Category: Campaigns

Sevenoaks shoppers looking forward to European Parliament elections

Despite heavy rain at the start of our three hour slot, when the weather brightened up people were generally receptive to taking one of SSTIE’s leaflets about the European elections.  A small number of people expressed a view that they wouldn’t be voting and one or two said they would vote for the Brexit Party.  There was a  greater number at the other end of the spectrum who were very keen to vote for a Remain-supporting party, and some who wanted to sign up to our group to help us campaign to Remain in the EU. The atmosphere was civilised and friendly, even with some of the committed Leavers who were happy to shake hands after an impassioned exchange of views.
In general there was a positive attitude about voting in the European Parliament elections and a number of people  indicated that they would be voting Change/Lib Dem/Green. There was a positive comment about the Lib Dems’ new slogan; and of course there was the usual mixture of bizarre comments.

Peter


Voters enthused by the shift to Remain parties in the local elections and looking forward to the EP elections.

European Parliament Campaign        Sevenoaks 4th May 2019

In Sevenoaks it was clear that Remain supporters were supporting the LDs and The Greens in about equal numbers with Change UK  trailing the others.

Continue reading “Voters enthused by the shift to Remain parties in the local elections and looking forward to the EP elections.”

Tonbridge Leafleting

Saturday 6 April – from 10:00 to about 12:30

Many thanks to the 12 people who turned out in the cold and the damp this morning. It was not a nice day.

The footfall was fairly low and there was an increased reluctance to engage, even to the extent of taking a leaflet – particularly for the first hour or so. The new leaflets did seem to be more interesting to people and the take up rate improved when these arrived.

The population is broadly coming to an agreement – but only that the country is in a mess and that the politicians have totally failed us all. A good proportion of people (both Leavers and Remainers) want to get this sorted out.

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SSTIE in Tonbridge 9th March

While we were setting up in Tonbridge at 1000, 4 members of the Tonbridge Labour Party, who were heading for a meeting in London stopped and leafleted with us for an hour. We very much appreciated this gesture.

Four members of Tonbridge & Malling For Europe also joined with us and again we were delighted to have their support.

Together with the 11 SSTIE members who were in Tonbridge on Saturday this made a  formidable leafleting group – so much so that one passer-by remarked that there were too many of us! We actually distributed many leaflets entitled  The lies and truths of the EU, Imagine If, and the Arrangements for the March on the 23rd.

Common themes on Saturday were:

a) that those Leavers who stopped and spent any time with us had not changed their mind since the referendum 2016.

b) those who refused to take leaflets did so politely; and

c) Remainers seemed more  encouraged

Our posters are taken from the Led  by Donkeys campaign

Record number of signatures gathered for a People’s Vote

In a rather chilly and windy Sevenoaks on Saturday 26th Jan 2019  SSTIE had 16 members and supporters out  leafleting and canvassing for a people’s vote. We were also collecting signatures for the PV petition; 108 signatures  were gathered which is a record for us in terms of interest in signing this petition and is a marker for the increasing interest in a People’s Vote.

Members reported another excellent morning on the streets of Sevenoaks –  with a big majority of passers-by accepting leaflets.

Continue reading “Record number of signatures gathered for a People’s Vote”

70% of Tonbridge shoppers want a Final Say

On Saturday morning we asked shoppers in Tonbridge whether they wanted a Final Say on Brexit and 435 people put a sticker on the board:

  • 291 want a Final Say vote
  • 121 do not want a Final Say vote
  • 23 people did not know

Of the people who knew what they wanted, over 70% wanted a Final Say vote.

At least three former local councillors had their say – one Tory, one Labour and one LibDem – and they all wanted a Final Say. Tom Tugendhat, the Tonbridge and Malling MP was out with a photographer and told one of our group that he would return and have his photo taken with us – sadly he had not done so when we packed up at one o’clock.

Many said they were fed up by the whole rigmarole, but also a number who wanted a proper vote, feeling that the first was based entirely on lies

The main argument that we heard against a Final Say was that we have already voted and it would be undemocratic to have another vote.

There is a very negative view, by both those saying Yes and those saying NO, of the Government, the Labour leadership, and of politicians generally for the way in which this is all being dealt with.