European Movement, Wandsworth & Merton Branch
Omnibus Theatre, Thursday 8 May 2025
To mark Europe Day this year we decided to invite our local members and supporters to a strategy session to discuss campaign objectives and tactics for our group over the coming months.
The evening began with:
- a keynote address from Marsha de Cordova, MP for Battersea and Vice-President of the EMUK. Marsha focused on the progress likely to be made at the EU-UK Summit on 19 May, and praised the valuable contribution made by EMUK, including at local level. She updated the meeting of the activities of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA), of which she is co-chair. She understood the impatience of questioners from the floor, but commended the Government’s strategy and the work of her colleagues including Nick Thomas-Symonds MP.
- a launch-day showing of EMUK’s new film Flags in the Wind, filmed in the city of Lviv, marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day and highlighting the resilience of the Ukrainian people.
We then set out the components of the step-by-step approach as adopted by EMUK: ‘reset, re-imagine, rebuild, rejoin’. We explained the evening’s discussion should focus on identifying campaign priorities in respect of five different stakeholder groups. Key points reported by facilitators of each of the break-out groups were:
1: Young people
Young ‘Gen Z’ adults were, through no fault of their own, often ignorant of the limited rights that are now currently available, eg from the Turing scheme; our messaging, including via social media, should tackle this. Much could also be gained from focusing efforts on twinning at school-level. Canvassing the forthcoming generation of new voters, 16+, will be key to getting buy-in from our politicians.
2: Politicians
Our emphasis with MPs should be on pushing for interim goals short of full EU membership, recognising the particular value now of cooperation on defence. We should seek to persuade politicians not to be afraid of the stance taken by the Reform Party, whose growth now is not Brexit-focused, and to challenge the ‘hijacking’ of the concept of sovereignty. There was widespread support for working up a series of fact sheets to brief MPs, and also tailoring them for other stakeholder audiences; these should highlight the gains that will accrue from steps short of full membership, as set out in national EM strategy outlined above.
3: Businesses
We are concerned that local businesses are reluctant in the current climate to talk up their difficulties; we should re-engage with Chambers of Commerce in our two boroughs to encourage businesses to speak up.
4: EU citizens
We should continue efforts to help EU citizens navigate their way through EU Settled Status, working with the 3Million Group; and renew our contact with local groups representing communities from EU countries. Engaging with EU nationals here could also help get the message about the UK’s positive appetite for Europe through to their friends and family back home. We could also push for better English language instruction for adult migrant communities.
5: Local bodies
Twinning should remain a key goal, but it now needs further research on how it would benefit Councils (who have to take the lead), and on potential funding sources. There was also much interest in partnerships below council-to-council level, led by school exchanges. The Branch should encourage such exchanges, and also aim to harness the power of football as a gateway for engagement with the rest of Europe. Putting sport at the centre of our efforts would bring young people on board who might otherwise be put off by a drier political focus.
In concluding the meeting, the Branch Chair encouraged involvement in our next Street Stall, at Northcote Road SW11, on 5 July
European Movement in Wandsworth and Merton 