CAMPAIGNERS marked ten years since the Brexit referendum with a big red bus tour around Stratford.
Local pro-European group Stratford4Europe toured the town in the bus to highlight what they claim to be the broken promises and the damaging consequences of Britain leaving the EU over the past decade.
The bus was a deliberate echo of the now-infamous 2016 “Vote Leave” bus, which claimed that leaving the EU would deliver £350million a week for the NHS.
Sally Bigwood, secretary of Stratford4Europe, said: “Many people will remember that promise. Had it been true, it would have meant billions for the NHS. But it never happened.
“Ten years on, the UK is in a far worse economic position. Independent analyses estimate that Brexit has cost the country up to £90 billion a year in lost tax revenue. We have seen reduced international influence, weakened diplomatic leverage, cultural and scientific isolation, and strained relations with key allies.
“The UK now has a permanently smaller economy, and both businesses and travellers face more red tape than ever before. Brexit has left the country more isolated and less competitive.”
Recent polling shows a shift in public opinion, with growing numbers of people expressing support for much closer ties with the European Union.
The Big Red Bus toured the town, stopping off at various points where volunteers handed out European flags and badges and spoke with residents about the benefits of rebuilding a stronger relationship with Europe.
