speak for all my colleagues/friends here.”

 

“It matters to me because …
I AM EUROPEAN”