We speak to nation’s grafters on Brexit frontline before referendum of a lifetime
From fishermen in Grimsby to over-stretched NHS workers in Romford, voters are pleading: 'We want our country back'
TOMORROW Britain goes to the polls to vote in the referendum of a lifetime.
As the country decides whether we should stay or leave the EU, The Sun visited four regions to find out the issues that matter to the country’s grafters.
And from beleaguered fishermen in Grimsby to overstretched NHS workers in Romford, East London, and young mums in Lincolnshire, voters on the front line are pleading: “We want our country back.”
The pensioner
WORRIES over British sovereignty, national pride and our inability to deport dangerous criminals are on the mind of Anne Port.
Anne, 77, of Romford, East London, said: “Before we went into the EU we were a prosperous country and we made our own decisions.
“We were the envy of the world but now we’re a laughing stock. The change is radical and it’s going too fast. We can’t even deport criminals.
“There are some people coming here and ripping the heart out of my country. I’ve heard Romanians say they will rob and cheat people if they don’t get benefits.
“I want my grandchildren to be able to go to university, get a job, and a home they can afford. I can see a better future ahead if we leave.”
The fisherman
EU quotas led to the decline of the British fishing industry and only a Brexit can now save it, warns Darren Kenyon.
The fisherman, 48, from Grimsby, said: “If we don’t leave, fishing here will die and hundreds of years of history will die with it. There were trawlers stem to stem when I came down to the docks as a boy.
The whole place was bustling. Now it’s a wasteland.
“EU quotas were the death of this industry. We can’t fish in our own waters any more and we’re getting by hand-to-mouth. There’s no point fishing for fish any more.”
The business owner
CHEAP labour from the EU led to courier firm boss Angie Cook’s first business folding, she says.
Angie, 50, said: “I want out. The migrants were coming in by the truck load. I was priced out of the market and was forced to close.”
Angie, from Boston, Lincs, now has a new business. She said: “I have only ever employed British workers.”
The hospital worker
IMMIGRATION is having a severe knock-on effect on NHS services, says Dan Hutch.
Dan, 56 — who works in maintenance at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston — said: “The queues at A&E are abysmal and our NHS is at breaking point.
“Many Eastern Europeans sit outside getting phenomenally drunk. We must vote to leave.”
The labour club steward
THE EU’s power and reach has been over- extended while its accountability has diminished, believes Labour club steward Tony Booth.
Tony, 45, who works at the club in Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, said: “The original idea was good, having a free-trade area. But this superstate has gone too far now and they interfere far too much.
“We have no say in how it’s run. People over there we’ve never heard of are making all the rules, and constantly dictating to us. I want to take back control of our laws again.
“This European state has become too big.”
The support worker
OLDER generations who remember life before the Common Market have convinced Natalie Whone that the young are being hoodwinked.
The 33-year-old support worker for the elderly, from Stoke-on-Trent, said: “They’ve told me what life was like before the EU and think we should go back to how it was. We should be able to deal with our issues ourselves. We need to stand on our own two feet.
“We are part of Europe but we don’t need to be part of the EU.
“Many of my friends wanted to stay when the Referendum was announced but they have all changed to out. If you listen to people who remember it, you understand there’s nothing to fear from being out.”
The cleaner
YOUTH employment is a major concern for shopping centre cleaner Alan Vickers.
Alan, 67, from Romford, said: “My 19-year-old son is struggling to find a job because immigrants keep getting them. We need to look after our own rather than caring for the immigrants who come in and immediately get jobs and benefits.
“We have to come out and fight our own corner for a change.
“It’s time to start looking after our youngsters and future generations of British people.”
The factory worker
MIGRANT Sylvia Szal believes some people coming to the UK now are not making enough effort to search for jobs and integrate into Britain.
Sylvia, 29, moved to Boston, Lincs, from Poland ten years ago to find work.
She said: “Many of the new wave do not come over to work and integrate but take all the benefits that they can and misbehave.
“The country needs to have a system like Australia, where they can choose workers dependent on demand. Surely the UK should be able to choose people that are useful? You should vote out.”
The shop worker
HOUSING is a huge worry for Shiraz Younas, who is fighting to get his own home.
The 28-year-old, from Romford, revealed to The Sun: “I want to see more housing developments. We are a small country and we have to stop immigrants taking advantage.
“Everyone wants to come here to make the most of what is offered. If we are not careful things will get much, much worse.
“There isn’t enough housing or schools or hospitals to cope with everybody already.”
The business owner
THE European Union restricts Britain’s global trading strengths, believes small business owner Ian Winchester-Fraser.
Ian, 67, has an IT support company with branches in Romford and York. He said: “We could be what Hong Kong is to China. We should be able to trade freely throughout the whole world, with whoever we want. I’d want to trade with China, Russia, India and even North Korea.
“We are supposed to be able to influence what goes on within the EU but our influence has been diluted because of the sheer number of countries.”
The full-time mum
YOUNG mum Molly Turner is worried about the effects that EU immigration will have on the future of her one-year-old daughter Pearl.
The 21-year-old said: “You hear all these languages being spoken on the street and the language barrier is a real problem. You just can’t communicate with people over here.”
Molly, from Boston, Lincolnshire, added: “I’m worried about what the immigration will mean for Pearl. There seem to be fewer opportunities now for British people as they are being undercut by foreign workers.
“I also worry about the effects on school. She won’t get the education I want for her if she’s in a massive class with loads of people.
“It’s also impossible to get a GP appointment. It just makes life that little bit harder.”
The nurse
LEAVING the EU will bring problems, says nurse Saras Srirangan — but staying will be far worse.
The 59-year-old, of Romford, said: “The NHS would close without immigrants to work in it but we have to control our borders and not be dictated to by Europe. We can decide what’s good for us, not the other way round.”
The shop worker
NEWSAGENT assistant Farhan Saleem is sick of not having his own home.
The Romford-born dad, 34, said: “I have been waiting for a council property for a year and I have a wife and five kids.
“I’ve paid my taxes and always worked. Other communities coming to this country get houses straight away. They aren’t even willing to work and it makes me so angry.”
The pensioner
MORE than 40 years in the EU has taken its toll on much of the UK, reckons 69-year-old Trevor Cullum.
He believes leaving will stop the decline of his home town of Grimsby, a once-thriving fishing port, and others like it.
Trevor said: “I used to be proud to say I was from round here, but now it’s a dump. The EU strangled our main industry, the money went and so did the investment from Westminster.
“Like so many other towns, the shops closed down and immigrants were placed here. We don’t have enough resources to cope and it’s not fair on locals. Voting out is our last chance to get our country back.”