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Local campaigners calling for the UK to remain in the European Union took advantage of the crowds attending Enfield's Charter Fayre to gauge the feelings of Enfield residents towards this most controversial issue.

enfield for europe logo on blue

Enfield for Europe is a grass-roots campaign group advocating for the UK to remain in the European Union. It self funds and does not receive any grants. Iit is not affiliated to any political party.

www.enfieldforeurope.com

For their latest Day of Action, members of Enfield for Europe set up their "Brexitometer" in Church Street, Enfield Town, and asked visitors to the Fayre to use it to show how they thought decisions about Brexit should be made and about the future of EU citizens living here.

Visitors were able to write postcards addressed to their MP to let them know their concerns.  The campaigners say people used them to raise concerns about the progress of negotiations or mention specific issues:

"Several people used the cards to say how they felt they had been duped by the promises made during the referendum campaign by the leaders of the Brexit campaigns.

an enfield resident uses the brexitometerAn Enfield resident uses the Brexitometer

"The future of Chase Farm  was another worry because of reports that EU staff were leaving the hospital.

"Some visitors were concerned about funding of local council services when the government's own impact assessments show business and the economy declining for the next 15 years.  That would result in government funding for councils being cut back even more than has already happened."

What did the Brexitometer show?

enfield brexitometerThe Enfield Brexitometer left a clear message for politicians

"We thought that using the Brexitometer to gauge the views of Enfield residents was particularly relevant in the light of the recent revelation that the Farage and Banks-led Leave.EU campaign broke electoral law during the referendum campaign.

"The results were very clear.  Residents thought Parliament should be able to stop Brexit if it isn't possible to get a good deal.  They wanted a People's Vote on the negotiated deal.  And they overwhelmingly wanted EU residents who had been settled in the UK for some time to be given full rights to remain.

"Several people said that in the referendum they'd been voting on a blank sheet of paper and that it makes more sense to vote on the actual deal once it's been negotiated.

"And visitors were wondering whether it was worth it now that the cost of Brexit seems to be a lot more than the leaders of the Leave campaigns had said it would be."

Brexit is a local issue too

Enfield for Europe say that Brexit is important locally as well as nationally. They point out that between 2007 and 2013 North East London benefited from £74 million of the £656 million  available to London to promote and enhance local businesses via the Local Economic Action Partnership, part of the European Development Fund. 

"It now seems unlikely that there will be any Brexit dividend. Due to the economy slowing the Governor of the Bank of England has said the UK has already forfeited £200 million a week in lost revenue in the 2 years since the Brexit vote."

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