Clare Moody, former MEP for South West and Gibraltar, opened Stroud4Europe’s AGM with a talk on where we, as pro Europeans, go from here. Please listen to the short, inspiring video below.
Clare’s talk is prefaced by a tribute to Mark Huband who was a member of S4E’s committee and died very sadly and very unexpectedly two days before the AGM.
Brief summary of talk from and discussions with Clare Moody at Stroud4Europe’s AGM – 8.11.21
Please listen to Clare’s talk in full on the video here:
After our departure from the EU, the December ’19 election results and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, we now have the government’s catastrophic attitude to the treaty they signed, with the resultant decline in our reputation across the world.
However, there are glimmers of hope for pro Europeans - with current problems of empty shelves, petrol and energy crises and poor international relations , all being exacerbated by Brexit.
We need to show “persistence beats resistance” by following up Brexit impacts issue by issue.
Few people will enjoy hearing about the Customs Union and Single Market. We have to target in particular the middle 40% “floating voters” with issues we can all identify with.
Sewage: When in the EU we had legislation and enforcement against breaching sewage disposal rates.
Got to put the impact of Brexit into the argument to shift public opinion and identify Brexit as Boris Johnson’s big project. He is falling out of favour amongst his back benchers
We need to illustrate the reality that “Brexit is broken” and the benefits of improving relations with the EU.
In beginning to offer hope to the public and winning the argument that life and our country could be better without the present Brexit, we also need to have fun!
The follow on question and answer session can be viewed here:-
Q and A summary
Q. Is it not necessary to back up these arguments with details about the Customs Union and Single Market?
A. Yes. When we had shortages of goods and fuel, no other EU country was suffering similarly. We had to pay an American company to operate a factory of which CO2 was the by-product, in order to have CO2 for the meat processing industry!
Q. Europe is punishing us for leaving
A. This is not the reality. We (Frost and Johnson) signed the agreement to leave – the EU just want us to abide by it!
Q. Did we transfer EU law (on water quality) into UK law?
A: The Commons was trying to change that law to free up water companies. UK enforcement is very weak with feeble penalties that don’t discourage bad behaviour and have less authority than the EU. Austerity hollowed out many of the relevant agencies.
Q. New arrangements for cross channel travel may change perceptions. Two hour queue to return to UK thanks to Border Force and roaming charges are being applied.
A. Many negative impacts of Brexit are being excused as Covid related at present – and woeful press reporting. Roaming and data will be huge costs for travellers. It will be harder and harder for Brexiteers to hide behind Covid.
Q. Passport queues getting longer too – UK won’t allow us to enable passports for electronic vetting! Why would EU airports want to employ more staff just to accommodate UK travellers? !
Q. Brexit voters are not travellers so it won’t affect them.
A. That’s a myth in fact. Brexit voters were a broad demographic. Think of Jacob Rees Mogg with his company having moved to the Republic. He will be travelling!
Q. Rules of origin rules are supposed to change in January?
A. In January they are due to introduce checks at UK border for imports from the EU. At the moment no-one checking what’s coming in which could be dangerous and puts our products at a disadvantage because exports to the EU are checked. When checks do start – January or later – there will likely be even more empty shelves and more inflation.
Q. Do imports from the EU at least meet EU standards?
A. Yes in the main but there has already been an issue, before we left the EU, about our borders being leaky to counterfeit products from outside the EU and it is now known there aren’t checks so it makes us more vulnerable.
Four of the words of welcome on the multilingual banner displayed on Merrywalks Bridge during most of June.
The eye catching speech bubbles design was the prize winning work of
South Gloucestershire and Stroud (SGS) College Art, Design and Communication
student Sophie Steadman who combines a keen interest in digital design with
language learning. She is currently studying Japanese and Korean in her spare
time.
SGS students were invited to submit entries for the “Welcome to Stroud”
banner by organisers, Stroud4Europe.
SGS Work Placement Coach Nicole Ince, who
coordinated the college entries, saw the competition as an ideal, meaningful
work experience opportunity and challenge, requiring social interaction
(virtual), analysis of target audience and working to a deadline whilst giving
students increased motivation to extend their design skills.
Runners up were Alexandra Rychvalska and Shannon Frankcom. Alexandra’s globe image came from her analysis of Stroud
as being a place of open-minded, creative people from a variety of ethnicities living in a place with lots of nature.
Shannon explored a variety of images
including circles,
trees,
and flags.
This was the first time she had used digital
art for her work.
Stroud4Europe was really impressed with the students’
enthusiasm, imagination and commitment.
Thanks to Stroud Town Council and Wheatley Printers in Thrupp for their advice on the display and production of the banner.
Stay European are warning that
there is now less than a month to go until the Settled Status deadline on 30
June. Settled Status is what gives EU citizens living in Britain the right to
stay here after Brexit – but only if they apply before the deadline.
This is a huge issue because any EU citizen who has not applied will lose their
rights. For example, they will lose free NHS healthcare straight away. Soon they
will start to find it difficult to work, difficult to get a place to live, and
difficult to cross the border into Britain.
We can’t let this happen to our European friends. We need to make a lot of noise
to make sure people know this deadline is approaching. Many people still have
not heard about the scheme or the deadline.
The form to apply is here. It works OK for most people, but there can be
technical difficulties, issues with a lack of documents (or expired documents),
bureaucratic screw-ups by the government and other problems.
If you need help, contact the dedicated charity Settled who are doing an amazing
job. And if you would like to help Settled, you can donate or volunteer.
The New European reported that the Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has said the UK must “draw a line” under Brexit and instead focus on keeping the Union together
Ginie Moss of Cheltenham4Europe has written to him in response:
Dear Mr Burnham,
I have read recently that you had declared we should ’embrace brexit’. After being very impressed by the stand you took for your city against Johnson and the Tories, I must admit that I feel very let down about your statement.
Is your declaration some sort of political move? If brexit is just a game for politicians, for so many of us, it is not. It is about our livelihoods; it has been an emotional rollercoaster that has rocked our lives for nearly 5 years and will carry on to do so. Many of us, if not lucky anymore to have retained our citizenship, feel European. This is what makes us who we are.
I fought brexit tooth and nail and I feel disappointed when people in power, and more especially in the Opposition, who should make a stand, destroy all my hard work and effort. I will keep on making a stand against it and expose its negative impact. Why don’t you?
In your comment, who exactly were you trying to lure?
Mancunians, who voted 60.4% to Remain?
Deprived people in our society who already suffer a great deal and whose lives will be even tougher?
Ex Labour Supporters, who still voted Labour in 2019 to counter the Tories, in the hope to stop brexit?
Other political parties’ supporters, who voted tactically in 2019 in the sole aim to stop brexit?
People like me, my family and friends, who joined the Labour Party to have a vote in its new leadership and now feel abandoned?
My friends on the campaign, all over the country, who have demonstrated against brexit and spoken up about its dangers?
Musicians, whose industry is being destroyed by brexit?
Artists, who will have to try to beat new restrictions and harmful brexit barriers?
Florists, affected by the devastating effects of leaving the EU which may have been missed due to Covid?
Fishermen, who now feel betrayed?
Older people, some of whom dreamt to retire in an EU country?
People who look and sound different, like me, and who have been victims of xenophobic, racist comments because brexit Britain tolerates this sort of behaviour?
UK citizens in the EU, who are feeling trapped and abandoned?
EU citizens in the UK, who have felt the emotional impact of brexit so hard and feel like foreigners now?
My husband, and other spouses of EU citizens, who have been stripped of their EU rights?
My language students and young people in general, who will not have the chance to travel, live, love and work in Europe like we did?
All the people I am forgetting to list and who will, one day or another, will feel the impact and realise what we have lost?
Brexit is a Tory idea so why did you proclaim such a sad thing? Were you not very much attached to your EU rights and freedom of movement? This freedom certainly helped me settle in your country, marry the man I love (a Brit) and choose to go back to France to give birth to my children on the Continent.
Thankfully, my three children have retained their EU citizenship and will not suffer the disastrous consequences of that vote 5 years ago as much as their British friends. Rather than embracing brexit, you should expose its flaws – just like I have done for so many years now, as a Committee member of a pro-EU grassroots organisation, and as an immigrant who do not recognise a country that welcomed me some 22 years ago and that I have loved so much.
I am looking forward to your reply - hopefully not that of a politician, but that of someone with common sense and emotional intelligence.
Stay European campaigns to regain the rights that UK citizens have lost, resist the effects of Brexit and rejoin the EU - Stay European. It has produced some suggestions for things to do to celebrate Europe day which is an annual day of celebrating peace and unity across the continent:
The date commemorates the Schuman declaration, which set out the idea that Europe should have a whole new era of political cooperation after the end of the Second World War.
After Brexit, for us who will always see ourselves as Europeans, this day is perhaps more significant this year than before.
Stay European has put together a few ideas for things you can do at home or socially distanced with family or friends to celebrate your European identity this Europe Day.
European picnic
If the weather is looking decent where you are, why not plan a day in the park with some of your favourite European food items? Danish pastries, Polish poppy seed rolls, French cheeses, German sausages, Spanish wine… You get the idea – this is definitely the best-tasting way of celebrating Europe Day.
Having a European picnic is also a lovely nod to the 1989 ‘Pan-European picnic’, a 1989 peace demonstration held on the Austrain-Hungarian border which marked the beginning of the end for the Iron Curtain.
If you want to add a new culinary delicacy to your European picnic, why not take a look at this list of 50 traditional dishes from all over the continent?
European film night
A wealth of films have been produced in Europe over the last century, and with online streaming services it is easier than it’s ever been to discover new ones wherever you happen to be.
Alternatively, you could take this opportunity to rediscover some of your old European film favourites on DVD.
If you’re looking for inspiration for modern films, here is a list of the best European films of the 21st century. And if the classics are more your choice, take a look at this list of films that defined the past century of European cinema.
Music Europe Day
The European Union presents the second edition of #MusicEuropeDay online on 9 May. 12 European artists will present their distinctiveness, diversity, and unique way of merging their traditions with modernity.
It’s free to attend, just sign in to Facebook and join the event.
The New European reported that the Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has said the UK must “draw a line” under Brexit and instead focus on keeping the Uni...
and flags.
