EU Decide: North Solihull readies for referendum

WITH only days remaining until the crucial vote, local politicians are making their last ditch arguments for and against Britain’s EU membership.
As polls suggest that the result of the referendum is hanging in the balance, those on both sides of the debate know that the votes up for grabs in communities like North Solihull will prove vital.
In recent weeks, Meriden MP Caroline Spelman has been out campaigning for the UK to remain part of the 28-nation bloc.
She joined the Chancellor, George Osborne, for an event in Birmingham and represented the ‘Remain’ campaign at a Bank Holiday hustings.
“The EU wasn’t just created for economics – it was created for peace,” the former Environment Secretary told the crowd, before emphasising the importance of engaging with everyone from first-time voters to pensioners.
Councillor Chris Williams (Green, Chelmsley Wood) has also made the case for remaining, arguing that Brexit would be “a disaster”.
Supporters of the EU are likely to point out the amount of money from Europe that has been invested in local developments, including the Chelmund’s Cross Village Centre and the North Solihull Cycle Network.
By contrast Coun Debbie Evans (UKIP, Kinghurst & Fordbridge) argues that Britain sends millions to Brussels each day and has lost control of its borders.
“We only voted to be in a trading arm in the first place,” she said. “We need to leave for the good of our country and its future.”
Coun Evans, who became her party’s first councillor in Solihull two years ago, may be buoyed by previous polls which suggest Solihull is generally more Eurosceptic than the region as a whole.
When Other Side of Solihull asked local people for their views earlier this month it was clear that opinions were deeply divided.
Derek Thomley said that the EU was dominated by “faceless bureaucrats” and that it was time for Britain to take back control.
Another resident keen to quit is Ian Davies, who objects to the “millions of pounds” that the UK sends to the continent each week.
On the other side of the argument, Dean Haycock argued that membership was good for the environment and civil rights.
These views were echoed by Joseph Carbery, who said: “We need to tackle crime, terrorism, and climate change inter-governmentally not as an isolated nation on the fringes.”

• The EU referendum takes place on Thursday, June 23. Polling stations around the borough will be open from 7am-10pm.