With the clock ticking until Brexit Day on March 29, many are wondering whether quitting the European Union will actually happen.
Theresa May says she is focused on leaving the bloc on time, despite calls from within her own party for a delay.
“A delay in this process doesn’t deliver a decision in parliament, and it doesn’t deliver a deal,” said the Prime Minister on Monday when questioned about Brexit being placed on hold.
In Liverpool, where 58.2% voted to remain, feelings are running high. Some people desperately want to leave as soon as possible, while others think Brexit is a terrible mistake and needs to be delayed to the point of never going ahead.
All this week, HuffPost UK is travelling across the north of England, along the M62, as part of the HuffPost Listens series. We want to find out what people really think about Brexit away from the London bubble.
In Liverpool, a port city that has historically boasted a diverse population, we found strong opinions from people on both sides of the argument – and others simply sick of hearing about it.
‘I Pray That There Won’t Be A Delay’
Even though Liverpool as a city voted to remain in the EU, Barbara Cave voted to leave and is sticking to her guns.
“I am desperate for us to get out of Europe,” she told HuffPost UK. “Let’s get out of Europe and get back to where we were before.
“We were a great country then and we will be a great country again.”
Describing Europe as “arrogant”, Cave says she voted leave as she doesn’t like “feeling like a prisoner in her own country” and says she “want her country back”.
She continues she would be extremely upset if Brexit was delayed, adding: “I get my prayer mat out every night and pray that there won’t be a delay.
“I would vote to come out without a deal rather than be blackmailed.”
‘A Delay Is Inevitable’
David Cobourne is a strong remainer and describes the current Brexit situation as “a bit of a mess”.
He said: “I don’t see how the EU affects anyone negatively on a day-to-day basis.
“I think it boiled down to immigration and a lot of people feeling disenfranchised from society in general and they voted en masse to leave.”
He believes a delay to Brexit is “inevitable”. “The idea of leaving the EU on the 29th of March when there’s virtually no preparation is a ludicrous thing.
“It is just a parliament pantomime at the moment with various parties jockeying for position.”
‘I Worry About What Will Happen To Our Kids’
Jean Du Preez, who lives in Poland but has family in Liverpool, says people voted for Brexit without really understanding it.
He told HuffPost UK: “People thought we would be getting our borders back and taking control of immigration. That was one of the things that was sold to the British people.
“But it is going to be anything but that. Now the mess we are in is because people never really understood what they were voting for.”
He added that for his family Brexit is a tragedy. His fears are for his children and their future, and he believes Brexit needs to be delayed until a final deal has been sealed.
‘I Voted To Leave. I Would Vote Remain Now’
Ron Hardwick backed leave, but says he would vote differently now. “On reflection, I would vote to stay in and accept it for what it is.
“I think politicians have forgotten the people of the country. They made a statement and they totally ignored it.
“I don’t think they represent the people. They represent their own ends so we may as well have just agreed with them in the first place and voted stay.”
Hardwick doesn’t believe we will ever leave the EU as he thinks delaying tactics will be used constantly.
He said: “I voted leave so the country wouldn’t be swamped with people who don’t represent what I class as British values.”
He added: “My mother is German and when I was a child, people would not let their children play with me because I was ‘the child of a Nazi’.
“I have that particular slant so maybe when you come to this country, you need to try to respect values.”
‘March 29 Can’t Come Quick Enough’
Michael Curtin is looking forward to Brexit Day and has no time for those who want to stop what more than 17m people voted for.
He said: “We are leaving on 29th March as it is in law and there is not enough time to change the law.
“We are far too big an economy to be in the EU.”
‘There’s Positive Change Because Of EU Funding’
Tracy Fishwick runs a social enterprise in Liverpool supporting people finding it difficult to get into work.
She told HuffPost UK Liverpool is founded on the fact it is a port and has welcomed people from all over the world for centuries.
She also says Liverpool has been transformed with EU investment.
“There is a recognition in the city that a lot of the change we can see has been because of European funding and our membership of the EU.
“Most people I know didn’t vote to leave. People who I know who voted to leave would actually change their mind.”
With regards to whether she feels Brexit will happen on March 29, she said: “I have always believed it is never going to happen. That’s probably just me being in denial.
“What I’m hoping for is that they get at least some more time and then hopefully put this back to everybody.”
‘So Much Needs Addressing Away From Brexit’
Angela McKay, operations manager at Homebaked Bakery in Anfield, Liverpool, feels it is a shame the country is coming out of the EU.
However, she has mixed feelings about whether Brexit should be delayed and admits part of her wishes it went ahead.
She explained: “While this is going on, other stuff happening in the country is not getting addressed.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on in the country that needs the politicians to be looking at, and working together to address them. Brexit is just taking a lot of time and effort.”
‘My Fears Are Around Job Security’
Declan Feeney voted remain and, as a fourth year university student, his concerns are around getting a job.
He said: “The company I would like to work for is currently based in the UK, but it is a global company so it really needs to operate in a country that is conducive to trade.”
He added that until a couple of weeks ago he did not think the UK would leave on March 29, but now feels it possibly will.