TORIES SIZING UP STOKE AS NEW HQ
Paul Skinner said leaving is enough for him
CONSERVATIVE headquarters will move north in a bid to capitalise on the party’s historic election victory, a spokesman said last night.
He added that since Labour’s so-called “Red Wall” was smashed, Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to entrench the Tories in its former heartlands.
No decision has been made but newly blue Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs, has been suggested.
The official spoke of talks over “potential sites for another CCHQ outside London” so that, “structures better reflect our party’s new geographic make-up”.
CALLS for Big Ben to ring in Brexit on January 31 have struck a chord with people across the country.
Retired shopworker Barbara Hyde, 74, a grandmother from Dudley, in the West Midlands, said: “I think all the bells of England should ring out and definitely Big Ben. It will wake us up and make us all realise that we are getting out of the EU. It has gone on so long and now it is going to happen.
“However people shouldn’t have to pay, it should be free.”
Joshua Coppe, 28, a maintenance worker from Birmingham, said: “It is a big day for the UK. It’s the same as new year when Big Ben rings. It’s definitely a historic moment and a big change. It’s a lot of money to spend but it needs to be commemorated. I think the Government should pay.”
Josh Davis, 21, a barber from Birmingham, said: “Yeah, why not? I don’t think it’s a waste of money.
It’s a moment that needs to be recorded.”
Alisha Bashira would supports a bong to mark Brexit at 11pm on January 31. The 25-year-old from Sheffield said: “It should be rung because Brexit is massive. We have been in the EU for a long time, and now we are leaving.
“I don’t think Remainers would have minded because Brexit is going to happen either way. It wouldn’t be a celebration. It’s more of an announcement.”
Paul Skinner, 46, a project manager from Devon, added: “I agree with the decision. I don’t see the relevance between Big Ben and Brexit. It’s not symbolic for me. Even though I voted for it, I don’t think Brexit is something that needs to be celebrated. The fact that we are finally leaving is big enough for me.
“There’s enough division in the
Barbara Hyde backs a ‘wake up’
country as it is. Let’s just let it happen now.”
Civil servant Alan Cox, 43, of Peterborough, said: “I agree with the decision not to ring the bell. Most Londoners voted for Remain. I spoke about this in the pub with my Brexiteer friend who really wanted the Big Ben to mark the moment. I told him they should get town bells to ring instead.”
James Mack, 77, thinks such a “momentous occasion” should be marked with the ringing of Ben Ben’s bells.
James, from Leeds, said: “I think paying to have the bell chime at the exact moment we leave the EU is a fantastic idea. It’s a momentous occasion and one that should be marked with something special.
“This has been a long and tiresome process and I believe the people who won the referendum deserve the opportunity to celebrate. I might even go down to London and join in.”