Cllr Andrew Hollyer, the party’s candidate for York Outer was with fellow York councillor Christian Vassie and a familiar campaign tool from the 2016 Brexit campaign.
Whilst nationally, the country voted 52-48% to leave, York voted 58% to 42% to remain, compared with Yorkshire and Humberside which voted 57.7% to 42.3% to leave.
Cllr Vassie, who is also the Lib-Dem candidate for Selby, told the Press: “As you can see the public mood was not hugely supportive of the decision to break our ties with the rest of our continent …
“Students regret the difficulties they face to travel or study in the EU. Older people are frustrated at our lack of a voice on the world stage.
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“There is anger at the watering down of environmental legislation, leading directly to the sewage crisis engulfing our rivers and seas, and the increasing use of pesticides … and a belief that sooner or later we must rejoin because ‘our destiny is to play a leading role with the other nations on our continent.’”
The regular writer of letters on Brexit to the Press continued: “Liberal Democrats agree; we must rebuild our relationship with the rest of Europe.
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“I never did meet the one person who said their life is better as a result of Brexit.”
He added: “In my honest opinion, we need a new generation of politicians with the guts to admit the mistake and make the case for at least rejoining the Single Market and Customs Union.”
York Outer MP Julian Sturdy said in response: “From the fastest vaccine roll-out, to removing VAT on sanitary products, Brexit has allowed us to chart our own course as a country.
“When beneficial I am enthusiastic about working with our new neighbours but now we have the choice to diverge when it is in our national interests.
“I do not deny the past few years have been tough on family budgets but we must not forget that this is largely in part due to the pandemic and the global energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
He added: “Furthermore, the European Union has not been immune to the same difficulties with many going through recessions while the UK, as of May is growing joint fastest in the G7, equal with Canada and outpacing France, Germany and Italy.”
Great Britain didn’t formally leave the EU until January 31 2021 following the completion of negotiations, which saw transition arrangements remaining until May 1 2021.
Mike Jordan, a Selby councillor who is standing in Wetherby and Easingwold for Reform UK, the party that replaced the Brexit Party, says the public have no appetite for another campaign on Brexit.
He told the Press: “I helped coordinate the campaign in the Selby area for Brexit and on polling day there were masses who came out to vote in the Selby area who told me they don’t normally ever vote but this was important to them. They have all gone back to their normal lives and are again not interested in voting or sharing their thoughts.”
He added: “Brexit isn’t done yet because we are still tied to the EU in many ways. What we all wanted in the first place was a common market. What we got was politicians turning it to their own ends.”
