When did you first attend the SODEM protest outside Parliament and why did you come? 

Near the beginning – don’t recall the date. Sorry!

Roughly how old are you?

60’s

How frequently did you come and when was the last time you attended?

Several family members came whenever we could. Sometimes once a week, sometimes less frequently. Simon Berry came most days during Nov and Dec 2017.

How far from Westminster do you live and what was your travelling time?

We came regularly when we lived in London – it was just a short train ride to Blackfriars, then on to Westminster from there. That made it possible for us to fit in.

What’s your favourite memory?

Our daughter coming with us in the pouring rain in November 2017 with her new baby in an EU-decorated pram. Also being there the few times a night voting went through as we wanted – exhilarating to be there in person.

Tell me your story

As a family, we’ve worked across UK and international development, teaching, community work etc, so the whole family and most of our friends and work colleagues could foresee the devastation to livelihoods and communities that Brexit would/will bring. We were incensed by the lying and manipulation – particularly of less-frequent voters in poorer communities who were bombarded by the manipulative Cambridge Analytica campaign. That just isn’t democracy. We are lucky enough to have lived all over the world; we are internationalist in outlook and (to a certain extent) in understanding. Personally, I speak 5 languages and have always ‘felt’ very European. We detest the seeding of hate which has accompanied the whole process: the referendum, the result, the aftermath – it all feels very wrong, very dangerous actually. We will never accept it, especially during the enormous challenges of Climate Change and now COVID, challenges which cry out for truth, transparency, collaboration and global solutions. 

We have been proud to represent Britain in various capacities in different countries for most of our working lives, but we are no longer proud to be British. That hurts.

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