Staffs4Europe campaigning for a People’s Vote.

Mrs May has published her draft Withdrawal Agreement and if we weren’t sure before, we are now. Brexit is a mess. The draft Agreement satisfies no-one.

In desperation to get her deal through the “meaningful vote” in parliament the PM has resorted to threatening “My deal or No Brexit”.

But the Article 50 clock is ticking and some MPs are concerned that if they don’t support the deal the alternative is a no-deal catastrophe.

Write to your MP today. Tell them you are Not Buying It and that there is another way. Ask them to do what’s best for the country. Vote the deal down and support a People’s Vote, a referendum between Mrs May’s Deal and

Remain.

Do it now. Take action to day.

Tell your MP there is another way.

A People’s Vote.

YOU CAN HELP

Write to your MP Tell your MP you’re Not Buying It. Write your own letter or use the letter writing tool here

Help run a street stall

Weekend, evening, across Staffordshire. If you can spare an hour or two Contact Us.

Be a myth buster Talk to your family and friends. Bust the EU myths. See list of Euromyths here.

Canvass Help distribute leaflets in your area. Anytime to suit you. Contact Us.

Come to listen to Michael Dougan

5th Dec, 7:00pm North Staffs Medical Institute, Hartshill. Book here

Fundraising Too busy to campaign but want to help the cause. Please donate. See our Justgiving page

BOOK NOW

5th December BREXIT INSIGHTS a

talk by Michael Dougan Professor of EU Law,

University of Liverpool

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR TICKET

Only £5

NEWSLETTER #3 21ST NOVEMBER 2018

STAFFS4EUROPE NEWSLETTER #3 21 NOVEMBER 2018

Recent Street Stalls We have recently been busy canvassing and leafleting but have still found time for street stalls.

Hanley 29th September Stoke on Trent was a big target for us. We didn’t think we were ready for the challenge but took the plunge for the September action day and were pleasantly surprised with our results. Local people are becoming more aware of what Brexit really means with some saying how duped they felt after the referendum. Most surprisingly some who still class themselves as Leave voters confessed they are not really bothered whether we Leave or Remain; they just want someone to listen to them. The Brexit at any price hecklers were there but in quiet voice and we got good publicity from the local press.

If Stoke on Trent is the Brexit capital then we believe it is still all to play for.

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Stafford 17th November Staffs4Europe(South) held their first stall in Stafford on Saturday 17th November. The seven volunteers signed up 61 new supporters and were delighted that their local MP Jeremy Lefroy (pictured right) stopped to talk to them. 75% of visitors supported a People’s Vote, only 9% believe the government were doing a good job while only 1 in 7 thought Brexit would be good for their family & NHS. A warm welcome to our new supporters from Stafford.

Leek 17th November A queue formed while we were setting up our stall. The majority of those queuing were arch Leavers keen to engage and warn us of the perils of the EU. They attracted attention to our stall and

passers by stopped to listen to the discussion. We were busy all morning with people queuing to ask where they could sign to object to Brexit and demand another vote. The oldest was 90 year old Margery Clulow (picture above right) who voted Leave but would now vote Remain. We signed up many new supporters and handed out dozens of post cards addressed to local MPs. Pictured left is 84 year old Norma Hassell, initially a Remain voter posting a card to Karen Bradley telling her that she now feels even more strongly in favour of Remain having learned more about it. Thank you to everyone who signed up in Leek.

Next street stall, Lichfield Grub Club Stall Lichfield Market Square, from 5:00pm 28th November. Contact Staffs4Europe(South) via the website for details.

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STAFFS4EUROPE NEWSLETTER #3 21 NOVEMBER 2018

EventsPeople’s Vote March On 20th October people from Macclesfield and across Staffordshire carrying flags, banners, campaign T-shirts and even cake clambered aboard the Staffs4Europe coach to travel to the People’s March. More travelled from Stoke on Trent and others made their own way from Stafford by train.

We arrived in London to glorious sunshine. The

route down Park Lane was already packed and our group was soon absorbed into the mass of people.

The atmosphere was friendly, conversations were struck with strangers. Our “Staffordshire’s Not for Brexit” T-shirts attracted much attention. “Staffordshire!” exclaimed one lady, “It’s good to see you here.”

We passed morris dancers, jazz musicians, people picnicking in the park, we enjoyed the amusing banners. Some were cryptic such as “Ctrl-Z Brexit”, others amusing puns: “We’ll brie sorry if May delivers the Wurst Brexit. I wouldn’t put it Pasta!” while others gave advice: “Measure twice, cut once”.

By 3:30pm we had come to a halt in Trafalgar Square. Whitehall was packed and there was no chance we could get through to Parliament Square. Mike who was thoroughly enjoying the experience of his first march saw the bright side “It doesn’t matter we can’t get through, it’s more

important that so many people made the effort to support the demand for a People’s Vote,” he said.

Our thanks to Hugh Hudson and Peter Coates for their generous sponsorship which had enabled two coaches, including ours, to take campaigners from Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire to the march.

Visit from Lord Adonis and Femi Oluwole On Monday 5th November in a lively packed meeting held at the County Staff Club in Stafford, Andrew Adonis presented a powerful case for allowing both leave and remain voters to have the

final say on the Government’s eventual Brexit deal.

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STAFFS4EUROPE NEWSLETTER #3 21 NOVEMBER 2018

He was followed by Femi Oluwole of Our Future Our Choice, who told the audience of over 100 people that the young citizens of the whole of

Europe wanted to “live, work and love” wherever and whenever they wanted.

The meeting concluded with a question and answer session, with both speakers dealing with various concerns from an audience of both leave and remain voters.

Many of the leave voters present voiced concerns over the Government’s handling of Brexit - something they had in common with both speakers, though of course for different reasons.

Canvassing Besides the street stalls, which are fun and enjoyable as we meet and chat with our fellow townspeople, a few of us have also spent many hours trudging the streets delivering and collecting the Knock and Drop People’s vote survey and pushing leaflets through doors. As the survey draws to an end this week we still need extra hands-on support to run more frequent stalls and to encourage friends and relatives to visit or write to their MPs.

COME ON SUPPORTERS, LEND A HAND. IF (OR SHOULD THAT NOW BE ‘WHEN’?) WE GET ANOTHER VOTE, WE’LL NEED ALL HANDS TO THE PUMP FOR A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN OF THE ORDINARY PERSON!

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CONTACTS AND LINKS

Staffs4Europe website https://staffs4europe.eu Use website for links to • Book tickets to hear Michael Dougan (5/Dec) • Fill in the People’s Vote survey • List and contact for Staffordshire MPs • Contact/Join us • Write to your MP & NotBuyingIt campaign

Just giving funding page https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/staffs4europe Euromyths index and links https://blogs.ec.europa.eu/ECintheUK/euromyths-a-z-index/

** URGENT ACTION **

WRITE TO, OR BETTER STILL, VISIT YOUR MP AT THEIR CONSTITUENCY OFFICE

especially if you are #remainernow. Tell them you’re “Not Buying It” because there is an alternative, a People’s Vote.

Click Here for Staffs MPs contact Details or use the letter writing tool of the Not Buying It

campaign EXPRESS YOUR SUPPORT FOR THEM IF THEY BACK A PEOPLE’S VOTE, CHALLENGE THEM IF

THEY DON’T

Let us know what they say. Contact us here.

Calendar of events NOVEMBER

24th OFOC event Trinity Hall, Stafford, 3:00-4:00pm 28th Staffs4Europe(South) Street stall Lichfield Market Square, from 5:00pm DECEMBER

5th Brexit Insights talk by Prof Michael Dougan, North Staffs Medical Institute, Hartshill, 7:00pm MORE

Things are moving quickly, events are listed at short notice. Visit Staffs4Europe web site to stay

informed.