Interview with Vince Maple:

That does. So I’m Vince maple councillor for Chatham central ward and leader of the
Labour group on Medway Council.

0:53"
So I campaigned to remain I thought the referendum was a pretty poor idea to begin with
actually. It’s not the sort of thing we do very often in this country we're not a country
compared to somewhere Like Switzerland which almost has a referendum every month on
something. We don't really do them that often so from that perspective I was clear that if
it's going to happen I'm going to be part of the mix and I was going to campaign hard for
remain for all of the most sensible reasons that are out there. For me actually the most
important reason is jobs, so the community I represent here in Medway around 7000 jobs
are linked to us being members of the European Union and for me actually that was the
most important issue. So I campaigned hard I did hustings with levers and I thought they
were wrong then I still think they're probably wrong now but we know the result.
1:46"

1:58"
Alix: Do you feel that the leave campaign strategies set a new precedent for how online
forums to use to talk about politics.

So we're seeing obviously lots of things coming out subsequently that some of the, not the
official vote leave campaign, but some of the other campaigns particularly at leave.eu used
what some would argue is pretty questionable political Tactics but probably not illegal and
that's the interesting thing.

2: 28”
I think we were in a situation where politics is at a very dangerous situation of actually
people having more than ever more information available but actually more false
information and that's you know the most obvious example of that actually wasn't online it
was on the road, on a bus, on the side of a bus and it was a big fat lie and we know that.
And you know people knew that at the time but nevertheless that still had an influence
there's no doubt in my mind speaking to voters in the run-up to the vote that that had an
influence on people's decision to Vote Leave.
3:06"

Alix: So how you feel about calls to lower the voting age to 16?

3:14"
So When I was 16 I campaigned for votes at 16. I'm now 41, I look a lot older I know, but
I'm still campaign for votes at 16. An actually the referendum is the most obvious example
of where that should have happened. So i hopefully will live for another 60 years if I live to
100 but actually someone who 16 has gotta up with the outcome of that referendum for
more than 80 years. so from that perspective I think actually you know if your 16 year old
and you're earning money you're going to be paying tax on that and there's an old-
fashioned phrase in politics which is "no taxation without representation" and I really
believe that actually 16-year-old should have the voice as well as the vote.
3:57"

Alix: So how would you talk to people in your constituency who were 16 at the time of the
vote and they're very frustrated now, now they've come 18
and they haven't had the chance to say what they wanna say or be represented until
Thursday is the next time when we get the chance to say yes i support you and i wanna
put my voice behind you. How do you talk to those people who are so frustrated with the
outcome who haven't had that representation?

4: 48”
So firstly I say I wish you had had the vote and one of the things I've done I try and get
involved with loads of different political campaigns and one of the things I actually helped
out with this is Scottish referendum and the Scottish referendum 16-year-olds had the vote
there and the world didn't collapse you know the world carried on and actually what's
happened subsequent to that is actually in local elections in Scotland and Wales they now
have votes at 16 so I want actually resident in Chatham central, the ward I represent and
hopefully will continue to do so, I want residents there who are 16 to have the vote. And
actually I would say that to them first and foremost. To those who are now voting for the
first time and perhaps couldn’t back in 2016, I would say look the campaign was a hard
fought campaign
but I'm a Democrat actually even more than a labour Party member.
5:40”
So for all of the floors in the campaign for all of the lies that were told ultimately if you put a
vote to the people and the people choose to vote so you know, not everybody voted that's
one of the arguments against it but that's the same every single democratic process even
those places which have compulsory voting people still spoil a ballot paper and don't vote.
So the result is a result and I absolutely completely respect people who are saying we
need to have a people's vote, a second vote, I don't agree with them but I respect why
they are calling for that particularly young people who were not in the franchise back in
2016 I can completely understand why they have that view but for me it's about saying
actually we've had a democratic process happened we have to leave the European Union
but we have to do it in a way which again protects over 7000 jobs that's my priority as an
elected representatives for Medway
6:39”
I want to protect Medway jobs and a way we do that is not by frankly signing up to either a
No Deal brexit which would be the very worst outcome or even Theresa May's deal cause
the job protections are just not built-in. That's where actually Jeremy Corbyn and Keir
Starmer have been right to say we need to have a different approach, we need to respect
the referendum result, we need a different approach to negotiations. Now that might mean
the brexit takes another year or two actually possibly but if that's the if that's the process
we need to go through then that's the process we need to go through.
Alix:

So You did touch upon it there with you don't support a second referendum but now we
the people have got all this new information and we sort of understand in better terms what
brexit might actually mean for us do you not think it would be sort of an easy way to solve
this political deadlock that we're in?



7:41" 

Vince:

I understand .. again I absolutely understand why people might call for a second
referendum and I and it's good friends of mine in my politics are actually not even in my
politics necessarily have been calling for that for some times and understand why they do
that and I respect why they do that but I respectfully disagree with them because ultimately
what you would then have is a large chunk not all of them but a large chunk of the 17.4
million people who voted to leave who I didn't agree with I voted a different way from them
but they would feel actually why do I bother voting and I know from speaking to residents
not just here in Medway but actually up and down the country when I go and help Labour
colleagues elsewhere that actually from many people that was the very first time they
voted including people who were much much older than 16. So as someone again who
believes in democracy I have to say that I am concerned that the impact it could have if if
those 17.4 million people somehow felt that they had been disenfranchise now I accept
entirely some of those 17.4 million people will go 'I got it wrong, actually I know more
information now, I got hoodwinked by Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage. I now know the
truth' and I accept that entirely but again for me ultimately it's about if you have a
referendum you know, I didn't want to have a referendum to begin with, but you have it and
if you have a result that you don't necessarily want you’ve still gotta carry that through
because otherwise people will go I'm never going to bother to vote in anything ever again.
And actually I think we'll start to see a little bit of that with the upcoming, as we record this,
local elections I think we'll probably have some of the lowest turnouts ever.

9:23"

and That is in part because people feel 'well I voted for years ago you haven't done one
thing why should I bother vote for anything ever else again' and actually if you don't have a
democratic system working that can lead to far much more discontent in society than just
whether we leave the European Union or not.



9:42"

Alix:

Sure sure that's very interesting what you've said there I haven't thought about it in that
way before because I'm surrounded by a lot of people who want a second referendum not
referendum a second vote on some options. And we actually went to the People's March in
London


10:00"

Vince: Yeah



Alix:

And we filmed a lot of people there and heard what they had to say but yeah that's really
interesting.


10:30"

So If you remain sort of in charge of this constituency what are your plans to try and
protect Chatham from the perhaps negative effects that brexit might have? You talked
about the 7,000 jobs what are your plans to keep them safe?



10:45"

Vince:

So I've been calling as leader of the opposition on the council for Medway Council to be
ready for brexit. Now the conservative leader, who actually campaign really hard for leave,
is saying I'm not going to bother, I'm not gonna bother preparing for brexit. And actually
that is absolutely frustrating because we know the sectors we have here so we know we
got a big agricultural sector, we've got a big tourism sector, we've got a big universities and
higher and further education sector. We need those jobs to be protected and that can be
everything from ensuring that you know workplace standards are kept up there's a risk of
that if we leave particularly on a no deal brexit, to ensuring that if we've got people coming
to this country frankly they're made to feel welcome we get rid of this hostile environment.
You know to have the following day, literally 24 hours after the EU referendum result
somebody putting up a poster not in Medway but somewhere else in the country: "Polish
vermin go home", that's not my country I don't recognise that and that needs to change.
And almost you know for me part of part of the reason why I think actually we've got to see
this referendum through is some of those people again not all 17.4 million people but but
ain't a tiny minority of those will potentially lead to civil unrest I genuinely believe that again
not all 17.4 million people of course

12:14"

And some people have changed their views. So from my perspective i want to protect
residents are here and I've had some pretty heartbreaking conversations with local
residents who are EU nationals and I want to protect the jobs got to protect our livelihoods
for the people of Medway. And again we gotta have a council that is ready to do that and
again frankly I have to say I think the people at Medway been let down by the conservative
run Council because they fail to prepare you know we're in the middle of Kent with 35
miles from Dover we're 30 miles from London we're a pretty strategic place we need to be
ready and the fact that are not preparing a pretty embarrassing frankly.

12:55"



Alix: That’s quite interesting. we've recently all received an email from our University
saying that there's going to be quite large job cuts to all of the staff over the four campuses
cos they have to save I think it's 5 million by next term, and that's obviously due to partly
due to some of the results of brexit.



13:22"

Vince: I think I've signed a change.org petition to that effect. Not to say have the cuts to
say save the service. Because actually uca is critical to Medway there's a great example
that actually if we don't get brexit to work for UCA it leads to less courses being run, less
facilities for students, cuts in terms and conditions for staff almost certainly that's not what
people voted for in June 2016.
13:49"



Alix: So, next question, do you think that well, we don't know what is going to really
happen but..



Vince: no we don't 



Alix: but for arguments sake if we went back on the result of the referendum and decided
to stay within the EU or perhaps even if we didn't even now we're finding ourselves inthis
mayhem do you think going back on the result of the referendum would affect Britain's
position within the EU?



14:23"

Vince: So I think "mayhem" is the right word for where we are emphasis on the "may" I
have to say I think the reality is that we are a laughing stock. You know if you look at things
you know across the planet not just in the EU but in the US in you know Australian, New
Zealand and elsewhere even though formerly were seen as absolutely the leading
statesman of the world you know phrases like that. On the UN Security Council so really
important roles within you know global Society. You know frankly if they were to put it to a
vote today weather they think the UK should remain a member of the EU security council I
think would be booted out and probably with some right you know it's quite embarrassing
situation we find ourselves in and I have to say a lot of that does lay at the feet of the
prime minister's. She's got an almost impossible job but I accept that but actually she she
wanted to take on that job she was the one who said she was going to make a success of
it well she hasn't. Not only does that damage her counsellors locally cause we hearing that
on the doorstep as we speak, but also that absolutely damages the UK's reputation across
the planet.



Alix: What are your opinions on the new parties that have formed and sort of fallen out of
brexit?



15:42"

Vince:

So i think the the UKIP Tribute act which is the brexit party, i mean I think if we have a
European elections they'll do very well because actually a whole bunch of those 17.4
million who've only voted once before will vote for them as an almost affirmation of their
vote and I understand that. I won't be voting for the brexit party, for the avoidance of doubt,
I'll absolutely voting for the labour party but some people who won't be are the changed
UK or the Independent group whatever they call themselves this week. I have to say I
understand why are some people might caucus around you know being in favour of a
people's vote, you know i respect their view on that but I don't agree with them but actually
a political party is more than one issue and if you look at their ideologies even the 9 or 10
MPs who've gathered together actually where do they stand on things like austerity, where
do they stand on Theresa May continuing as Prime Minister, they seem to quiet like that,
so I'd question perhaps some of my former labour colleagues on that. 

16:44”



So I think change UK will struggle in part because I suspect people who are wanting to
stop brexit may well lend their vote to the Liberal Democrats for example this time. Our
party's position is not clear on what we'll be saying for this election specifically we have
been very clear up till now generally you know our partying democratically had it's vote at
the conference. I supported that which was you know try and push for the best possible
deal, if that doesn't work push for a general election, if that doesn't work everything
remains on the table. One of the things which I think is important about democracy for the
new parties will probably come and go I think they will not they won't be around forever but
what will be around forever is parliament actually and one of the things which I think
resonated for me in the leave campaign is that ability for people to take back control some
of the 17.4 million people felt that they've got no control over their lives and that vote was a
way of sending a message.

17: 47”

so if we do leave the European Union I don't want to see the faceless people who people
don't know in Brussels, being swapped for faceless people in Westminster or Whitehall. I
want to see as many of those powers actually coming down to local government where we
have that direct impact on people's day-to-day lives. So change UK brexit party I'm sure
they will have fun for a few weeks and then some of them will probably just ride off into the
distance and do some other things.



18:13"

Alix:

They come up very quickly go back down very quickly.



Vince: Absolutely



Alix: One last question that has just come into my head.



Vince: This is going to be the best question because it's organic they're the best questions.



Alix:

What do you think about sort of our two-party political system in that a lot of people go for
Conservative or Labour and there's a sort of Ethos that if you vote for anyone else it's a
wasted vote.



18:41"

Vince: So I generally both in central Westminster election and also local government
elections here and Medway for example I support the first past the post system. I'm not a
fan of necessarily proportional representation I think it has its place and for something like
the European Parliament those elections make sense I wouldn't actually use current
system cos there's lots of different systems of proportional representation. 

19:06"

The one we used for the European Parliament is is a bit of a formulaic system it doesn't
necessarily give an overall genuine view of where we are as a region the Southeast
region. But for for council and for central government I think for those two for the House of
Commons and for Gunwharf as we are here and Medway people quite often will be voting
for the person and not necessarily the party, lots of people will just vote for the party. You
know and in the election I'll be standing on this week you know I'll be standing with Siju
and Harinda, hopefully some people vote for the three of us as individuals because and
had the conversation but some people will vote for us because we're the Labour Party
representatives. So from that perspective actually first-past-the-post in that case the three
most popular candidates is a logical way forward because then that electorate can hold us
3 to account.

20:02"

Rather than if you have a list system and you go actually we've ended up with 5 labour
councillors out of 7 because that's the way the votes tallied. There's no, in my view, there's
not as much Direct accountability and for me as an elected representative is that direct
accountability that's important. For something like the European Parliament where you've
got a region like the Southeast region which is 8.4 million people which is the same size as
the country of Austria it does make sense to have something like the system that we have
in place currently although like I say I would probably use a different form of proportional
representation.


Interview with Suji Adeoye

9’’
Alix
Can you start by telling me your full name and who you’re representing?

Suji
Okay, my name is Suji, Suji Adeoye. I’m representing Chatham Central Ward in the
general… Well. Start again. Not the General Elections. My name is Suji, Suji Adeoye, I’m
representing the Chatham Central Ward in the Local Elections, 2nd May 2019.

Alix
Thank you. Just make sure that you keep looking at the erm… not into the camera

Vincent
Never look at the camera

Alix
Can you tell me your view on Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum?
Suji
Erm, Okay. Brexit. My view on Brexit prior to the referendum erm. I personally voted to
Remain. I voted to remain simply because I believe in the single market. I believe that
there is more we can do together as a union. I think it will help our economy and I think a
lot of businesses, local businesses, they do depend on it. And we do benefit either way
sending people over to Europe or receiving people from Europe. So I do think that that
exchange as a country, we actually benefit from it. Erm. However, I didn’t take it seriously, I
didn’t think like, I think Cameron… When Cameron announced it, I think that he didn’t think
it was going to actually happen. I think he thought, y’know, like the Scottish referendum, it
would just be like that and I think that’s what everybody thought. So the morning when we
woke up to the news that “Yes, we actually voted leave”, I was shocked. Erm but then,
because we saw the margin, 52-48% so it was pretty much divided. Err so it was basically,
country in disarray, what are we going to do? How are we going to move forward? And we
are where we are now and erm but I listen to people , I listen to my… People in our ward,
y’know, expressing their views. I listen to people, Y’know what people have to say on the
news. I see both sides of the story, y’know both sides of the coin, for and the against and
how can we find a happy medium, it’s probably where Theresa May is at, erm, not that I
feel sorry for her. But we are where we are y’know and erm, I don’t know the answers and
I don’t think anybody knows the answers but we are pretty much in a mess.

Alix
For sure

Suji
For sure

2’48’’
Alix
Erm, so do you feel that the way the Leave campaign used social media has set a new
presidence for how political discourse happens online and how people engage with it?

Suji
Oh definitely. Media, the media has a powerful voice, y’know reaching out to the masses
and erm. Yes when it comes to social media, social media has become y’know. How many
people are using Facebook? How many people are using Twitter y’know. And it’s been
great y’know in that way that you get your message across and influencing people’s
choices and you know at the end of the day people are going to dance to what is the
hegemonic view out there, meaning the popular view out there and if we, if the media
constantly y’now treading down our tropes that “okay, vote leave’ this is the reason why,
without thinking it through, and the people that went for the likes of Boris Johnson, Michael
Gove, that went for it, they didn’t give us the actual true picture; the whole picture and
people were ill informed and the media’s spin on it and y’know and we are where we are
right now. So yes the media has played a powerful role in the way people voted and
unfortunately the young people are the Onnes that you know, that their voices aren’t heard
in all of this and I think we are going to come to that in a minute I’m pretty sure, yes. Haha

4’20’’
Alix
It’s the next question in fact. How do you feel about calls to lower the voting age to 16

Suji
I’m for 16 year olds to vote, I think 16 year olds make a lot of decisions in many ways and I
think you can drive at 16, y’know so 16 year olds have, y’know, a voice and what we’ve
decided is going to affect them. All the other older generation took this decision, they will
go on but what are the younger ones who are out here and will have to live through the
decisions, the consequences the older people have made on their behalf. Their voices
were not heard. I wish in all of this that they actually y’know, the the the leavers or… yeah
the people are are actually doing this part of what I was saying is ill informed. If they are
taking a consultation with the 16 year olds, the people that actually can vote take a
consultation with the younger people, what is their view? What do they have to say? Even
in our council here, Medway Council, I didn’t see the Tory government here in the Medway
speaking to young people or the youth parliament that we have here. What are their views
on Brexit? I didn’t hear anything about it. It would have been good to have consultation,
hear what the young people have to say and have their voices heard and be part of that
decision making that affects the whole society so yeah.

5’41’’
Alix
Yeah I’ve got 2 things to sat about that. 1 is that erm 16 is the age of consent.

Suji
That’s right.

Alix
So. you’re allowed to have sex.

Suji
That’s right

Alix
Potentially you are allowed to start a family but you can’t vote. You can get married but you
can’t vote. You have no influence on what happens around you. Like your rights as a
couple, you’ve got none of them. And my second point was about how you were talking
about Conservative council in Medway. We contacted all of the conservative MPs in
Medway, all of the people who in…

Suji
They’re not reachable.
Alix
They won’t get back to us.

Suji
They’re not reachable, they’re not present. We had a crisis erm just last week just before a
full council meeting, you might have heard of it, about the taxi drivers again, big global
organisation running out our local taxi business out of work y’know and We have a
minister, a small business minister here in Medway, she didn’t show her face y’know and
y’know there we have members of parliament, another one who have said in the council
meeting that my “family are in the business” y’know we didn’t hear them speaking out for
people so it’s quite sad that they’re not present and everything about the tories are
talkingistic…

First half cuts here.

Second half starts.

Suji
… It’s time we vote them out basically and vote the people that actually listen to you and
will actually pay attention to your concern and see through a meaningful change for you.

Alix
Definitely, erm, so… Now that we understand what Brexit might mean for the UK, do you
think a second people’s vote might be beneficial?

24’’
Suji
In some ways yes. However, I do respect that y’know you respect democracy and let
democracy take its place. I respect that people have spoken and that needs to be, that
needs to be upheld. I totally agree with that but at the same time, look at it as when that
decision was being made, how much information did you have at hand? Did you actually
consider all factors? Did they give you full information about what is actually going to be
involved and the consequences of coming out of EU? We were not informed totally and I
do believe for that reason we need to get a second chance in terms of y’know… We now
have the information and we know what’s on the table. We are now making a well informed
decision, that’s what I would go with, y’know why I would go with for a second, y’know
people’s vote, people to have a say again that “ Okay we’ve thought this through” and if
you’re saying, if you’re still saying yes, let us leave then by all means let us leave but I
think on the back of that, people were not well informed and of the back of y’know, people
were playing and it was the political game… as far as I’m concerned, it was a political
game within the Tory party about who wants to get to the top and they were never
concerned about the real people, people out there who’s businesses are affected or whose
jobs are affected or if students came in here to study or students or students going to EU,
it was never about that or how are NHS benefitted. Without migrants, where would our
NHS be? There are some jobs here that the local people, the indigenous people will not
take up… will not do and its only the migrants that do it and the migrants actually
contribute to the economy of this country and we can’t play that we don’t recognise that
there is a place for it. I’m not saying “come here, take our jobs” and not take our place. As
you can see, I’m a minority myself and y’know I’ve been told to go back to my country,
when this thing started, I had someone parked in front of my garage and said to me… I
asked him to move his car and he said to me “why don’t you Eff off back to you come from”
and I said “Well where do I come from? The Uk is telling me this is my garage, this is… I
own it, it’s what I paid for and I have a free hold over it. Are you telling me to… and you
happen to be a visitor, a guest in this neighbourhood and telling me to Eff off” so y’know it’s
things like that you know, and I blame the media actually you know, part of it, but when
people are actually informed, they know what they are basing their decision on, I think we
will stand a better chance, yeah.

3’15’’
Alix
How do you feel that Theresa May has handled the Brexit negotiations?

Suji
Shambles. Disgraceful. Disgraceful. I mean I’m appalled and er I think it is not often that
female leaders get into such positions, you know this is the second time around I believe.
If history, I know my history very well, and she’s not done us any justice as a woman in
leadership. I feel erm, I think a lot of things she could have handled better and I know, I get
it, people feel sorry for her, poor Theresa May having a hard time, duh duh duh duh. It’s a
difficult job, I get it you know, er, it’s not easy to be a leader but however, she went into it
with her eyes open, wide open and she said that she’s up for the job and she was one
person who voted to leave and was advocating leave, then decided to rem… fine, fair
enough so I believe she knew fully well what she was letting herself into and she said she
would take uptake leadership reign and here we are, where we are but she is making a
mess of it and I think you know, quit while you’re ahead. Give the job to somebody else, let
somebody else handle the job, if be a female, if be a male, it’s not about gender now but if
you are not making a good job of it, leave. Let somebody else handle the job but we’re
going into it head strong and… no no no. I just think it’s disgraceful.

5’01’’
Alix
So erm, if you erm, get support and get voted in on the 2nd, what measures are you going
to make to ensure that your ward is protected from the negative affects that Brexit might
have?

Suji
I mean, Chatham Central probably has the largest diversity ward in Medway you know and
we have seen it on our doorsteps, when we knock on the doors and see the kind of people
who open their door to us ou know and different concerns and different issues and if I am
voted in 2nd May, what we were doing before we got in, we will continue to do and that is
to be present in our ward, make ourselves available in our ward, hear people’s concerns in
our ward and try to bring it to the table at council meetings. If people raise issues, be
assured that I will see to it, I may not have the answer to it but you will see that I have
proactively engaged with your issue and I have taken it forward and if I don’t get you the
answer that you need, you will see that I have taken an action on your behalf and that’s
the message that I would like to pass on to people that we are available, we will listen. As
you can seen our leaflets, our phone number, our twitter, those are our personal details,
you know even email address, put out there to people in our ward saying that “we want to
be present, we want to stand beside you” it is not that we knock on your door to reach us,
you can reach us in various ways and that we are going to be available, for you and we
are going to listen to you and we are going to take your issues forward and we will be your
voice in this Medway council and if you vote for us, not just in Chatham central and as well
as other wards, the 22 wards that we have in Medway Council, lets turn Medway Council
to red, is my message. And there you can begin to see changes because what you will find
is, I have attended 2 or 3 council meetings now and I have witnessed where the labour
councillors have brought forward genuine issues, they have brought forward motions and
has been voted out because of patty politics and these are issues that are affecting
people’s lives, I can’t begin to tell you which one is the housing, the last one we had I think
because it was election, there was more patty unity and it was just for the others to think
we are united, we will vote what labours doing but enough is enough. Vote them out, lets
get Medway red. That’s what I have to say.

7’39’’
Alix
I think thats a very good ethos to have no matter what political party you’re in, you have to
listen to your differences, you have to listen to what people want youth do otherwise what’s
the point?

Suji
Thats why we voted for. And long before the moment I got selected as a candidate here in
Chatham Central, Ive hit the ground, Ive knocked on doors even in cold winters so it’s not
just elections now that you are seeing me, I have been knocking on doors in cold winters
when I couldn’t feel my fingers you know and getting the peoples views attending
residence meetings, hearing what people have to say you know and erm just fighting and
taking peoples issues forward and I think it’s important that its not just elections that
people see you, people see you around the area, around the clock and that what we tend
to do so whatever you’ve done, whatever you’ve seen us do before we even got to
elections you will continue to see that even more and we’re just saying that give us a
chance and you will see, you will see a lot of that.

Alix
Definitely. So what are your opinions on the new parties that have formed out of the, sort
of, way Brexit has been handled like the Independent…?

Suji
I get it you know, each one to their own you know. If you are happy with the way things are
running, fine. Find your way. But at the end of they day you join a party because of the
ideology and you believe in the ideology. I joined the Labour Party because I am a
socialist, although a lot of people would critique that we can’t give everybody… no no.
There is a place for socialism and we need that hence we have the NHS you know,
celebrating the NHS when it was birthed in the 1948, its things like that that everybody
has, equal opportunity, equal access to health, the basics. People have equal access
whether you’re rich, you’re poor, its universal and that’s the beauty of Labour Party. Labour
Party will always create policies that are universal for the many., not just the few.
Everybody has the ability to climb up the social mobility ladder. If it wasn’t for the Labour
Party, I don’t know where I would be. I remember when it came into power, I think it was
1997 you know and Tony Blair, I saw a lot of changes for particularly ethnic minorities and I
know the tories didn’t like that at the time you know it gave us all an opportunity, we have a
voice and our voices can be heard whether you’re gay, whether you’re straight, whether
you’re black, whether you’re white, whatever your ethnicity, race, gender you know, you
name it you all have an equal opportunity, equal chance and I think that’s the beauty of
labour party. Now for with all parties that are springing forward, good luck to them, that’s all
I can say. I know why I joined my party and its Labour Party I wouldn’t even mention the
other names. Labour Party is the party and the party to be.

10’52”
Alix
Do you think that the UK leaving the EU might inspire other EU countries to look at their
own membership and perhaps have a similar… exit?

Suji:
I think that’s the fear, I think that’s the fear of you know the EU and that’s probably why
they’re hard on us like okay, Britain left and Britain is seen as that state, that strong state,
that strong country, if they leave then who else would follow suit and I think Greece at one
point they wanted to as well. I get it you know, from Europe’s point of view if everybody
starts, want to leave and everybody will leave that union. Like I said, I wanted to remain. I
believe in the single market and I believe we are stronger together but there are reasons
for leaving, I do believe in autonomy, I do believe we have our own say and we decide how
we do things also yes, I see to that and having more power in that sense in deciding how
our laws are made and the money that we spend in Europe, I get that you know I get all
that so it’s just finding a happy medium really and it’s the case that other countries too
allow suit and begin to think and realise their own power, that we can do this thing and we
can stand on our own and people have said forget the single market, the UK economy is
strong enough to stand on its own two feet and if that is the case yes, if we can, why not
by all means. We’ll see how it goes, October it is

12’45’’
Alix
That’s brilliant, thank you so much for that.