Remain battle bus rolls into Portsmouth splitting opinions over Brexit

ANTI-BREXIT campaigners drove their battle bus to Portsmouth yesterday to challenge Britain's departure from Europe.
The anti-Brexit battle bus in Guildhall Square, PortsmouthThe anti-Brexit battle bus in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth
The anti-Brexit battle bus in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth

The giant red coach arrived at Guildhall Square as part of its nationwide tour, which later saw it heading to Chichester.

Campaigners behind the vehicle – which mirrors the controversial Brexit bus of June 2016’s referendum – say it has been designed to question whether leaving the European Union is worth it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Leading Brexiteers say cutting ties with Brussels will bring future prosperity to the UK, opening the doors to lucrative trade deals with other nations.

Remain supporters with the anti-Brexit battle bus in Guildhall Square, PortsmouthRemain supporters with the anti-Brexit battle bus in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth
Remain supporters with the anti-Brexit battle bus in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth

Paul Gray, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Havant, was among the team on yesterday’s the ‘Brexit: Is It Worth It’ campaign bus. He rubbished claims that leaving the EU would bolster the UK’s economy.

Speaking to The News, Mr Gray said the public needed the right to vote on whatever deal is put forward.

‘We went into this ill-informed referendum without the full facts,’ he said. ‘The British public were given an awful lot of misinformation during 2016.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘By the government’s own figures, it’s going to cost £2bn to leave the EU. That’s a huge hit on the economy.’

Remain supporters with the anti-Brexit battle bus in Guildhall Square, PortsmouthRemain supporters with the anti-Brexit battle bus in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth
Remain supporters with the anti-Brexit battle bus in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth

Leave-voter Sam Elliot, 25, was in Guildhall Square when the bus arrived and said he was now ‘worried’ about the future.

He said.‘Going into the vote I felt we were being quite stifled by the European Union. But if I had the chance to choose again, I would definitely opt to remain – there has been very little in the way of goodness since that day.’

Penny Mordaunt, Portsmouth North MP and staunch Brexit backer, said: ‘We had a referendum and the nation decided the EU’s trajectory was not as good as us being able to have control over our money, borders and laws.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We are now implementing their decision, and preparing to be able to forge our own trade relationships with the rest of the world. It is an incredible moment for our country and I’ve no doubt we’ll be more prosperous and more secure as a consequence, as will other nations we wish to build trade with.

‘The public rejected Project Fear. They want us to get on with Brexit and do it really well.’

Tory city council boss Donna Jones claimed the will of the British public to leave the EU had to honoured. She said: ‘I believe in freedom of speech and, whilst I don’t agree with the slogan on the side of the Remain bus, I respect their right to highlight their campaign. However, the bus that visited Portsmouth which supports a second referendum in the UK is essentially an attack on democracy.’