On Saturday 25 March, Hythe Remainers (European Movement) joined a wave of action across the country to mark the March for Rejoin Campaign day of action #dayforrejoin.
Members of this longstanding and enthusiastic campaign group braved the cold drizzle to meet in the town square in Hythe, in a constituency which voted 62% for Brexit in 2016. The campaigners shared the Town square with the regular, stoic Jehovah’s Witness leafleteers and a new adversary – David Butler, the hard-right local candidate for Farage’s latest iteration, the Reform Party.
Brexit lucky dip
Typically, the European Movement group brought some light-heartedness to their street campaign with a Brexit Bingo game, inviting passers-by to assess whether various industries are ‘winners’ or ‘losers’ as a result of Brexit.
They also brought a spin of family fun to the atmosphere, with a ‘Brexit Benefits Lucky Dip’. Shoppers and visitors were invited to dip for any benefits they could find. This game raised eyebrows and more than a few wry smiles, as most people guessed (correctly) that it was an empty box before diving in!
A palpable change of mood
Veteran campaigner David Erwee noted that the mood of the town had definitely changed since earlier campaigns, “so many people are happy to say that Brexit was a terrible mistake”. Young families stopped as they passed the stall and engaged happily with our games and children left happily sporting ‘European Citizen’ stickers and waving EU flags.
People who stopped to chat were keen to support the efforts of the Hythe European Movement; key issues at people’s hearts were the painful losses of Erasmus and freedom of movement.
Far fewer people than ever before were willing to challenge with a pro-Brexit stance. Among the grassroots, the mood music is changing. We now need mainstream politicians to come alongside.
For more information on Hythe Remainers (European Movement) please see the Facebook page
