Unite for Europe with mum

So I had arranged to meet mum in London yesterday for an early mother's day treat. We were off to the National Portrait Gallery and a meal. She lives in Bristol so London is an easy place to meet. I met Greens on the train up who were going to the Unite for Europe march and having mentioned this to mum, plans were changed to take in the march.

Leaving Park Lane we marched with around a dozen Greens from Kent and there were at least 6 of us from Maidstone. I got interviewed by a couple of UCL students (I must stop jumping in front of a camera at every opportunity). Jon Bartley was there plus load of London Green friends including Caroline Russell.

While I dislike the free market aspect of the EU, the environmental and workplace protection is far better that the UK would have ever managed (this is the 'red tape' that those Brexiteers was removed, i.e. they want to screw people and planet). I'm also a fan of free movement around Europe whether it is allowing UK citizens to work and live in the EU or whether it is allowing other EU citizens to live and work here. We all benefit from these freedoms.

I am proud to be both British and a European and I don't think that just because of 52% of the country voting to leave after a bunch of lies being told in the run up to the referendum should be a mandate to end decades of close ties with Europe. Most countries want a far higher proportion before a constitutional change is made.

We now should have a further referendum on the terms of Brexit once they have been negotiated. People need to go into this with eyes open and the mandate should be clear before we leave - I think a 66% should be required for Brexit.