The first National Rejoin March(NRM) of 22 October 2022 was described by Will Hutton as having exceeded all expectations. Former Remain campaigners decided to hit the London streets to show that the vision of Rejoin was very much alive. It gave us all hope and a stronger resolve to continue campaigning for our long term vision.
“What a day! It exceeded all expectations and gave us all hope, a strengthened belief in the cause and a resolve to continue campaigning for this ‘noble cause’ ”
Will Hutton
It is as a continuation of this successful NRM march that Peter Corr, the founder of NRM has called for a National Rejoin Day on this Saturday, 25 March 2023.
A lot has happened since October to show how important it is for us Pro-European campaigners to keep the Rejoin message alive.
Share of people who think Brexit was the right decision 2020–2023
The latest statistics published by Statista Research Department, 15 March, 2023 shows that
“ As of March 2023, 54 percent of people in Great Britain thought that it was wrong to leave the European Union, compared with 33 percent who thought it was the right decision. During this time period, the share of people who regret Brexit has been slightly higher than those who support it, except for some polls in Spring 2021, which showed higher levels of support for Brexit. The share of people who don’t know whether Brexit was the right or wrong decision has generally been stable and usually ranged between 11 and 14 percent.”
Is UK ready for Rejoin EU?
This ‘Bregret’ in the polls, however, does not mean that a referendum called in 2023 would bring about an overwhelming victory for rejoining the EU. There is still very little in the media to highlight the advantages of being part of the Union of neighbours and partners. This is one of the tasks we Europhiles must take on. The European Movement UK which has just held an election for a new Chair, calls on members to help ‘Win the Battle for the Soul of our Country’.
“This is the biggest fight yet. Together, we can reverse the calamity of Brexit and win the Battle for the Soul of our Country. Become a member today and help us build the movement and win.”
European Movement UK flyer
With the newly elected Chair Mike Galsworthy, EM hopes to grow its membership further and hold grassroots events to highlight the merits of polling resources with our neighbours just 13km away.
National Rejoin Day events
Next Saturday, pro-EU groups across the UK and mainland Europe are planning a variety of events. If you are looking for a local event to join, consult the map
Here are the towns and cities where there will be an event on Saturday:
- Bath, Bolton, Bournemouth,
- Cambridge, Cheltenham,
- Derby, Dover, Dorchester, Dumfries,
- Edinburgh, Exeter,
- Guildford,
- Hereford,
- Leeds, Leek, Lewes, Liverpool, London (Central, SW4, TW9),
- Maidstone,
- Newcastle, Nottingham,
- Reading,
- Salisbury, Sheffield, Swansea, Swindon,
- Truro,
- York.
Outside the UK?
There are three bonus events in Spain:
- Barcelona,
- Granada,
- Palma de Mallorca.
Put on your own event
If you cannot find an event close to you, feel free to organise a get-together with family and/or friends simply to show what being Europeans means to you. It doesn’t have to be large or long. Have a drink together; discuss why you would like to belong to the European community.
Your reasons could be personal, or business related, for example, if your business has suffered due to new regulations when trading with EU countries. Or you could be an artist who was used to travelling with your creations across neighbouring countries. A musician, who cannot now tour at short notice and has to declare instruments etc. when crossing borders. Or you could be a student, who had hoped to spend an exchange year in Paris; or a scientist who had taken part in research programmes. Or, like me, you are a pensioner who had planned to travel across France and Italy to escape the cold, dark British winter.
Three friends share their joy in Europe
I am in Spain at the moment. We got together with my friend Mike, who has lived here for nearly 18 years, and a musician friend who came to spend a week’s holiday here with me. I asked them what being European meant for them.
We are sitting in Torre de la Horadada and exchange experiences which make us proud Europeans.
Ann, a violinist, is a keen language student. She tells her story in Spanish and then explains why she considers learning other languages such an enriching experience.
Mike, an ex Navy Commander tells his story of life in several European countries. He served the UK in a long service career and considers it part of his duty to lobby for Rejoining the EU.
Watch the video here.
Where Ann displays her Spanish and Mike explains that it is out of loyalty to his country that he lobbies for Rejoin.
In a second video Ann explains in English why she considers language learning vital, and Mike stresses the importance of joining Erasmus again.
I finish off by speaking in my dogs’ name: they also want their freedom of movement back. If they could talk, they would say “Let’s Rejoin EU!”
Will you be at one of the events?
