Our Purpose
What is the Suffolk for Europe and its mission, message and purpose?
Welcome to Suffolk for Europe’s website. If you’re here, it’s because you want to learn more about us. Formally called Suffolk EU Alliance, we have come a long way since the referendum in June 2016 and fought many battles. Now that we have left, we continue our fight to remain as closely aligned to the EU as possible. We will play our part in holding this government to account for the promises they made and will do all we can to oppose a devastating no-deal Brexit. With social gatherings no longer possible during the pandemic, we keep in touch with our members via regular newsletters and virtual Zoom meetings.
You can find out more about our mission and values below, and how we are closely connected to a network of hundreds of thousands across the country. Our community of pro-Europeans remain committed and we welcome anyone like-minded who’d like to join us. You can do that via our sign up sheet on the homepage.
Anna Damski
Chair, Suffolk for Europe
Who are we and how did we start?
Suffolk for Europe is an independently constituted non-partisan grassroots campaign organisation. We were set up in the aftermath of the referendum as Suffolk EU Alliance by a dedicated group of pro-Europeans in southeast Suffolk, led by Jules Ewart, who were devastated by the decision to leave the EU.
Our original aim was to provide support and encouragement to all those who wished to see the UK remain in the EU via a democratic people’s vote. It was a tough road but along the way we grew to over 1200 members and followers who found friendship, support, fellowship and perhaps good humour in our joint efforts.
SfE is a branch of the European Movement, a grassroots organisation, with a community of tens of thousands of activists and 126 local groups, like ours, across every nation and region of the UK.
We are also affiliated to Grassroots for Europe, a network of over 250 local pro-EU campaign groups. Their aim is to support the activities of all groups, regardless of affiliation, by sharing knowledge and expertise, facilitating links between groups and their members, and backing innovative grassroots campaign initiatives.
Belonging to larger organisations provides strength in numbers, allowing us to amplify our voices as we now campaign ultimately to rejoin.
Our Mission
The mission of Suffolk for Europe is simple: as a group we will fight for a close relationship with the EU and to ensure that European values, standards, and rights are upheld in the UK.
We will be at the forefront of any movement to rejoin the EU when the political circumstances are more favourable.
Our Message
Suffolk for Europe brings together many individuals who have the same desire, but come from many cultural and political backgrounds. This has meant we have had to find a common message, a kindness and an accommodating language that works for everyone. As a result, we have become a sincere and considered clustering together of all those who sincerely believe our nation’s position outside the EU will be detrimental both economically and culturally. Whilst the challenges of Brexit are complex, varied and all-consuming, we look to make the model for how Suffolk for Europe operates to be as simple as possible.
Our Purpose
We consider our purpose to be fourfold. The core theme is that each of us would have preferred to remain an active member of the EU, and we will continue to campaign for the closest possible relationship with it.
Here are the four focus points:
The Bringing Together of Like Minds
We are a regional central point focusing the thoughts and energies of both Remain voters and those who voted Leave but have become concerned about the Brexit outcome. By developing Suffolk for Europe, we have accumulated a GDPR-compliant database of names and contact details, so that if required of us, we are able to take action as a group, such as leafleting and canvassing in localities around the county.
The Meeting of Those Minds
Through a simple but accommodating support network, the group was able to meet every other week in a local venue. The meetings gave rise to news, views, education, local issues and – which proved very important – fellowship at that time. With the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic, we have had to adjust our model, and have started to use Zoom for virtual meetings.
Holding Events for Suffolk for Europe and its friends
Organised events and experiences for Suffolk for Europe members and supporters to attend, whilst also attracting new members and giving rise to a wider debate. This is now transferring to a virtual space.
The Voice of Suffolk for Europe
By bringing together over a thousand people who are concerned about Brexit, we are able to have a more significant voice to lobby locally, in the House of Commons, in the House of Lords and with the local press.
Brexit may be a done deal… but as far as Suffolk for Europe is concerned we Remainers will continue the battle that leads to our eventual rejoining!
Where do we stand politically?
Many of the political parties have MPs and councillors who are pro-EU, but there are only a handful of political parties whose policy it is to endorse this stance.
Our members and supporters are of every political persuasion, and we were always careful at gatherings to remain as neutral as possible. However, in the past we particularly looked to support the local Liberal Democratic and Green Parties. Time will tell whether that is extended to the Labour party under its current leader, Sir Kier Starmer.
If another General Election were to be called, we would support and encourage tactical voting in order to sustain a positive presence of those parties which openly support positive EU engagement.
Our Alliances
Since Suffolk for Europe formed, hundreds of other groups sprang up around the country. Since Brexit, many have ended any visible campaigning. Most of the rest, like us, are affiliated to the European Movement – the UK’s oldest pro-Europe organisation, which recently celebrated its 70th year.
We are part of Grassroots for Europe, an organic network of local activist groups across the UK and beyond, in what has become Europe’s largest pro-EU mass movement. The leaders of those groups are in touch daily via WhatsApp and share information, resources and campaign initiatives.
We support Best for Britain, which advocates for closer EU alignment now we have left the EU.
Each of these organisations has tens of thousands of followers, allowing hundreds of thousands of people around the country to be efficiently mobilised if needed. This was evidenced by the People’s Vote marches, the final two of which were attended by an estimated 1 million people. We haven’t gone away, and we haven’t given up the fight. We’re here for the long term and will take whatever campaign steps are needed to realise our ultimate goal to rejoin the European Union.