Decision day is almost here and voters across North Somerset are headed to the polls tomorrow (Thursday) to decide whether Britain should leave or remain in the European Union (EU).
An often-bitter campaign has been waged by both sides in the past six weeks but the debating is now over, and the decision is out of the politicians’ hands.
The Mercury has spent the past few months highlighting key issues and how the EU vote could affect Weston-super-Mare in the future.
We have explored healthcare, education, tourism, and immigration in the hope it will help you make your decision.
Weston MP John Penrose has chosen to vote for Britain to remain in the EU.
He said: “In the Scottish Referendum the ‘leave’ campaigners told their supporters the English and Welsh would be kind in negotiating new treaties if they left.
“In England, we weren’t so sure.
“If someone leaves a relationship, the person they leave behind is more likely to feel bitter than generous.
“If we leave the EU, every other country has a veto on every clause of a potential new deal with Britain.
“So if any one of them behaves badly, we’d be sunk.
“We won’t make it easier to trade with the rest of the world by making it harder to trade with Europe.”
By contrast, North Somerset MP Liam Fox has actively campaigned for Britain to leave the EU.
Speaking at a conference in May, he said: “I want co-operation with our partners and allies where it is in our mutual interest to do so but I believe in keeping separate the instruments by which we can pursue Britain’s independent national interests if that is required.
“I want to leave the European Union because I want to get control of our law-making and believe that an unelected court that is able to override our democratically elected parliament is an affront in the 21st century.
“I want to get control of our borders and believe that any country that cannot do so is not a free and independent nation.
“We are not leaving the EU but joining the rest of the world.”
Polling stations are expected to be busy tomorrow, and they will close at 10pm.
There is unlikely to be a decision until the early hours of Friday morning, but, however the vote goes, Britain’s future will surely look very different by the time everyone goes to work on Friday.
If you are still not sure how to vote, we will be running a live blog all day on the Mercury website with facts and opinions on how the vote will affect Weston and North Somerset.
You can share your opinions with us by tweeting us @WSMERCURY and using the hashtag #EUWeston
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