Brexit
Ellie is passionately pro-European. She campaigned for Remain on the streets of Ledbury, Hereford and Sheffield in 2016, and since then has continued to make the case that the UK is better off in the EU – working together with friends and neighbours, across borders, to tackle common challenges. Ellie believes the EU (although of course not perfect!) has been vital in spreading peace, prosperity and the rule of law in Europe.
Ellie says:
The Brexit mess is actually a distraction from the real problems we face in the UK. After more than three years of chaos, caused by the fact that the Brexiteers never had a plan, it’s clearer than ever that our real problem is our own broken UK political system. We need to put our own house in order first! Then re-set our relationship with the EU.
The narrow majority for Leave in the 2016 referendum was a product of a whole mixture of motivations and aspirations. Some voters were simply sick of ‘the Establishment’. Some wanted to stop immigration. Many were frustrated by a political system that has for decades disenfranchised the vast majority of voters, because under First Past the Post, their votes simply don’t count.
Step One in rebuilding politics in the UK – and rebuilding trust in democracy – simply has to be changing the voting system so that Every Single Vote Counts.
Step Two has to be removing the dirty, distorting influence of big-money donations. It’s madness that politics has come to be so dominated by a handful of very wealthy men who use their money to fund campaigns that pretend to be on the side of the people – but instead promote the sort of winner-takes-all deregulated capitalism that will massively increase poverty, inequality and environmental damage.
Step Three must be removing our own unelected lawmakers in the House of Lords – a historical anachronism that has no place in a modern democracy. In fact, we need a proper constitutional convention, like every other modern democracy in the world!
Representing what was then the most Leave-voting region, Ellie is focusing on outreach across the West Midlands and talking to constituents about how the EU works and day-to-day responsibilities as a MEP.
Three years on, we have a clearer idea about the costs of Brexit and the misinformation campaign that infiltrated the 2016 referendum. This is why Greens are committed to a People’s Vote and giving the people the final say on any deal – with remaining in the EU an option on the ballot.