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Yorkshire town hits out at Irish influence in Brexit vote

With just days to go until the UK's EU Referendum, we have some idea how parts of the UK wil...
Newstalk
Newstalk

16.43 21 Jun 2016


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Yorkshire town hits out at Iri...

Yorkshire town hits out at Irish influence in Brexit vote

Newstalk
Newstalk

16.43 21 Jun 2016


Share this article


With just days to go until the UK's EU Referendum, we have some idea how parts of the UK will vote: Northern Ireland will vote to Remain and so will Scotland. The Tory heartlands of the south coast and 'the Shires' will probably tip towards Leave. 

The key battleground now for both camps is the hearts and minds of working class Brits, many of whom have become disillusioned with the political process and are taking their anger out on Europe.

One of the places this is most obvious is Scarborough, North Yorkshire. 

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The fishing port's local industry has been shattered in recent years. Joblessness and migration have become the issues of the day on doors. 

Most of that frustration is directed purely at Brussels for fishing quotas. But, given his stand-off with UKIP leader Nigel Farage and his flotilla of fishermen in London last week, our own Bob Geldof is also a source of anger.

"Bit of an arsehole, wasn't he?," said Peter, an out-of-work fisher. "Giving his fingers up to the fishersmen. It was a bit uncalled for. Blokes going out to sea for 50 quid at best." 

"There used to be 70 odd trawlers in Scarborough. There's three now," he said.

"I'm out. I just don't like Europe", another laughed, while he "sorted" a fish out, "I don't like them telling us what to do or where to go or undermining our legal system."

Conservative Councillor Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff and Vote Leave farmer Geoff Pickering

Was the Taoiseach acting as a puppet for the British Prime Minister?

One of the strongest local voices backing a Brexit is, despite the pleading of the Irish Government and businesses, a Carlow woman. Conservative councillor Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff moved to the UK after studying in UCD and got involved in local politics.

She has become a strident campaigner for a Leave vote and says Taoiseach Enda Kenny's own role in the debate in Britain should be questioned by the Irish people. 

"Was he asked by the British Prime Minister to come here. Was he acting as a puppet of the British Prime Minister? Is that what the Irish people want him to be doing? Is that in the spirit of 1916? An Irish Taoiseach doing the bidding of a British Prime Minister," she asks.

"If Nigel Farage turned up in Mayo, how would he (Kenny) feel having Farage telling British voters to vote against him? I don't think the voters in Mayo would welcome Mr Farage or thank Mr Kenny for inviting him in. It isn't appropriate."


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