The newly formed TW-IN group has already distributed more than 400 of the booklets, which state ‘even Tonbridge residents’ can enter the town. Tunbridge Wells is the only constituency in Kent to have voted Remain in the 2016 referendum.
Group Chairman Seb St John started the quirky protest as part of a call for a second referendum on Britain’s final deal in leaving the European Union. The former Labour Party council candidate joined members of the Liberal Democrats and Tunbridge Wells Alliance, and other non-party political campaigners, in handing out the specially made passports outside Calverley Grounds.
“Tunbridge Wells is a constituency that voted Remain and we seem to be drifting towards deals, which clearly don’t deliver the promises of the referendum we did not agree on,” said Mr St John, whose wife Ruth set up TW-IN in July.
“The referendum was a vote on something intangible, with a lot of promises of riches which are now clear to see as undeliverable.
“Therefore we think the government should complete their negotiations and then allow the people to decide if this was what they actually want.”
The passports were given out as a ‘tongue in cheek’ idea ahead of a march in London on October 20 in support of a people’s vote.
The maroon-coloured booklets are titled ‘European Union Spa State of Royal Tunbridge Wells’.
Inside are passport style pages with faded pictures of town landmarks. A message on the back cover reads: “We promise to abide by and promote the universal values upon which the EU is based.
“We will also consider applications from Tonbridge, as it must be hard living in an area that voted leave.”
Passports were given away for free but can also be obtained on the TW-IN website for a donation. It costs the group £100 to produce 55 passports, and the costs were covered by donations from members.
Mr St John said 13,000 people on social media saw the passports being given away in Tunbridge Wells outside Calverley Grounds.
Asked if the attempt was too little, too late with Britain poised to leave the EU in March, he said: “We shall see. There has been a lot of anger from some people, but most have been really supportive.
“It says something that our own government is our best campaigning tool and even lots of leavers disagree with them.”
What the passport states:
We affirm our allegiance to the European Union as the sole electoral area in Kent to vote to remain. We promise to abide by and promote the universal values upon which the EU is based such as, compassion endeavour, ingenuity, altruism, diligence, daring and peace loving commitment to the dignity of sentient beings.
We will also consider
applications from Tonbridge, as it must be hard living in an area that voted leave. It’s a great place, so we’re happy to be open to residents of Tonbridge. We appreciate it has [a] Castle and a bigger parkrun but it’s still not Tunbridge Wells.
We pledge to maintain our citizenship of the European Union for us and the future generations that come after us.
