Residents in Thurrock, Essex, who voted overwhelmingly for Brexit a decade ago, say Britain is 'worse off' and accuse the Labour Government of failing to deliver on the promises that drove the Leave vote. The borough recorded one of the highest Brexit support rates nationally, with 72.5% voting to leave the European Union on June 23, 2016.
Disillusionment with Brexit Delivery
Elaine Wigham, 73, a Grays resident and Poundland employee, told the Express: 'No one's fought our corner. People here voted for Brexit because we had no better option. We wanted some kind of change in terms of cost-of-living and illegal migration. We were told this would give us more power, but everything's gone even more downhill. There are shuttered shops everywhere, prices have gone sky-high. We're giving all our money to immigrants. [Politicians] aren't doing what they said they would do. They're not doing what we voted for.'
Steve Smart, 66, who works at Tilbury Cruise Terminal, echoed the sentiment: 'Not a day goes by that there's no trouble in the high street or somewhere nearby. I'm not racist, but it is the illegal immigrants. They've come over here and want to cause trouble. Everything's gone up in price, too. Everyday you hear of a shop shutting down, there's empty units everywhere. So many of my friends have moved away because they've had enough of it.'
Reform UK Gains Support
Many locals now pin their hopes on Reform UK, which won 45 of 49 council seats in Thurrock's May local elections. Wigham said: 'No one else has done it right. We might as well give them a chance. That's why people voted for Reform last month. People want the change they called for 10 years ago, which they still haven't got.'
Dawn Voggenreiter, 63, a retiree, added: 'I voted to come out because I really thought it would make a difference. But it hasn't helped. This Government's s**t. We need someone in power who's got some b*******. We need a Prime Minister who's going to do as they say and act on what the people want. Farage could be that person - I don't know. But people around here have lost all faith in Labour. They just want anyone else - someone who will prioritise us and look after their own first.'
Mixed Views on EU Return
Not all residents agree Brexit was beneficial. Marta Mendal, 35, who moved from Poland in 2009, said: 'They said "it'll get worse before it gets better", but it's been too long. Because of Brexit, so many people from my country went back home because it's better to be there. I understand wanting change, but I think people who voted for it didn't understand what the aftermath would be.'
Barry Smith, 68, stated: 'We were told leaving the EU would mean getting around all the laws in Europe that we can't change, and not owing anything to anyone else - just standing on our own. But I think we'd be better off back in. With the economy and trade, and also America flexing its military muscles, NATO and everything else - I think that's all reason to have closer ties. You've got more clout if you're part of a bigger group.'
Economic and Social Decline
Thurrock has faced additional strain, with the Conservative-run council declaring bankruptcy in 2022 after losses from risky investments, leaving massive debts and higher council tax. John Willard, 56, a warehouse operative, said: 'The idea was "if we leave, we get to keep the money we're sending to the EU." But since we've left, we're spending loads of money on people who aren't British anyway. As a taxpayer, you're funding whatever the current government wants to do. If I were in power, I'd look at the finances and think, "let me sort out my own country first". I'd make sure there are no homeless people, no families relying on food banks.'
Ellen Lane, 59, on benefits for health issues, expressed fear Labour would reverse Brexit: 'It's not that we're in a bad place - it's that I'm worried about the people making the decisions and what they might do next. Labour should never have got back in, because they're virtually handing our money away.'
National Polling on Brexit
Exclusive Whitestone Insight polling for the Express found that 50% of Brits now say Brexit was the wrong decision, but only 45% want to rejoin the EU, partly due to the multi-billion-pound cost. The Express has launched a 'Give Us A Proper Brexit' campaign to oppose Labour's alleged efforts to creep back into the EU.
