WHILE the new government is making plans for a No Deal deal Brexit on Hallowe’en, Wokingham shoppers appear to be backing alternative plans.
On Saturday, August 10, volunteers from the campaigning group Wokingham for Europe returned to the streets to canvas views.
Visitors to their stand were invited to answer a series of questions by sticking small stickers in yes or no boxes.
The group’s chair, Vanessa Rogers, said: “We now have much more serious business on our hands as we are staring down at the terrifying sight of a No Deal Brexit looming at the end of October, seemingly being pushed through by our new prime minister and Dominic Cummings who masterminded the Leave campaign which was riddled with false promises, lies and social media manipulation.”
Mrs Rogers, who lives in Wokingham, argues that a No Deal Brexit would have consequences for the country.
“Our economic situation is dire and there for all to see with our ever-weakening pound, the fact that we are now staring down the face of a recession and with 7,000 jobs and counting and £1trillion of assets already having moved out of the UK since the Brexit vote and worse to come if we do indeed crash out of the EU at the end of October without an agreement,” she argued.
“These are not exactly the sunny uplands we were promised by this Tory government.”
The street campaign, a straw poll offering a snap verdict of people who were in Wokingham town centre on Saturday, gave results indicating that residents still want to remain in the EU.
Mrs Rogers said: “People, and especially not the Wokingham people, are not happy about the course that the government is taking, are not in favour of a no-deal Brexit and are in favour of having another vote with the majority wishing to Remain in the European Union.
“It is time that this weak Tory government with a Prime Minister with a majority of only 1 seat and no mandate for anything really – and only voted in by 0.1 per cent of the population – stopped their disastrous course of action and realised that many people have changed their minds or are more entrenched in their wish to stay members of the EU since the vote in 2016 and wish to be given the opportunity to say so.
“After all, most members of this Tory government have changed their minds on many decisions, votes and different issues regarding the EU since June 2016 so why can’t we, the ‘people’?”
