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news
European Flags outside Commission building (picture Xavier Häpe, Wikimedia Commons)British man living in France pedalling 600 kilometres to Westminster to deliver anti-Brexit petition
A British man who lives in south western France is pedalling 600 kilometres to Westminster deliver a 15,000-signature petition against Brexit to Prime Minister Theresa May.
Paul Hearn, aged 57, will also deliver a copy of the petition, hosted on Change.org, to Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, reports the Connexion France website.
Mr Hearn, who lives in the Charente department in France's Nouvelle Aquitaine region, started the petition because he says that voters were not provided with accurate information ahead of last year’s vote to enable them to make an informed decision.
He also believes that the views of many voters may have changed during the intervening 15 months, and that MPs should be allowed to have a free vote about whether to proceed with Brexit.
“Everyone in the UK and UK nationals living in other EU countries will be affected if Brexit continues in the current political atmosphere,” he wrote on the petition's page.= on Change.org.
Speaking to Connexion France before heading off on his ride, he said: “I have received support for my cycle ride from many people in France and I will be meeting a few of them as I cycle north.
“I included quite a lot of text with my petition to explain my motivation and concerns – why a 57-year-old, 97kg, bloke who has never done anything political in his life feels he has to raise a petition and then get on his bike to bring more attention to it.”
He is due to arrive in Westminster on Friday.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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47 comments
We know from the actions of the HO how they regard foreigners, and you can see from this why anyone in the UK might be concerned.
Some of us wanted to leave, some of us wanted to stay, but at the end of the day, isn't this just a site for people who like bikes?
UK membership of EU has been a dominant issue in British politics long before Cameron came along. In the Labour election manifesto in 2005 Blair promised "We will put it [the constitution] to the British people in a referendum and campaign wholeheartedly for a Yes vote."
Blair, and then Cameron, were just responding to very strong feelings amongst many in the electorate that they had not had a say on any of the EU treaties.
By 2016, since the UK electorate couldn't trust its own politicians not to take them further into a political union, the only option for many people was to leave.
Now to get back to riding my bike.
Political party votes for referendum in conference
Political party puts referendum in manifesto
Political party wins election
Follow through on referendum pledge
Leave wins
Yet somehow this is the fault if one man.
Let's look at the reasons for the loss
Could it be that we entered what we thought was a free trade agreement but turned out to be a project to build ever closer integration bordering on a supestate?
Could it be that we tried reforming from the inside but were completely rebuffed?
Or was it the lack of support for remain from lmany eading politicians
Or the lack any reason for remain other than the financial?
The fact that a bunch of clowns with a single policy was getting 13% of the vote shows the strength of feeling against the EU. This was not going away.
If you want to blame anyone blame the liars on the leave campaign, those that wanted to stay but didn't bother to vote, the weak leadership if the remain campaign, the intransigence if the EU and possibly even those that took us into the reg knowing where it was headed but keeping it secret.
If the above comments show anything it's that Brexit is incredibly divisive, nobody knows what's going on or what it will lead to and, for different reasons, makes people on both sides really angry.
Thanks Cameron, what an utterly stupid, pointless, risky, selfish move. Didn't do you any good either did it? Twat.
And the irony is, he thought it was the path of least resistance at the time. Each little step to referendum was easier than facing down his backbenchers. I hope he's remembered for being that spineless.
Grahamd, so if your wife is Scottish and in time Scotland Remain and England leaves, your wife is not allowed in England as she is perceived as an 'awful foreigner' and you can't go to Scotland as a Brexiter, what do you do?
That's wishful thinking in many ways..
We both know it won't happen,
Any excuse to have a cycling holiday, but even I would struggle to get that past the wife..
"The lads have all given me the job of delivering this petition to the UK, apparently you can't trust the post nowadays in France. Yes I know it's pointless but you know what the ex-pats are like round here, up in arms if someone threatens their Marmite and Tetley tea bag supplyline... So anyway we all voted on it last night at the committee meeting and apparently John's got his hernia op coming up, Dave's daughter is expecting so he can't go.. Julia can't travel, Bob's got his back to think of.. they voted me to do it, I tried to remind them that it was your birthday coming up.. but I drew the short straw.. sorry love. I'll see you in a couple of weeks.... oh didn't I say I'm cycling there."
This guy KNOWS that his petition is pointless. If he doesn't he's utterly deluded (and very late to the party). Does he really think the will of country (remember that bit, we did vote out) will be subverted by one man on his bike? Makes for good Facebook posts and stuff though.
Pretty sure life will go for most people, europeans want to sell stuff and we want to buy stuff and vice versa. We are not Romania, we are a very wealthy country and after all the 'little Britain' talk trade will still happen.
Anyway, think of this bonus point....if we buy less German cars, that's fewer Audis on the road and we all know how they impact our cycling. See, didn't think of that bonus did you.
Having left UK for France a Euro-Sceptic in 1989, Ive become a convinced supporter of the EU since living and working and now retiring here. Anyone who's British but lives in the EU has the right to be concerned about the daft and negative decision fuelled by immigration fears. All my French friends are generally saddened by the UK's attitude. Come and live in France if you're a cyclist - you're certainly more welcome on the roads than the news stories suggest you are in UK!
Man who doesn't live in the UK concerned about the UK.
British person who is about to have the foundations of his life undermined is concerned about it.
I get it, you're in favour of this shit, so you're prepared to make any argument, however ridiculous, to defend it. But can you really not understand why he would be concerned? His right to live where he lives, to work there if he does, and to have health care, are all under imminent threat from leaving the EU. And you expect him not to be bothered at all. I'm sorry, that's stupid.
It only recently struck me that if British ex-pats living in Europe get shafted and decide to return to the UK, it means my bl**dy mother who left nearly thirty years ago to do a Shirley Valentine on Majorca might turn up on my doorstep. I think we should cancel Brexit, for that reason if nothing else!
I have no time whatsoever for people who choose to leave the UK and then complain about decisions made within the UK. These people generally pay no tax to the UK yet still expect to be catered for at all times.
nice - that would include me, my German wife and our mentally disabled daughter. I didn't cause any of this mess, but if that makes you lick your lips at the thought that real people get affected, with the potential of me getting separated at worst from my daughter and wife, then that's more a judgement of your character.
1. He didn't say that - he wasn't even close to mentioning satisfaction at the plight of overseas residents now that the vote has gone one way. But kudos for mentioning your disabled daughter to rebut a point that nobody made.
2. Your worst-case scenario is massively unlikely. Stop listening to silly media and negotiators' scaremongering.
Can you put your money where your mouth is and say what is massively unlikely to happen, will not happen? Thought not. How bloody insensitive, bloody stupid and bloody arrogant of you. How dare you.
And what he said was cursive and indicative for the whole group of people who don't live in the UK, so again, are you are also completely desensitised? And the point was raised with my daughter because a lot of people think absent minded 'screw all people that don't live here' being completely withdrawn from the facts it makes an impact. You are obviously also totally absent minded to the fact that this will impact lives and I suggest you understand with a little bit more empathy what is going on. Of course, you can have your cake and eat it, I accept Brexit will happen, I'm not protesting, but the way people don't think makes me sick.
Can you put your money where your mouth is and say what is massively unlikely to happen, will not happen? Thought not. How bloody insensitive, bloody stupid and bloody arrogant of you. How dare you.
And what he said was cursive and indicative for the whole group of people who don't live in the UK, so again, are you are also completely desensitised? And the point was raised with my daughter because a lot of people think absent minded 'screw all people that don't live here' being completely withdrawn from the facts it makes an impact. You are obviously also totally absent minded to the fact that this will impact lives and I suggest you understand with a little bit more empathy what is going on. Of course, you can have your cake and eat it, I accept Brexit will happen, I'm not protesting, but the way people don't think makes me sick.
Weeeell, at the end of the day, I might put my money where my mouth is, but it's a game of two halves and I'm ready for a superlative performance. And other clichés.
It can be said with a degree of confidence (not absolute certainty, of course) that your family won't be separated. I can say with absolute certainty that someone I don't know unnecessarily brought their disabled daughter into an internet argument and is now calling others insensitive.
Stop being hysterical.
again, do. it, prove it or shut up. You won't, because on this day, you can't. You aren't a Brexit negotiator, so wind it in. It really is a risk at this point in time. Not even being hysterical, that's what you believe and for some reason decide to point out, how about stop trying to manipulate how you think I feel. I'm a realist, it's a risk until the deal is done, if you trust a team that so far can't organise a pissup in a brewery, then that defines your grasp of intelligence and trust in government. Maybe read again what I said, why I've explained what I've said and stop being an insensitive funkwit.
Invent a time machine and travel to before you used your disabled daughter to make an unnecessary and unrelated point on the internet, and I won't need to stop being insensitive. You flipped out and you're embarrassed, but you should have stopped digging a long time ago.
nice try. I used an example that is closer to home, not ashamed because that is the boat I'm in. You've tried childish 'bate' bait tactics when really it shows you lack reasonable arguement, that is life, people will be put into serious hardships, for no fault of their own. Another aspect, business. The list goes on. I can't help but think that you 'think of have an angle trying to constantly ride on the fact I mentioned my situation as a prime example that people don't think about, yet have no cognitive reply worth reading, just psychobabble. Thinking I need a time machine? I've heard it all before, you are boring and pathetic.
nice try. I used an example that is closer to home, not ashamed because that is the boat I'm in. You've tried childish 'bate' bait tactics when really it shows you lack reasonable arguement, that is life, people will be put into serious hardships, for no fault of their own. Another aspect, business. The list goes on. I can't help but think that you 'think of have an angle trying to constantly ride on the fact I mentioned my situation as a prime example that people don't think about, yet have no cognitive reply worth reading, just psychobabble. Thinking I need a time machine? I've heard it all before, you are boring and pathetic.
nice try. I used an example that is closer to home, not ashamed because that is the boat I'm in. You've tried childish 'bate' bait tactics when really it shows you lack reasonable arguement, that is life, people will be put into serious hardships, for no fault of their own. Another aspect, business. The list goes on. I can't help but think that you 'think of have an angle trying to constantly ride on the fact I mentioned my situation as a prime example that people don't think about, yet have no cognitive reply worth reading, just psychobabble. Thinking I need a time machine? I've heard it all before, you are boring and pathetic.
nice try. I used an example that is closer to home, not ashamed because that is the boat I'm in. You've tried childish 'bate' bait tactics when really it shows you lack reasonable arguement, that is life, people will be put into serious hardships, for no fault of their own. Another aspect, business. The list goes on. I can't help but think that you 'think of have an angle trying to constantly ride on the fact I mentioned my situation as a prime example that people don't think about, yet have no cognitive reply worth reading, just psychobabble. Thinking I need a time machine? I've heard it all before, you are boring and pathetic.
The guy has genuince concerns. For a union and an industry body to agree so strongly on something is worth noting so read this:
http://news.sky.com/story/cbi-and-tuc-in-rare-scathing-attack-on-eu-citi...
thank you. Someone on the same page. I voted remain, but at the very least would have hoped for a British Government to be a little bit culpable of sorting out a deal. So many unions, companies, think tanks and so on are all pointing to the fact that the British Government are playing poker with people and business, because they have no bargaining chips whatsoever. When the leader herself stated she Believed remain would be the best option and a Brexit would be damaging, it makes me wonder how people cannot see there is no bargaining chip other than pretty petty options. Of course I wish the British Government stayed and reformed within, but here we are. Only today Boeing shafted Bombardier, just another example. I can think already of a few business that have shutdown because of Brexit 'already', because the pound alone is f*****d for trading exports, that's only a year after the referendum.
Nope, it's brilliant for exporters. A friend of mine who exports high-precision measuring instruments/sensors has taken on three new staff just in the last six months - orders are up 50%; the new business is mainly from the USA.
To suggest that the pound is "f*cked" for exporters is economic illiteracy of the highest order. It's fantastic for companies that create genuine value. Not so much those "exporters" who just warehouse sh*t from China and flog it to continental Europe.
unless you think parity is good news with our biggest trade partner, who we are about to potentially break complete ties with, then yes. The pound at this moment in time is f*****d. You cant dress it up any other way. And you mean the British companies that sell themselves completely to Chinese businesses? And please explain the trade deal The UK has with the US?
Or maybe you think buying a bike that now costs more must mean it is a better product? "I don't need a parachute, her majesty's flag will do" springs to mind.
I'm sorry, but you seem unable to grasp even the simplest of economics. I'll help:
- Parity would be even better news for exporters. In your example, buying a bicycle is an import.
- I'm not dressing anything up. A weaker currency is great for exporters. We need to increase exports and reduce imports in order to reduce our trade defecit, which is f*cking huge. We can't run a trade defecit forever, continually borrowing to take up the slack.
- You don't need a free trade deal in order to trade with another country, which is why the business I mentioned previously is able to service its customers in the USA.
- I have no idea what you mean by "British companies that sell themselves completely to Chinese businesses". My point was that the weak pound is indeed bad for those UK businesses which exist to import cheap crap from China (which artificially suppresses the value of her currency, btw), warehouse it, then send it around the EU. But these businesses are no great loss - they add very little value to the economy and create only low-skilled, low-paid jobs, which the taxpayer then subsidises further with tax credits.
- The above are facts, this one is only my opinion: the pound in its current form will outlast the euro in its current form.
- This is a view, not advice: if you genuinely think the pound is finished, now would be a very good time to switch into non-sterling assets, as GBP has enjoyed a reasonable rally over the past few months. But, with your vast economic knowledge, I'm sure you're already long TLT, precious & industrial metals and European equities.
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