About

Suffolk for Europe is a regional non-partisan campaigning group dedicated to providing support and encouragement to all those who wish to see us rejoin the EU.

As individuals we profoundly disagreed with the assumptions and execution of the 2016 referendum and since then have have dedicated much time and effort to ensuring that the topic remains in the forefront of the national and regional debate about the future of the United Kingdom and its place in Europe.

It has been a tough road but along the way we have grown to over 1000 followers and members who subscribe to our emails, and many thousands more follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  Through our local group we have all found friendship, support, fellowship and perhaps good humour in our joint efforts.

So welcome to the SfE.  We all look forward to seeing you at our regular events and meetings, currently online, but face to face we hope later this year.

Anna Damski
Chair of Suffolk for Europe 

Suffolk for Europe – Where did it come from?

Suffolk for Europe is a cross-party initiative bringing together residents and business from across Suffolk to discuss all matters pertaining to the eventual rejoining of the EU.  Originally called Suffolk EU Alliance, our group came about from membership of the Facebook page ‘The 48%’ and our local page ‘The 48%-Suffolk Coastal’.

As the referendum vote was so tight, advisory and troublesome in its pre amble, with statistics of:

Remain: 16,141,241 (48.1%)
Leave: 17,410,742 (51.9%)

then it seemed to be all the more frustrating that the Government, under new leadership with Theresa May, decided to go ‘full steam ahead’.

Millions of people were concerned, upset and shocked that the Government chose to prepare for the UK’s departure without acknowledging the marginal result or taking it into consideration.  As a result, many vocal, caring and concerned UK residents began to use social media to organise. The key question was whether we might be able to bring about a U-turn to allow us to stay in the EU.

So after only a few weeks post-referendum the energy of Suffolk started to come together. When the Article 50 notice was triggered, the government went into full swing to work out a plan to leave.  But at that point, we had no idea on what terms.

More and more grassroots groups like ours began to spring up around the country to eventually form the campaign known as the ‘People’s Vote’.  For two years, we did everything we could to get a second referendum based on the final deal.  We held street stalls, we leafleted, we signed petitions, we lobbied MPs, and we held million strong marches.  In the end, politics got the better of us and once Boris Johnson won the 2019 election, the fate of the country was sealed.

Now outside the EU, the hard Brexit we warned about is revealing itself as businesses find the new barriers to trading, in some cases insurmountable, and in others, workable but financially punishing.

On February 2nd 2021, following polling, a unanimous decision was made to change our name to Suffolk for Europe to fall in line with the naming format used by the majority of regional pro-EU grassroots groups.  We believe this will enable people searching online for a local Suffolk group to find us more easily.

Meanwhile, our passion hasn’t dimmed.  Remainers have become rejoiners and as our economy – already decimated by the pandemic – falters, we will be joined by ‘Bregreters’ who have changed their mind.  The more who join our cause, the harder it will be for political parties to ignore.  Eventually we will create the momentum to take us back in.