Brexit is not popular in Staines High Street

On Saturday David Campanale went out and asked people what they thought about Liberal Democrat policies in general and Brexit in particular. The overwhelming response was that Brexit and Boris Johnson would be bad for all of us.

We all know that if the referendum were to be held again there would be a majority for wanting to stay in the EU, now we know what leaving really means. This is why the Tories and Brexit Party are so against another vote. Their definition of democracy is to ask a vague question and then claim everyone voted for whatever deal they have cooked up.

We now know what type of deal the Tories want and it is clearly worse than the current deal we have. With the Tory deal we will have tariffs for EU trade, a lower GDP and a smaller economy.

The Lib Dem manifesto clearly explains the main arguements for staying in the EU:

1. To be part of a bigger union to work on global issues like climate change and poverty
2. Brexit will damage the UK economy by removing us from the single market
3. Turning our back on the EU will damage our trade and lost markets will not be easily replaced
4. The end of free movement is bad for the UK

The detailed manifesto statements are below:

• Many of the great challenges of the 21st century are global: climate change, human trafficking, the arms trade, the power of multinationals, global poverty and inequality. By separating itself from the EU, Britain diminishes its capacity to respond to these threats. By working together with our European neighbours, we increase the UK's ability to meet those challenges: for example, in international negotiations, in regulating the tech giants or in creating markets for climate-friendly products.
• There is no doubt that full membership of the EU is good for the British economy. Brexit would bring to an end businesses' unfettered access to the European single market - the destination of almost half of Britain's exports - and to the smooth flow of goods that complex industrial supply chains require. The prospect of tariffs and border checks is already causing manufacturers to shift their operations to other EU states and UK manufacturers are already reporting that export orders have dried up.
• There is no prospect of replacing lost EU markets with free trade agreements with other countries thousands of miles away. If the UK gives in to President Trump's demands to lower environmental and health standards for a trade deal with the US, we would lose the ability to export to the EU, which would drive many British businesses, including most farmers, out of business. Brexit is bad for jobs, growth and prosperity.
• Brexit will also mean an end to freedom of movement, which has brought the UK tremendous social, economic and cultural benefits. It gives British people the opportunity to work, be together with their loved ones, study and retire anywhere in the EU. There is no contradiction between our European and our British, national and regional identities: they enrich one another. By stopping Brexit, Liberal Democrats will protect and maintain freedom of movement, safeguarding the rights of UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU and EU citizens in the UK. Liberal Democrats will also support the right of the people of Gibraltar to remain in the European Union.