Islanders for Europe ‘Brexitometer’ poll says we want another vote

A poll asking Islanders several questions about Brexit was held on Saturday (September 29) – with interesting results.

The St James Square event was held by Islanders for Europe, an anti-Brexit campaign group.

The main purpose of the pop-up demonstration was to gain a feeling of how Islanders thought the Brexit process was going, and if they thought the country should hold a “people’s vote” – a second referendum.

According to the poll, Islanders are in agreement that there should be another vote, and that Brexit will be bad for jobs, bad for the NHS and is not going well.

Behroze Gandhy, a member of Islanders for Europe said: “You don’t have to be a Leaver or a Remainer, it’s quite neutral and it’s just getting people’s point of view.”

A “Brexitometre” board was erected asking Islanders: “Is Brexit going well?”

The majority of both Leavers and Remainers who answered this question thought it was not going well.

Brexitometre – Islanders for Europe

“Will it be good for Jobs? The majority are saying no,” added Miss Gandhy. “Will it be good for the NHS? Again, no. Do we need a people’s vote, surprisingly on the Isle of Wight it’s saying yes.”

Miss Gandhy said they weren’t expecting people to say yes to a people’s vote on the Island and didn’t think the Island would vote differently if it were given the chance.

People crowd the Brexitometre – Islanders for Europe

She continued: “I think a lot of Leavers I have spoken to say they were misinformed, they say we should just get on with it. Well what does getting on with it mean?

“I think it would be a pretty disastrous scenario [if they just got on with it], quite frankly. I think the Isle of Wight which is already quite poor will be worse effected, certainly in terms of the NHS and jobs. But then another person over here was very confident that once the Polish and Eastern European population leave then the English will pull their socks up and get on with picking fruit.”

BBC film crew interview an Islander for Europe member – Islanders for Europe

Joanna Minchin, member of Islanders for Europe explained that some of her friends are bored of Brexit and just want it over and done with, but she was wary about what that could mean.

She said: “The NHS are saying it’s a bad thing, businesses are saying it’s a bad thing, I just think we should be listening to these people.

“Everyone is focussing on Brexit and all the other important things government should be talking about are just being ignored.”

A film crew from the BBC also attended and will air their coverage of the demonstration on Newsnight, Monday night (October 1) at 10.30pm on BBC Two.