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Seven years after the UK voted to leave the European Union, thousands of protesters took to the streets of London to voice their Brexit opposition. Public sentiment has shifted substantially since 2016, with a majority of the public now open to rejoining the EU.
The sizeable gathering in the capital gave a platform to pro-European voices, who insist that the UK has a future within the trading bloc. Though both Labour and the Tories have ruled out rejoining the EU, the Liberal Democrats are in favour of the idea.
Brexit has negatively impacted the economy since Britain fully withdrew from its partnership with the EU. Gina Miller, who has fought a number of legal battles against Brexit, now believes that the British public has ‘woken up from a fantasy’, and are now suffering the real-life consequences.
“Brexit was a fantasy, and like all fantasies, we’ve woken up. People can see the effects in schools, in hospitals, in their supermarkets. This is no longer theoretical. The damage is everywhere. It has broken Britain.” | Gina Miller
Guy Verhofstadt, an MEP and heavyweight figure within the EU, also spoke at the March For Rejoin. He slammed the Tories for deviating from Winston Churchill’s own vision of ‘European unity’, and compelled the British electorate to ‘reverse Brexit’ when they get the chance:
“Winston Churchill was… the first defender of Europe and the continent. In contradiction to the Tories who are governing – and governing is a big word – but Churchill looked to Britain from the outside world. He knew UK sovereignty depended on unity.”
“We in the EU are waiting for you. We feel like we have lost a leg or an arm with Brexit. Brexit can’t be made better, it’s impossible. But British democracy can reverse Brexit, and that’s what you have to do. Good luck.” | Guy Verhofstadt
The large crowds also made their way past Downing Street, making their opinions on the government known. With a general election on the horizon next year, it remains to be seen if either the governing party or the opposition will soften their stance on the EU.
