VIDEO: Business as usual in Skegness after EU vote
Shoppers poured into supermarkets this morning undeterred by headlines that the value of the pound had plunged.
The results for East Lindsey were announced just after 6am with an overwhelming 70.7 per cent of residents (56,613 votes) choosing to leave and 23,515 votes to remain,
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Hide AdLess than six hours later, Janice Wheat of Hogsthorpe was filling her car boot with a trolly load of shopping at Morrisons and said: “I voted to leave. I think there has been a lot of scaremongering from the Remain campaign.
“I’m not worried prices will go up. They are always going up – it’s a fact of life. I can’t see there will be a big change.”
Dennis Cooper, of Skegness, said: “We deserve to be a democratic country again. I hope it doesn’t affect pensions but I support the decision.”
The Standard caught up with the Skegness Vote Leave campaigners at Indulgence cafe in High Street.
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Hide AdCoun Sue Blackburn said she couldn’t watch it on television and went to bed having seen the swing to the Remain vote in London and Scotland.
She said: “When I got up I couldn’t believe it. I knew the vote locally would be to leave - we’ve had tremendous support from day one.
“I thought it would be close - but the other way around.”
Coun Chris Carton said he heard the news while taking his morning walk on the beach. He said: “People were coming up to me and shaking my hand. I’d like to thank everyone who supported the campaign.””
Coun Danny Brookes, who owns Indulgence, said: “Residents shouldn’t listen to the scaremongering. Most business in Skegness are small business and don’t trade with the EU.
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Hide Ad“I didn’t come in here today and put my prices. “It’s up to the MPs and politicians to now do their job and run our country. I’m confident the future is bright.”
Tony Tye, chairman of Skegness and District Chamber of Commerce, said the community should not be worried about the future.
He said: “Skegness is in a very strong position at the moment. The plans for the Premier Inn have gone in and other investors will follow.”
Boston and Skegness Matt Warman reacted to the result within minutes after it being announced, describing the country’s decision as “risky”.
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Hide AdHe said: “Britain has decided to gamble on Brexit – while I personally took the view that it wasn’t a risk I wanted to take, I’ve also said it was one person one vote, and a gamble that could pay off.
“The government now has a duty to make sure exit negotiations with Europe are as painless as possible.
“I very much respect the will of voters in our region and across the country, and we have a long road ahead of us.
“Changes won’t be seen overnight, but I look forward to working with colleagues from Lincolnshire and within Government to make sure that the inevitable uncertainty does not cause the predicted economic damage to people’s jobs and livelihoods.
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Hide Ad“We do now have a chance to change immigration policies and our trading arrangements; I hope that those do result in the promised improvements that Brexit campaigners suggested – as the Prime Minister himself has said, Britain can prosper outside the EU.”
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