Two senior MPs accuse EU of 'bullying' behaviour towards Brexit Britain

Buying British – MPs respond strongly to Facts4EU.Org survey results

© Facts4EU.Org 2021

The Daily Express online made the Facts4EU.Org poll their top story

Politicians have reacted to our poll of UK consumers’ reactions to the EU’s behaviour towards the UK, with two senior MPs characterising the EU as having adopted 'bullying' tactics.

Facts4EU.Org’s survey of the buying attitudes of British consumers in the light of EU actions and statements since Brexit produced some surprising results. Over 1,400 responses were received in this poll which we ran from Monday 31 May. This is equivalent to the sample size of many national polls. The headline news we reported yesterday in our Saturday edition is that 95% of respondents said they are now less likely to buy EU27 products or services.

Yesterday morning the Daily Express online made it their top story.

Politicians reacted to our poll very quickly

On Friday Facts4EU.Org contacted some senior MPs and former politicians and gave them an advance copy of the results of our poll. They did not hold back in responding.

Below we present their comments in the order in which we received them.

The Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP, (Con, Wokingham), formerly Single Market Minister, former Secretary of State for Wales

“Many people have been put off buying EU goods and services by the bullying approach of the EU Commission.

“Their unreasonable approach on fishing, Northern Ireland and border checks generally has made people want to buy British or from the rest of the world.

“Many countries want to do more business with us and welcome the chance to take down the old EU barriers to our trade with them just as the EU is damaging its own businesses by deliberately making trade with us more difficult.”


David Campbell Bannerman, former MEP, 10 years on the EU Parliament’s International Trade Committee, now a high-level international trade consultant

“In a 24 hour web-driven media world, people are highly informed on how the EU is behaving. This survey shows they are not impressed.

“The British people are slow to rise; but once risen they are formidable. They are now disgusted with the unfriendly and resentful way the EU has adopted to seek to punish the UK for Brexit.

“Upsetting your number 1 EU export market - which is us - comes at a heavy cost. It’s now clear that Brits are quietly but firmly turning away from EU goods, whilst retaining a love and affection for individual European nations.”


The Rt Hon David Jones MP (Con, Clwyd West), Deputy Chairman of the European Research Group of MPs, formerly Minister of State at the Department for Exiting the EU, former Secretary of State for Wales

“The results of the Facts4EU.Org survey clearly show that, while Britons bear no ill will towards EU citizens and individual member states (a majority still regard Europe as their preferred holiday destination), they have been alienated by the arrogance and attempted bullying of the European Commission during the Brexit negotiations and since.

“Most UK citizens would now prefer to buy British- or Commonwealth-produced goods or goods from third countries. That is undoubtedly a major loss to the EU, given the size and affluence of the British economy, but it is also a boost to domestic producers, who now clearly have the goodwill of millions of UK consumers.

“The shift away from buying EU goods will also be a major asset in our trade negotiations with other countries around the world. For too long, UK consumers have effectively been prisoners of the Customs Union. They have been virtually obliged to buy from EU manufacturers and denied global choice because of high EU tariff barriers. Brexit means that is now a thing of the past, and Brits are obviously happy about it.”


Martin Daubney, former Brexit Party MEP and media commentator

“These Facts4EU figures are hugely encouraging. Brits are voting with their wallets – and such people power is fantastic news for British farmers and manufacturers.

“Both Brexit and the pandemic has hammered home that the EU treats the UK with utter contempt - so it’s no wonder British punters are telling them to stuff their produce up their juntas.

“Buying British is also best for the environment. Why ferry in produce from abroad when we can eat locally and seasonally? Yet the pro-EU climate zealots are strangely silent on this obvious win for our carbon footprint.

“That’s because these clowns view British products with disdain. Look how Twitter clutched its pearls over ‘intimidating’ Union flags on packets of Morrisons butter and M&S beer bottle tops.

“But these Facts4EU figures don’t lie - Brits want British produce, and I’d encourage supermarkets to make their aisles look like a Platinum Jubilee pageant to cash in on this wave of national pride.

“Critics might see this as ‘proof we’re little Englanders’, but in truth it’s a direct reaction to the EU’s disgusting treatment of the UK not only during the Brexit negotiations, but also during the pandemic, when Brussels blockaded vaccines to the UK and tore up Article 16.

“We won’t hear their moaning over the popping of British corks”.

Observations

Facts4EU.Org is grateful to the two senior MPs and two former MEPs who kindly and speedily gave their reactions to our poll results on Friday. We are also pleased that the Daily Express gave our report top story status in their Saturday morning online edition.

For some time there has been anecdotal evidence that the actions and behaviour of the EU’s hierarchy towards the United Kingdom since Brexit has been impacting the British public’s perceptions of the EU. We have even received increasing numbers of messages from people who voted Remain in the EU Referendum and who have now changed their minds.

Our online poll may not be a fully scientific representation of the entire British public’s views, but the strength of the feelings of the respondents should start to ring alarm bells in the EU’s capitals, if not in Brussels.

Our poll has backed up all the anecdotal evidence that Facts4EU.Org has been observing over the past few years, and especially in the last six months. There seems little doubt that a considerable number of British people are now favouring UK products and services, as well as those from other non-EU countries, over products and services from the EU27.

We do not believe the results of our poll would have been as extreme as they are if the EU hierarchy had behaved in a remotely reasonable fashion towards the United Kingdom during the negotiations and since 31 December 2020.

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[ Sources: Facts4EU.Org online poll, 31 May - 04 June 2021 | The Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP | David Campbell Bannerman | The Rt Hon David Jones MP | Martin Daubney ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sun 06 June 2021

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