Opponents of Brexit are planning a street party in George Street today (Saturday 20 May).
The event, between 12.30pm and 2.30pm, has been organised by Brighton and Hove for Europe. The man behind it, Peter Cook, wants to use music as a vehicle for social change and urges people of all political parties and none to oppose Brexit.
Mr Cook said that his party was in the name of democracy. He said: “Democracy relies on a vibrant opposition and that the voice of the people be heard. These things have been sadly lacking on all sides in recent years, having handed our futures over to media giants.
“It’s time to restore the balance for the good of all and our children. Whatever your views on politics, come and have a beer and a chat with us.”
He is part of a movement to stop Brexit called “No 10 Downing Street Vigil” where he spends most of his time when not touring the UK. He has been featured on BBC’s Sunday Politics show and the One Show as well as in most national newspapers. You can watch the video of the London vigil here.
Mr Cook runs the Academy of Rock, a management consultancy and speaking business before the Brexit referendum result.
He said that he has climbed out of the gutter in Medway (his words not mine) to forge a career in industry, academia and as a self-employed businessman.
For more articles by Roz Scott, visit www.rozscott.com.
The Academy of Rock is not a tribute band by the way – I spend my life blending Business ideas with parallel insights from music http://www.academy-of-rock.co.uk 😀
Let’s hope Peter Cook and Peter Kyle have a nice party together sitting on a bench in George Street. Perhaps a few loyal Green Party supporters can join them on a march to the Carnegie to protest about library moves? 😏
Yes Gerald – please come and sing with us
Why? I’m all in favour of staying in Europe – but pleased we will no longer be part of the European Union.
Why?
Glad you are happy about geographical facts that you can’t change. Sad that you are willing to destroy the country’s economy for … sorry. What is it e gt out of Brexit, exactly? Except for a snap election and a cuddly unicorn? Genuinely though. What are the benefits of Brexit?
By the way Roz, The Academy of Rock is not a tribute band … 🙂 It’s a business speaking and consultancy business that blends ideas about business with parallel insights from music. http://www.academy-of-rock.co.uk
“Mr Cook said that his party was in the name of democracy”… perhaps Mr Cook could explain his understanding of the term ‘democracy’ 🙂
Wikipedia is a good resource Nigel
But not the Daily Fail!
Nigel, there are plenty of sources for you to find out about what democracy is. If however, perchance, you are referring to the EU referendum then try this:
1) Many pepole didn’t ask for this referendum in the first place: it only happened to save the Tory party, It was because of the arrogance and laziness of Cameron, who thought he could just easily win this referendum and nail the European question in his own party and fend off UKIP.;
2) There was never any proper parliamentary discussion what leaving the EU means. Certainly immigration was never any part of the referendum question;
3) It was an advisory referendum. It was not binding;
4) If you are going to call it the will of the people, then you have to make it mandatory. 37% is not the will of the people. Significant sections of the population didn’t even have a vote ;
5) The conduct of the referendum campaign itself was appalling. Yes, the Remain campaign (at the top level, not the grassroots level) was at fault too. But nothing like the blatant lies and hatred whipped up by the Leave campaign;
6) Mrs May and her closest Brexiteers want to ram this through with no discussion with parliament, the Lords, the regional assemblies, the judiciary, interested bodies such as business, industry and academia, and with no public input or visibility;
7) The referendum is causing bitter divisions in the country and hate crimes;
8) Nearly a year down the line, Mrs May and her team are still clueless what to do. That is why they need this election. To crush the mounting opposition.
9) A hard Brexit (or more likely no deal at all) will be catastrophic for the country. Already the Bank of England has had to pump in billions to prop up the economy, business investment is down, the chancellor has said billions more must be borrowed because of Brexit, the pound is tanking, companies are looking at pulling out of Britain, some companies are already laying off people or shutting down part of their operations because of Brexit, the price of essentials such as food, clothes, and fuel are rising. Job losses will be next. More food banks. More austerity. More child poverty. More hardship for pensioners.
10) No one can give any good, concrete reasons for Brexit. It’s all grasping exciting new opportunities, and forging new roles, pots of gold and unicorns. But never what these opportunities are. It’s complete bull.
Back to you.
Bob Geldof explains some of the reasons to Remain quite well https://youtu.be/1XpzJ1ABRuE?t=12m23s
The 23rd of June should be made a bank holiday to celebrate British Independence Day. The day people power beat neo-liberal fear mongering and freed us from the undemocratic and corrupt EU. Best day of my life.
What part of democracy do these imbeciles not understand?
How about the part where right wing – either Conservatives or UKIP dogmatists stifle anyone’s right to dissent and imply that anyone who voted remain is somehow “an enemy of the people” or about 48% of the population. So much for Democracy.
Actually it was nearly 75% of the population who did not vote for Quitting.
Good correction Shaun. It is not the will of the population. We have constitutional change imposed from a simple majority not the super majority that is required by other civilised democracies.
Democracy fuelled by gross lies e.g. using Nazi Party posters and offering people £350 M a week back to the NHS is not the democracy of a so called advanced country but one of a banana republic. We were ased a poorly framed question as well – see Should I stay or should I go? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/shall-i-stay-go-peter-cook
Strange comments
We live in a democracy and are therefore able to make our voices heard if we are not prepared to go along with trashing our country
We don’t live by mob rule
So what is it you don’t understand?
We live in a country that oractises representative democracy and our MPs/ representatives ha e been muzzled ….
They were all remainers indeed the labour MPs were three line whipped
I’ll tell you what isn’t democratic
Crashing out of the EU stripping British citizens of their rights on the back of a very flawed advisory referendum ….
That’s treason
She will march out and blame the EU
And which part do you not understand?
Errr, he is a year too late!
Never too late.
Indeed not Shaun – Whilst it matters not to me, I will fight this on behalf of young people everywhere in the UK and the 3 million people who have made their lives here and deserve better from “Great Britain”. I am a patriot and I’m here to make a Better Britain in a United Europe https://www.gofundme.com/ChangeElectionVotes
Zzzzzz we had a democratic vote. Now get over it 🙄🙄
I didn’t realise it was anti-democratic to oppose the government. I must tell all opposition parties around the world that they need to disband immediately until the next elections in their country.
*rolleyes*
If you truly respect democracy then you should be celebrating that people are opposing this. Opposition, argument, differing opinions, the right to free speech, and debate about issues are central foundations of democracy. Plus do people not have a right to protest against something that they believe will harm both themselves and their country?
Your suggestion that we just to over it sounds more like authoritarianism to me, where only one opinion is allowed. Theresa may seems to be aiming for that but we are not there yet and will continue to fight.
May I just double check Aaron, you are on the side of free speech, and celebrating our right in a non totalitarian state to voice our opposition to a blatant attempt at establishing an authoritarian regime?
Ha ha – that old chestnut Aaron – What do you consider the main vital signs that Brexit is giving us global success in a connected world? Please take as long as you like in your answers
In what way was it democratic?
Sounds like Sherrie Fox is asleep. Well wake up! Prices are going up and wages aren’t – so living standards are going down. If we leave and jobs start to go , banks and businesses relocate , and sales fall when our main market disappears . will you wake up and smell the coffee or should that be Brexshit?
I looked by, very jolly, and a chuckle at a new angle on “Purple Rain”.
All this looked as if it was giving the people slouched outside Wetherspoon’s something new to talk about. Difficult to tell which of them was “Gerald Wiley” – several of them could have been.
Sorry Christopher – had more productive things to do today than sit outside a bar. I guess you had nothing better to do – were any of your Green councillor friends there to join in the party to celebrate getting back control of our destiny from a group of unelected bureaucrats (and some Green MEPs desperate looking for new jobs)?
Thank you for your comment Christopher and glad you enjoyed the music. I find it extremely amusing that Tim Weatherspoon voted Leave and has just scored a massive own goal on his own business. Perhaps we’ll get some decent pubs back at some stage.
Thanks! Keep it up! We need fun to a purpose. Meanwhile, poor old “Gerald Wiley” is oblivious to the fact that in the rose garden Mrs Wiley is making eyes at, and even gestures towards, her lover with a whisper of “don’t worry, darling, Gerald’s stuck on his keyboard, we shan’t hear from him for hours!”
http://www.facebook.com/savehovelibrary
See if Peter cook can bring Dudley Moore along. Both dead and dripping in maggots
I live Mr Potato Head !! I do know Cook’s ex next door neighbour however
What a great idea! I hope people had a great time, the weather held out!
Many of us in B&H are keen EUrophiles and value the benefits of economic, environmental and social progress that has come with EU membership. We appreciate and possibly make use of the freedom to seemlessly travel and work in 27 countries and value the peace and security that the EU has delivered during our 43 years of membership.
We now begin a chaotic exit from the EU, the UK led by a group of incompetents. Our government are ideologically driven individuals driven by their egos rather than for the long term benefit of the country. Ordinary people face further declining living standards and there will be no “taking back control”, no “extra £350 million a week extra for the NHS”. The Brexit Taliban have long given up trying to pretend any of the supposed Brexit benefits actually exist. We face returning to being the sick man of Europe.
Good that people are beginning to organise to once more join with our brothers and sisters on the continent. Though I fear it may take another 43 years!
I’m so glad that B&H for Europe were first in our series of visits to reunite the Country behind a Better Britain in a Stronger Europe. No one would deny that the EU needs reform – all large institutions need that – yet leaving is possibly the worst way to have any influence that debate. In real life I am a business consultant and it is quite clear to me that our Government does not have the first clue about influence, persuasion and negotiation. Apologies for being an expert – I know we don’t need them any more.
I am proud to have helped connect Gina Miller with Sir Richard Branson to help rebuild British Democracy and be a standard setter for the world.
Join us on the UK tour to prevent us from a sleepwalk into a banana republic via https://www.gofundme.com/ChangeElectionVotes
Unsuccessful troll is unsuccessful; do mummy and daddy let you use the family computer all by yourself?
Hilarious that you bunch of incapable and incompetent Greens claim to be environmentalists, but a the same time advocate in your manifesto ‘no borders’, and uncontrolled mass-immigration.
And by the way, is you Welsh Green Party Lader, Pippa Bartolotti still driving a petrol-guzzling Jaguar car? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/pippa-bartolotti-yes-i-drive-a-jaguar-but-why-should-that-stop-me-leading-the-green-party-8061667.html
And is the same Wales Green Party leader still claiming that the unemployed should receive vouchers, and not Benefits paid in cash? http://www.pippabartolotti.info/p/she-has-not-beentruthful-about-her-air.html
Have you been on the sauce? Top marks for irrelevance, what exactly has this to do with Brexit and B&H for Europe?
How does the competency of your random target compare with Theresa May’s proposing a “dementia tax” on the elderly or taking free school meals from 900000 children in financially struggling families?
We face, as published in the government’s Autumn statement a reduction of over £40 billion of tax revenue by 2020. The media and the Conservatives have studiously avoided discussing what savage cuts and tax rises will be required to fill the gap. We are heading for Brexit negotions with a Brexit ministry that cannot even manage to recruit enough people, let alone have a coherent plan!
Brexit was a fraud perpetrated upon the British people.
So essentially you know that what Alan butler wrote is true; you just won’t acknowledge it out of embarrassment?
Sounds great. Hope we can look forward to many more such events – democracy, free speech; a process, not a random date in time 😉
We have an entire UK tour planned – please support democracy in the UK https://www.gofundme.com/ChangeElectionVotes
I hope it went well today Peter.
I was with a pro-EU group today – among us was a German lady who’d worked and paid taxes here for 20 years, and was directly told she shouldn’t be here and to go back where she came from. This was not from a thug, but a chartered accountant. I didn’t realise we could have reported him for racism. This is what has been unleashed. The festering pit of hate and racism hiding beneath British respectability.
Keep going Peter, and hope we can somehow rise above such petty tribalism which the UK seems to think makes it superior to everyone else.
Thanks Jacky – it was most enjoyable – Hove was a pleasant distraction from the grime of the Medway Towns. I have had a few unpleasant encounters on South Eastern over this but the trip to Brighton was pure joy. Thanks for the write up on the Brighton and Hove News.
Good to see that there are people attempting to break through the brain washing and remind everyone that Brexit will make us all poorer. No new car, no holidays, maybe no mortgage repayments. Why are we accepting that we have to live in poverty so that billionaires like Murdoch and Dacre can make more money? No idea why people are happy to cheat their children out of a prosperous future.
These guys are trying to save your bacon. We should all be listening.
They’re really funny too.
Thank you Ali – here are some pictures and video from the event – We’ll be back https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOPNCJ9VLKlJBuy7TOLF09C3zcgHevjlorIqNjkZGRcq9fsGcRqXoWULM84irPpPg?key=S21XRWt2eVlrOW90ck11YTgzZWFMX1VQb0JZNjJ3
Thanks Peter fir your incredible work. Nobody has been able to give us one good reason for Brexit, which will cost billions in administration, loses jobs as companies move out of the UK, costs ordinary people around £2000 a year plus the rising costs of essentials like food and petrol, plus loses the UK the vital role we play on the international stage. That means that we will become the poor man of Europe again, like we were before we joined the then EEC. And let us not forget the most important argument for me,betng part of a Union of like minded people:brought peace in Europe. Brexit will disrupt the balance of power, and with Trump and Putin becoming best pals, the right wing fascist voices inciting to hatred of everything “other” the EU has a vital role to,play to avert disaster. Lessons from 1930’s show us how quickly good people can close their eyes when monstrosities happen. We will not allow Brexit to destroy our beloved UK.
Well said magdalena and with the same bravado I must echo you….
We will not let the EU destroy our UK!
A lot of really helpful information about how bad Brexit is for the UK financially-and otherwise; but I would really like to know how bad Europe is financially and otherwise? Wasn’t there a bale out for Greece, Portugal, Ireland etc? Perhaps that was just bad luck and is all fixed up now?
Out of curiosity, I read James Rickards latest book – “The road to ruin”; and sorry to say it’s not pleasant either way, however, if I HAD to make a choice, I vote Britain first -but completely understand all the others who would rush over to aid our European cousins in their financial and other woes. Jolly good of them! 10/10 for effort!
It seems that for a great many people the politics, lies and money didn’t really count either way. Maybe it was just a gut feeling that stemmed from a lack of trust from incidents not so long ago. Like Reagain said….”Trust….but verify”
Personally, I always cut the deck when playing cards but I accept that some will be offended, just like with the democratic vote to leave the European Union…not everyone needs to be happy for the greater good and if it’s for the worst, then that is the way we will have to deal with it too….together and in the same way we would of IN the EU.
After all that is said and done, I respect the right to protest- no matter how silly it might seem to others.
Thanks Dean – I appreciate your thoughts on this