News release

Rejoin EU Party’s success in Clacton shows Labour needs to bin Brexit

The Rejoin EU Party’s success in last week’s Clacton by-election shows the Labour government should have no qualms about binning Brexit.

Rejoin EU and its candidate, former MEP John Stevens, came third out of 34 candidates in Thursday’s poll, despite Clacton formerly being one of the most pro-Brexit constituencies in the country.

The party believes the result shows the changing public mood towards Brexit, with even many Leave voters now realise leaving the EU was an historic mistake that needs to be reversed.

The outcome demonstrates Andy Burnham’s Labour ignores at its peril the economic and political boost it could secure from rejoining the EU.

Rejoin EU also believes it could have secured significantly more votes if many more “Remainers” had had the confidence and conviction to come to Clacton and support our canvassers, rather than backing a man wearing a metal container on his head.

Party leader Richard Hewson, who is stepping down following the result, said: “It was great we came third in Clacton, but we should have been able to mobilise far more of the Rejoin community behind us in that endeavour and I take full responsibility for that.”

Chairman Brendan Donnelly said: “No-one could have done more for our party than Richard. His decision does him credit. Many of our leading politicians should learn from his example.

“Clacton was a decent result for the Rejoin EU Party and shows the tide is turning in that formerly pro-Brexit seaside town, as well as elsewhere in the country, in favour of rejoining the EU.

“We came third out of 34 candidates in one of the previously most pro-Brexit constituencies in the country.

“What does that say about the progress we’ve made as a party since the referendum? A lot, in my opinion.

“However, it could have been so much better if more ‘Rejoiners’ had supported us rather than a ‘dustbin’.

“Next time – and there will be a next time – more of them should rally round and help us bin Brexit, rather than trying to help a bin to win.”

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The Rejoin EU Party is campaigning to re-join the EU because we believe re-joining is the only way to solve the multiple problems Brexit has created. Brexit is broken and it’s breaking our country too. All the promises on which Brexit was sold to the electorate in 2016 were nonsense. Far from reducing red tape and providing £350m a week for the NHS, Brexit makes trading with the crucial European market more complex, difficult and expensive and threatens to reduce funding for public services. If you agree Brexit is making our country poorer, less tolerant and less united, join us and send a message to Westminster that you want your EU membership back, with all its freedoms and benefits.

Promoted by Brendan Donnelly for the Rejoin EU Party, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE.