A retired school teacher living in Lostwithiel has been selected to read her poem “I want my country back “at a major rally in Parliament Square on Saturday 10 September.
Nicola Tipton, a retired drama teacher, has been asked to read out her poem in front of thousands at the first national Rejoin the EU Rally.
Nicola only moved to Cornwall last December, although she has been visiting for decades as she has close family and friends in the area. She has become involved in a number of local groups and has a keen interest in local politics, with a particular interest in the impact of Brexit on Cornwall.
“To be asked out of the blue to read my poem came as a huge shock as it’s a big ask,” says Nicola who has never really spoken in public before in front of a such a large audience.
“It’s a huge honour to have my poem selected for the rally. I only wrote it a couple of months ago. I have been writing more down here. I have also gained confidence from attending supportive, creative writing groups. I feel that we have lost so much since leaving the EU and that the UK has changed for the worse. The poem is essentially a love poem to my country, the one that I have lost.
I feel deeply disappointed that we left. I am passionate about my local community, and I feel Cornwall, in particular has suffered. People did not really understand what they were voting for and I have met many people who have changed their minds on Brexit. We all know the generous funds we received from the Eu will not be replaced from Central Government. It’s a lose lose for Cornwall and other deprived regions of the UK like the deprived North and North East. I feel particularly for the young people, especially those who were too young to vote in the referendum. They have far fewer opportunities and massive staff shortages are having a detrimental effect on our public services, farming and fishing.”
Nicola will be joining hundreds of others from the region, many traveling with Cornwall for Europe for the first national ‘Rejoin the EU’ march to pass Downing Street five days after new PM Liz Truss takes office.
Organisers of the protest, which culminates in London’s Parliament Square on, say they will be delivering a ‘clear and loud’ message to the Prime Minister: Brexit has failed. it’s adding substantially to the cost-of-living crisis, and Britain must re-join the EU as soon as is practical.
March organiser Peter Corr, from Derby, says:
‘Yes, we have left the EU; but we have got over that and now we simply must start a conversation about re-joining the EU. The conversation on re-joining needs to start now and we must not shy away from admitting it was the single biggest act of self-harm to the nation. It’s time to take action and stand up to the lies that were peddled for the Brexit vote. We want our European star back and more opportunities for the nation’s young people.’
The march will take protesters from the start on Park Lane, past Green Park, along Piccadilly and Pall Mall, past Trafalgar Square and down Whitehall before senior political figures and grassroots leaders address crowds in front of the seat of our threatened democracy in Parliament Square.
Other keynote speakers will include Femi Oluwole, Mike Galsworthy of Scientists for EU, ‘EU Supergirl’ Madeleina Kay and ‘Mr Stop Brexit’ Steve Bray former Green MEP Molly Scott Cato and German MEP Terry Reintke.
For more information visit the march website.
Coach seats to and from the march available from: Cornwall for Europe ; Devon for Europe and Dorset for Europe. Travel with kindred spirits!
