A senior government minister is coming to Brighton to launch the EU referendum Leave campaign today (Saturday 30 April).
Chris Grayling the Conservative Leader of the House of Commons, will be joined by Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat supporters who also want Britain to leave the European Union (EU).
After the launch event, which will include a photo call outside the Royal Pavilion, dozens of campaigners are expected to go leafleting.
The honorary president of the campaign in Brighton and Hove is Sir Andrew Bowden, the former Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown. He held the seat from 1970 to 1997.
Councillor Tom Bewick, the Labour member for Westbourne Ward on Brighton and Hove City Council, is the campaign chairman and lead spokesman for the Vote Leave campaign locally.
Mr Grayling said: “I am delighted to be launching this cross-party campaign in Brighton and Hove.
“As home to a multitude of party political conferences over the decades, representative democracy is in the lifeblood of this city.
“I hope that residents will take note of this leading group of local leaders, who know from first-hand experience what a stultifying effect the EU has on the city’s ability to promote jobs and growth.
“If we ‘vote leave’ on 23 June, we can take back control of the £350 million we send to Brussels each week and spend it on our priorities.”
Sir Andrew said: “If we do not leave the EU in the next two years, it is only a matter of time before Britain is dragged into the United States of Europe.
“That means our country will lose control of its economy, taxation and expenditure – as well as foreign and security policy.
“Are we seriously contemplating that the British Parliament, with over 1,000 years of history, is to become no more than a glorified county council?”
Councillor Bewick said: “This is an extraordinary and historic moment for our city and our country.
“Do we want to continue to surrender more of our political sovereignty to an unelected unaccountable elite in Brussels or do we want to take back control of our destiny so that we can invest in the priorities of the British people?
“Rather than send £350 million sent to the EU each and every week, we could be spending that money on our own priorities: saving our National Health Service, securing enough school places for our children, getting young people on to the housing ladder.
“The truth is that, for most of the residents of Brighton and Hove, our membership of the EU has driven down wages, inflated house prices out of reach for far too many people and resulted in unsustainable mass migration that places a huge burden on our local public services.
“It’s time to take back control so we can elect people that are directly accountable to us for the decisions they make.”
Councillor Bewick said:
“It’s time to take back control so we can elect people that are directly accountable to us for the decisions they make.”
Is he talking about the House of Commons where the elected dictatorship of Mr Grayling garnered 37% of the vote a year ago?
At least our representatives at the European Parliament are elected on a proportional system. That IS democracy.
Whilst I agree that it is wrong to have a government elected by such a small % of the population I wish to point out that the European Parliament isn’t democracy…..where is the opposition party?
How do the MEPs influence anything when it is the (unelected) Commissioners who decide what the next law will be?
MEPs are merely there so ‘the masses’ think we have some form of control over our lives whilst the EU slowly sinks under the next ‘politburoesque’ 5 year plan….
It is NOT the commissioners who decide it is the council of ministers (i.e. the elected heads of each member country) in consultation with the European Parliament.
Most people agree with the regulations and rulings of the EU. Those who want BREXIT never say which regulations they would repeal – is it the workers benefits or the environmental protection or maybe the animal welfare measures that Brexiters want to do away with?
Contrary to your belief Paul, the government has already stated that the only laws that will be revoked are those that restrict us as a nation to be able to reduce the crippling taxes that have smothered our industries & our small businesses.
Our workers rights will stay the same, hopefully the loopholes of migrant workers will be quashed, large businesses should have to pay their taxes as well.
By 2030, there will be a blanket ban of all domestic gas boilers, considering our main electricity suppliers are based in France & with the high taxes imposed on electricity, we will be seeing more deaths due to the cold winters where the elderly & vulnerable will not be able to afford any heating.
Not to mention how much it will cost the government to replace all of its housing stock with appropriate EU regulated heating.
Coming from a country that is STILL using coal to supply their own electricity when everyone else has been banned from using it, I think that is very hypocritical of them.
The sooner we are out to be able to salvage what we can of our country, the better.
We can take back our own waters so our fishing industry can work properly again, having to throw back 90% of your catch whilst Spanish trawlers can reap more than 200% of what our fishermen can bring home is diabolical.
Our farming subsidies, now here is the clincher, all those that claim to be farming whilst having a small amount of livestock on a huge amount of land receives just as much as a farmer who has a huge herd with the same acreage. Not fleecing the system much huh?
As for your comment about the commissioners not deciding on the laws, you are in fact incorrect.
They can, have & will decide our rules & regulations.
We have to beg to every member state for any reform of said rules & regs, if one does not agree, we do not get.
70 times we have asked for laws to be revoked/changed, 70 times we were told no.
The world will not end if we leave the EU, in fact for us Brits it will probably become brighter because we will have enough money to be able to afford new housing for those who are homeless, better conditions within the NHS & benefits system & repay the national debt within 20 years.
If we stay in the EU, our NHS along with our schools, will be privatized, many more homeless including our pensioners and a compulsory DNR for anyone over the age of 70.
The way we are going, there will be more poverty, more immigration to add to that poverty & no voice to shout our discern.