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| May’s Brexit speech stirs discontent among the rebels of Rochester | May’s Brexit speech stirs discontent among the rebels of Rochester |
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| Political upheavals have erupted at such regular intervals in recent times that it is easy to forget that, just three years ago, the picturesque Kent town of Rochester provided the latest proof that disruptive forces were coursing through British politics. It was here, in November 2014, that Ukip secured its second MP and caused panic in the Tory ranks. | Political upheavals have erupted at such regular intervals in recent times that it is easy to forget that, just three years ago, the picturesque Kent town of Rochester provided the latest proof that disruptive forces were coursing through British politics. It was here, in November 2014, that Ukip secured its second MP and caused panic in the Tory ranks. |
| Such has been the pace of political change that there have been two elections and one referendum since then. Ukip’s high-street headquarters for that byelection coup is now a cafe serving bacon and avocado ciabattas. Mark Reckless, the Tory defector who secured the seat for Ukip, is now in the Welsh assembly, having been dumped out of office just months later. So quickly has the Ukip star faded that narrowly retaining its deposit in Rochester at the last election by securing just over 5% of the vote was deemed a decent effort. | Such has been the pace of political change that there have been two elections and one referendum since then. Ukip’s high-street headquarters for that byelection coup is now a cafe serving bacon and avocado ciabattas. Mark Reckless, the Tory defector who secured the seat for Ukip, is now in the Welsh assembly, having been dumped out of office just months later. So quickly has the Ukip star faded that narrowly retaining its deposit in Rochester at the last election by securing just over 5% of the vote was deemed a decent effort. |
| Yet as some hardline Tories and other Brexiters criticise May’s Florence speech for effectively delaying Brexit, there are concerns among Conservatives that the so-called “Brexit betrayal” narrative being pushed by Ukip and its fellow travellers could gain ground. Nigel Farage, the former leader and still the man many Ukip voters look to for leadership, was quick to condemn May’s plan. “She doesn’t want to leave at all and wants the current status quo to be rebadged,” he declared. | Yet as some hardline Tories and other Brexiters criticise May’s Florence speech for effectively delaying Brexit, there are concerns among Conservatives that the so-called “Brexit betrayal” narrative being pushed by Ukip and its fellow travellers could gain ground. Nigel Farage, the former leader and still the man many Ukip voters look to for leadership, was quick to condemn May’s plan. “She doesn’t want to leave at all and wants the current status quo to be rebadged,” he declared. |
| If the political barometer does eventually point towards betrayal, the dial is likely to start twitching first in places like Kent’s Medway region, where the Leave vote in the referendum received 64% support. As May prepared to give her speech in Florence, there was already an air of suspicion on Rochester’s sun-bathed high street. | If the political barometer does eventually point towards betrayal, the dial is likely to start twitching first in places like Kent’s Medway region, where the Leave vote in the referendum received 64% support. As May prepared to give her speech in Florence, there was already an air of suspicion on Rochester’s sun-bathed high street. |
| “I think if you are on the Brexit side you would be pretty disappointed by what has happened and how things are looking so far,” said Andrew Coomber, a civil engineer in his 60s. “There is now talk of transition periods and continued payments to the EEU – it isn’t looking like what you voted for.” | “I think if you are on the Brexit side you would be pretty disappointed by what has happened and how things are looking so far,” said Andrew Coomber, a civil engineer in his 60s. “There is now talk of transition periods and continued payments to the EEU – it isn’t looking like what you voted for.” |
| His wife, Amanda, vividly remembers the excitement of the referendum and is also growing impatient. “There were people requesting pens so that their vote was not rubbed out. There were ill and disabled people who turned up to vote,” she said. “There were so many people who had never voted before who came to vote. The turnout was so high, and we need to respect that. | His wife, Amanda, vividly remembers the excitement of the referendum and is also growing impatient. “There were people requesting pens so that their vote was not rubbed out. There were ill and disabled people who turned up to vote,” she said. “There were so many people who had never voted before who came to vote. The turnout was so high, and we need to respect that. |
| “I think we should just leave now. What is this ‘soft Brexit’? Nobody talked about that before the referendum. I don’t think there should be any more money going to the EU.” | “I think we should just leave now. What is this ‘soft Brexit’? Nobody talked about that before the referendum. I don’t think there should be any more money going to the EU.” |
| Some Leave voters are yet to turn on the Conservative party, instead blaming “the Lib Dems, who are talking Britain down, and Labour, which should be helping deliver Brexit”. Others have completely lost patience with May. “She is so weak,” said one Leave voter, reading a newspaper article about May’s Florence speech. “We need Boris [Johnson] in there as chief negotiator. At the moment they are running rings around her. Two years’ delay will become two more, and on and on. I’m tired of being Little Britain.” | Some Leave voters are yet to turn on the Conservative party, instead blaming “the Lib Dems, who are talking Britain down, and Labour, which should be helping deliver Brexit”. Others have completely lost patience with May. “She is so weak,” said one Leave voter, reading a newspaper article about May’s Florence speech. “We need Boris [Johnson] in there as chief negotiator. At the moment they are running rings around her. Two years’ delay will become two more, and on and on. I’m tired of being Little Britain.” |
| Even among the more pragmatic Brexit backers, there are creeping suspicions Britain may never leave. Graham Davis, 72, a retired railway worker, sympathised with the complexity of the task facing May. “It is like a mixed-up ball of Plasticine – you have to try to separate the blue from the green, and the green from the red,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if some kind of legal dispute arose that took years to resolve. Then some people will say maybe we should reconsider the whole thing – I can see that happening, and some already have their scripts ready for that.” | Even among the more pragmatic Brexit backers, there are creeping suspicions Britain may never leave. Graham Davis, 72, a retired railway worker, sympathised with the complexity of the task facing May. “It is like a mixed-up ball of Plasticine – you have to try to separate the blue from the green, and the green from the red,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if some kind of legal dispute arose that took years to resolve. Then some people will say maybe we should reconsider the whole thing – I can see that happening, and some already have their scripts ready for that.” |
| David Allen, who ran for Ukip in the Rochester and Strood seat in June, believes something is stirring. “It was clear when I stood that many who had voted Ukip before, were telling me that they were still Ukip voters and would support the party in the future, but on this occasion Brexit was so important that they were going to lend their support to the Conservatives,” he said. “In the last few days things have changed dramatically. At the next election there will be an enormous backlash.” | David Allen, who ran for Ukip in the Rochester and Strood seat in June, believes something is stirring. “It was clear when I stood that many who had voted Ukip before, were telling me that they were still Ukip voters and would support the party in the future, but on this occasion Brexit was so important that they were going to lend their support to the Conservatives,” he said. “In the last few days things have changed dramatically. At the next election there will be an enormous backlash.” |
| Even if another political storm does rock Rochester, however, it remains unclear whether it will be Ukip or some new political force that benefits. Ukip’s billionaire donor, Arron Banks, has urged Farage to put in a late bid for the party’s leadership. On Twitter on Friday, some users claimed to be Tory members saying that they were cutting up their membership cards or vowing not to vote Conservative again. | Even if another political storm does rock Rochester, however, it remains unclear whether it will be Ukip or some new political force that benefits. Ukip’s billionaire donor, Arron Banks, has urged Farage to put in a late bid for the party’s leadership. On Twitter on Friday, some users claimed to be Tory members saying that they were cutting up their membership cards or vowing not to vote Conservative again. |
| May now has a huge opportunity at the Tory conference next week to deal out some red meat to the grassroots doubters. While her team says she wants to focus on domestic issues, reassuring the rank-and-file over Europe may prove hard to resist. | May now has a huge opportunity at the Tory conference next week to deal out some red meat to the grassroots doubters. While her team says she wants to focus on domestic issues, reassuring the rank-and-file over Europe may prove hard to resist. |