Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has backed calls for Leavers to ring local church bells to mark Brexit – with campaigners likening it to the end of the war.
With their calls for Big Ben to chime at 11pm on January 31st going ignored, desperate pro-Brexit campaigners have now turned their attention to a nationwide attempt to ring local church bells instead.
The controversial pro-Brexit Leave.EU group outlined their plans for a mass-movement of supporters ringing the bells on Saturday 1st February at 9am – telling them to do so “permission or no permission”.
One of those supporting the campaign is Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who said: “I think church bells ringing at 10am on February 1 would be a very fitting celebrations of the enactment of the result of the largest democratic exercise in the UK’s history.”
He added: “It’s our independence day”.
https://twitter.com/LeaveEUOfficial/status/1215624317897183232
In other tweets the Brexiteers likened the occasion to the “allies’ victory” at the end of World War II in 1945 when the bells also rang – something significantly criticised by those on the opposite side of the debate.
Dr Charles Tannock said: “Utterly insulting to those like my late grandfather who was a WWII veteran but chose to live on the continent & supported UK in EEC in 1973 & never regarded Europe or Europeans as UK enemy. Your hostile approach will never heal the bitter Brexit divide & horrifies my EU born wife.”
MORE: Tory MPs say Big Ben chiming on Brexit day would provide ‘closure’ – but it will cost £120,000
Trevor Warner wrote: “To associate the UK leaving the EU with the defeat of Nazism in 1945 insults our French, Belgian, Dutch, Polish, and other allies, many of whom gave their lives fighting alongside us. I trust churches of all denominations will have nothing to do with this jingoistic nonsense!”
https://twitter.com/changed_gear/status/1216112706337607680
“If you’d like to understand why the UK is no longer a world leader in anything then here’s your explanation.. These buffoons are simply incapable of moving on even from 1945,” said Dick Winchester.
“Imagine being this stupid. Imagine comparing leaving the EU to the end of a war that killed 65 million people,” fumed Otto English.
The proposals came as one Brexiteer called for June 23rd to become a public holiday to mark “independence day”.
https://twitter.com/Omnishambles85/status/1215909481957265409
https://twitter.com/kate_edmonds_EU/status/1216411791309393921
https://twitter.com/Ian_Fraser/status/1216333496660234240