Steve Bray

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This article is about the British activist. For the American songwriter, drummer, and record producer, see Stephen Bray. For the Gaelic football player, see Stephen Bray (footballer).

Steve Bray
Steve Bray wearing anti-Brexit attire in September 2019
Steve Bray wearing anti-Brexit attire in September 2019
Born (1969-06-26) 26 June 1969 (age 52)
Port Talbot, Glamorgan, Wales
NationalityBritish
OccupationActivist
Known forProtesting against Brexit
Political partyLiberal Democrats

Steven Bray (born 26 June 1969)[1][2] is a British activist from Port Talbot in South Wales, who in 2018 and 2019 made daily protests against Brexit in College Green, Westminster. He is variously known as Stop Brexit Man,[3] Mr Stop Brexit[4] or the Stop Brexit guy.[5] He was often heard during TV broadcasts from College Green at Westminster shouting anti-Brexit statements or seen quietly walking into the background of live TV interviews, wearing a colourful blue outfit and carrying placards with a simple 'Stop Brexit' or anti-government message.[6][7]

British broadcaster ITV has referred to him as a notable figure, both for the length of his protest, and for the technique he uses to disrupt multi-camera interviews.[6] The Huffington Post described him as the "ultimate Brexit protester,"[8] while Labour MP Ben Bradshaw has called him an international celebrity.[9][10] Bray won PMP Magazine's Person of the Year award for 2018.[11]

Bray was the unsuccessful Liberal Democrat candidate for the Cynon Valley constituency in the 2019 United Kingdom general election.[12][13][14][15]

Before the Brexit referendum[]

Steve Bray was born 26 June 1969[1] and was originally from Splott in Cardiff, South Wales.[16] As a child, Bray was an Army brat.[17] Before becoming involved in political activism, Bray himself served in the British Army[18] and was a self-employed numismatist, working in Port Talbot, South Wales.[19] Bray is divorced, with a daughter and grandson.[20]

When Brexit became a major political issue, Bray found himself at odds with many of his friends. In his own words, “I fell out with all my friends. They were all leavers and I binned the lot of them.”[21]

Dress and style of protest[]

Bray shouting outside the Palace of Westminster.

Bray wears a European Blue jacket, with a blue top-hat with a yellow hat-band. He has a cape made up from a Union Jack sewn into an EU flag. He carries two double sided, burgundy coloured, A2 sized, placards with the messages "Stop the BREXIT mess," "We want a people's vote," and "Things have changed, it is time to reassess".[6]

2017 to 2019[]

In March 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, formally initiating Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, following the result of the 2016 advisory referendum on the UK's EU membership. Bray was incensed, leaving Port Talbot and travelling to London to protest.[22] Bray paid £8,500 to have a float carrying a larger than life size model of Theresa May's head with a pistol marked with the word "Brexit" in its mouth to be brought to the UK.[23] Bray also received press coverage for his Westminster protest in November 2017.[24]

Camera teams from all news sources interview politicians on College Green, outside the Houses of Parliament. When Bray spotted a team arriving, he walked over, and as the live interview begins, he walked into the background of the shot, displaying his posters. As the camera moved, so did he, remaining in the frame. He then walked off before the team can ask the police to remove him. With a two camera interview, he knew which camera was live and moved from one to the other. In an incident on 14 November 2018 with Georgina Wright and Annita McVeigh, the camera hopping lasted over two minutes.[25]

Steve Bray standing in front of the Sky TV Media Tent during an interview between Kay Burley and Labour MP Chris Bryant, on the day that Jeremy Corbyn called a vote of no confidence.

When the camera team chose to film against the door of the Palace, Bray used another tactic. He stood close by and shouted 'Stop Brexit' over a loudhailer, interfering with the sound track.[6] On 19 October 2019 he was clearly heard to yell during a live TV interview ‘bollocks to Boris’ after the Brexit deal the Prime Minister proposed was not agreed by parliament.[citation needed]

The BBC tried to circumvent Bray's disruption by building a five-metre-high (16 ft) platform on which to conduct interviews. Bray was not deterred and raised the EU flag on a 5-metre-high pole, which could be seen waving behind the presenter.[26][27]

Every evening at around 6pm, he performed a ritual, approaching the Palace and shouting "Stop Brexit, it's not a done deal" before leaving.[28] He returned at 11 the following morning and stated he would continue to do so until another referendum were called.[9]

In January 2019, Bray moved into an apartment opposite the Westminster home of Conservative Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg. In order to rent the property in Westminster's Cowley Street for two months, he raised more than £12,000 from the public.[4] In response to the news of his new neighbour, Rees-Mogg said: "Should he wish to borrow a cup of sugar, he would be very welcome."[4]

2019 general election[]

Regular SODEM protestors; Steve Bray in his post election grey attire, December 2019

Steve Bray was the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Cynon Valley constituency in the 2019 United Kingdom general election. The Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, noted that Bray was a passionate campaigner and should not be seen as a joke candidate.[29] He came 6th of 7 candidates with 949 votes, 3.1% of the total, and lost his deposit.[30] Madeline Grant, writing in The Daily Telegraph, argued that the Liberal Democrats' decision to run Bray, whom she did not see as a serious candidate, was part of their disastrous campaign.[31]

Bray described the Conservative victory in the 2019 General Election as "devastating." Shortly after the result, he acknowledged that the chances of the UK remaining in the EU were "tiny" and offered that "we are all going to end up in hell after Brexit happens." Bray decided to end his daily protests after 847 days.[32][33] However, he vowed to keep protesting, ditching his message of stopping Brexit in favour of an anti-Boris Johnson slogan.[34]

2020 onwards[]

January 2020, in support of EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen on the occasion of her London visit.

On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom became the first member state to leave the EU.[35] In response, Bray vowed to continue protesting outside Parliament, noting that he would "not give up" until the UK rejoined the EU.[36] In view of this, Bray has been likened to a Japanese soldier fighting on many years after the end of World War II.[37]

On 18 January, Bray was tripped up and assaulted in central London suffering minor injuries. He described the alleged assailants as "unpleasant thugs masquerading as Brexit zealots" and noted that "they’re not real Brexiteers or leavers." No arrests were made at the time.[38][39]

To highlight the report on alleged Russian interference in the Brexit referendum, in the Autumn of 2020, Bray discarded his anti-Brexit top hat and cape in favour of a Soviet tank general's parade dress. Armed with a portable stereo, Bray took to blaring out the national anthem of the former USSR along Whitehall.[16] However, by December 2020 Bray was back in usual anti-Brexit attire and attempting to heckle the Prime Minister by means of a megaphone, some distance from 10 Downing Street.[40]

In June 2021, Bray spotted the Conservative MP Lee Anderson having a drink in the seats outside the Red Lion pub in Westminster. Bray asked Anderson "Have you got to be a Conservative MP to lie to people?” After some words were exchanged, Anderson said "You’re nothing but a parasite, a malingerer and a scrounger. Now clear off."[41]

SODEM[]

SODEM is a political movement founded by Steve Bray in September 2017. It is an acronym for Stand of Defiance European Movement, and its colours are yellow on blue. A previous action was to secretly place the European flag on an empty flagpole outside the Neath Port Talbot council offices on 19 August 2018.[42] Elspeth Williams, who shared a flat in London with Bray, ran SODEM's social media output.[43] SODEM was dissolved as a company in January 2021.[44]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "How Brexit made Britain a country of Remainers and Leavers". 20 June 2019 – via The Economist.
  2. ^ "The Londoner: Climate champion's bumpy take-off". Evening Standard. 26 June 2019.
  3. ^ "'Stop Brexit Man' to stand as Lib Dem candidate in general election". The Independent. 12 November 2019.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Grew, Tony (27 January 2019). "Mr Stop Brexit moves to Jacob Rees-Mogg's street protest". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 27 May 2019.(subscription required)
  5. ^ Clements, Laura (11 April 2019). "Stop Brexit guy: The man who shouts 'Stop Brexit' on TV". walesonline.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Anti-Brexit protester from Port Talbot repeatedly crashing TV interviews says he won't stop 'unless Brexit is stopped'". ITV News. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  7. ^ Wheeler, Brian (20 November 2017). "Who are the Stop Brexit campaigners?". BBC News. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  8. ^ Atherton, Beau (11 December 2018). "Steve Bray: The Ultimate Brexit Protester". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Notelovitz, Shay; Shearlaw, Maeve; Guardian, Source (28 November 2018). "A day with Mr Stop Brexit: crashing TV interviews and fighting Ukip – video". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  10. ^ Hogan, Michael (27 October 2019). "Anti-Brexit activist Steve Bray: 'This is my first protest – it's lasted two years'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Our "Person of the year" 2018". PMP Magazine - PoliticsMeansPolitics.com. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Stop Brexit campaigner Steve Bray welcomed as Lib Dem candidate". Evening Standard. 12 November 2019.
  13. ^ "'Stop Brexit' megaphone man to stand for Lib Dems". 12 November 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  14. ^ , Wikipedia, 20 November 2019, retrieved 13 December 2019
  15. ^ "Cynon Valley parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b Bevan, Nathan (25 September 2020). "'Mr Stop Brexit' Steve Bray is still protesting and he's got a new look". Wales Online. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  17. ^ Jack, Ian (16 June 2018). "Parliament's problem isn't anti-Brexit protests outside. It lies within". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  18. ^ "Veterans for Europe Affiliates with the European Movement UK". European Movement.
  19. ^ Freyne, Patrick. "Battling Brexit has become a full-time job for activist". The Irish Times.
  20. ^ Walker, Tim (21 December 2018). "Meet the anti-Brexit campaigner (literally) behind the news". The New European. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  21. ^ Freyne, Patrick (2 April 2019). "Battling Brexit has become a full-time job for activist". Irish Times. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  22. ^ Gumuchian, Marie-Louise (10 December 2018). ""Stop Brexit!" - one man's daily protest against UK-EU divorce". Reuters.
  23. ^ Powell, Luke (18 May 2017). "Controversial float featuring Theresa May with 'Brexit' gun in her mouth arrives in Norwich". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  24. ^ Wheeler, Brian (20 November 2017). "Political protests: Who are the Stop Brexit campaigners?". BBC News. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  25. ^ Reid, Alistair; Goofman, Rick. "This 'stop Brexit' protester stole the show during a serious TV interview". Independent.ie. Press Association. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  26. ^ Morris, James (27 November 2018). "Stop Brexit man crashes BBC broadcast with EU flag despite 5m platform". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  27. ^ Read, Jonathon. "WATCH: BBC fails with new platform to block out anti-Brexit campaigners". The New European. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  28. ^ Forrest, Adam. "This Man Shouts 'Stop Brexit' at Parliament Every Single Day". Vice.
  29. ^ Owen, Cathy (13 November 2019). "The man who shouts 'Stop Brexit' at Parliament stands to be a Welsh MP". walesonline.
  30. ^ "Cynon Valley parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC. 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  31. ^ Grant, Madeline (13 December 2019). "The Lib Dems' decision to back an election is the worst blunder since the Trojans welcomed that horse". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  32. ^ "Man who shouted STOOOP BREEEXXXIIIIT for 847 days finally admits defeat". Metro. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  33. ^ Forrest, Adam; Cowburn, Ashley (19 December 2019). "Brexit news: Boris Johnson unveils 'book of Trump' agenda to prevent courts challenging government and make voter ID mandatory". The Independent. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  34. ^ Colchester, Max (18 December 2019). "Anti-Brexit Campaign Faces Up to Brexit's Inevitability, Amid Recriminations". Wall Street Journal. New York City. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  35. ^ Rawlinson, Kevin; Topping, Alexandra; Murphy, Simon; Henley, Jon; Murray, Jessica; Freedland, Jonathan; Rawlinson, Kevin (1 February 2020). "Brexit day: end of an era as United Kingdom leaves EU – as it happened". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  36. ^ Flint, Rachel (3 February 2020). "Brexit: Steve Bray vows to carry on 'Mr Stop Brexit' protest". BBC News. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  37. ^ van IJzendoorn, Patrick (29 June 2020). "De remainers worden definitief rejoiners, of er moet een wonder gebeuren". de Volkskrant. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  38. ^ Wood, Vincent (20 January 2020). "Mr Stop Brexit 'attacked by anti-Remain protesters'". The Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  39. ^ Read, Jonathon (20 January 2020). "Anti-Brexit campaigner targeted by thugs - but says incident has made him more determined". The New European. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  40. ^ Read, Jonathon (24 December 2020). "Police shut down anti-Brexit protest calling Boris Johnson a 'national disgrace'". The New European.
  41. ^ Webster, Laura (17 June 2021). "Tory MP brands 'Stop Brexit' campaigner Steve Bray a 'parasite' in London pub clash". The National. Glasgow. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  42. ^ Clements, Laura (22 August 2018). "The one-man campaign against Brexit that's being run from Port Talbot". walesonline. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  43. ^ Cohen, Daniel (13 August 2019). "'Loud, obsessive, tribal': the radicalisation of remain". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  44. ^ "SODEM LIMITED - Filing history (free information from Companies House)". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk.

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