Brexit referendum - ten years on
Sue Wilson, Bremain in Spain: ‘We cannot allow government to believe that we’ll get over it’Sue Wilson was awarded an MBE for services to British nationals in Spain and the EU in 2021 for her tireless campaigning since the Brexit referendum in 2026
Añádenos en Google Sue Wilson with her MBE. (SUR)Jennie Rhodes
23/06/2026 a las 10:21h.As Chair of Bremain in Spain since it was founded in 2016, Sue Wilson has campaigned tirelessly for the rights of British citizens in Spain and across the EU. In 2021 Sue was awarded an MBEfor services to British nationals in Spain and the EU.
–You said you weren’t particularly political before Brexit. What would you say ten years later?
Before Brexit, I wasn’t interested in politics at all - my political engagement went no further than casting my vote every five years. But in the run-up to the referendum - and even more so after the shocking result - keeping abreast of current affairs became something of an obsession. Now, ten years on, I am better informed, more curious and with the confidence to voice my opinions. Like it or not, I think I’m stuck with that transformation for life now, though there are certainly times when I envy my earlier self for my blissful ignorance of British and global politics!
–Knowing what you know now, would you have still done it?
Having never campaigned before, let alone run a campaign, it still amazes me how quickly I became immersed in it. Our group grew quickly, as did our team of volunteers and supporters and most of them are still with us a decade later. Bringing together thousands of people who all felt the pain, loss and anger of Brexit took over my life. It became a full-time, daily, unpaid project that I willingly threw myself into.
It was the first time I had ever felt so strongly about anything, and I was determined to do whatever I could to change the course of Brexit and to help those struggling with the fallout. We made mistakes, of course we did, but we learnt from them. I wouldn’t change a thing.
–You have been Chair since the beginning. What has kept you going?
In the beginning we had different aims. An early goal was to have the government acknowledge that the referendum was illegal, which we did by taking PM Theresa May to court. Turns out, the government didn’t care that electoral law had been broken – they decided to proceed with Brexit regardless, even though they were under no legal obligation to do so.
The next goal was to stop Brexit from happening, hopefully by gaining agreement for a second referendum. Then, when we knew Brexit was going ahead, our fight was to ensure that British residents in the EU were not overlooked in the negotiations.
Now Brexit has happened, what keeps me going is the inevitability of our return and the determination and support of those around me. In order to make that return as quick and painless as possible, the fight to educate the British public about the benefits of EU membership must continue, both at home and abroad. Leavers may have believed they knew what they were fighting for – and what they were going to get – but they didn’t, they really didn’t. Now, hopefully, they do.
–What are the biggest changes you have seen for Brits in Spain?
Where do I start? There are challenges that EU residents in the UK face and challenges that UK residents with second homes in Spain face. Then there are the issues we all share: travel is more costly and difficult, families are being torn apart, opportunities for work or study have been taken away and retirement dreams have been shattered.
But apart from the bigger issues, it’s the little ones that add up. No more cards/presents from the UK because of customs taxes, no more bringing your favourite foods back from Blighty, no more speedy transit through airports in the EU citizenship lane. It’s death by 1000 cuts.
–How did you feel when you heard about the MBE?
Being awarded the MBE was so unexpected and so hard to grasp, that it took a while to sink in. I had to wait for the ceremony, thanks to Covid, but was finally able to attend one at Windsor Castle and received my medal from Prince William. It was the last trip out of the care home for my elderly mother and she was so proud of me. Prince Williams even gave her a wave, which made her day complete.
I was able to share the day with fellow campaigner and MBE recipient - and now dear friend and neighbour, thanks to Brexit - Debbie Wiliams of Brexpats - Hear Our Voice.
Sue with former British Ambassador in Spain Hugh Elliott and Lisa Burton, Bremain VC; at a national Rejoin march in London; with Terry Reintke MEP at the European Parliament.–What other highlights have there been?
An early experience that sticks in my mind was presenting to the Select Committee for Exiting the European Union back in 2017. It was my first time in front of cameras and I was so nervous that I couldn’t hold my glass of water without my hands shaking. Thankfully, I’m told, it wasn’t as obvious to others as to me!
I’ve attended many events and meetings in the European Parliament and met some wonderful MEPs. Being inside the parliament building – a village, really – always made me feel comfortable, safe and full of hope. To hear so many different languages and witness the cooperation between nations was always so inspiring.
Attending pro-EU rallies and marches – especially those where I gave a speech – was always a, if you’ll excuse the pun, rallying experience. We may have been preaching to the converted, but getting together with like-minded campaigners was always a reminder of just what we are fighting for – the return of our lost rights, benefits and opportunities.
The other highlight was taking Theresa May to court to challenge the legality of the referendum. We may have lost the case, but we did succeed in getting May’s legal team to acknowledge the government knew the referendum broke electoral law, even though they intended to plough on regardless.
–And low points (apart from the referendum result itself)
The negotiations for the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) were a difficult time, fighting to retain all the rights, benefits and opportunities we Brits abroad had come to expect to hold for life. In particular, the loss of our freedom of movement was a bitter pill to swallow. But the lowest point of the last 10 years was when Brexit finally happened in February 2020 – after several false starts and parliamentary delays.
After weeks, months, years of fighting with everything we had, we had failed – the UK had left the EU. It was every bit as painful as the referendum itself and affected my confidence for a while, as I’d been so certain for so long that something could be done to stop Brexit from happening. But we all picked ourselves up, regrouped, and committed to fighting on - no matter how long it takes - to get back all that we have lost.
–What are the ongoing challenges for Brits in Spain post-Brexit?
Large public events are vitally important in order to show that we are still here, still fighting and still suffering thanks to Brexit. We cannot allow government to believe that, given time, we’ll get over it because many of us never will, and the ongoing damage cannot be ignored. Pro-EU events are also a great opportunity to get together with campaigners from across the UK and Europe, to compare notes and to reinvigorate us to keep going. But let’s not forget that it’s not just the UK government we need to be challenging. We also need to maintain links with the European Parliament to let them know how much we want to return to their family and their freedoms.
With the TCA approaching review time, we cannot afford to be complacent, especially when Reform UK are threatening to remove even more of our rights, such as the ECHR. We must also stand up to the anti-immigrant sentiments of the far right and preach the benefits of and need for immigration. As Pedro Sanchez has done so eloquently.
–One of the focuses of Bremain now is the 'Rejoin' movement. Do you really think that will happen? The Labour government, at least under Keir Starmer, said that wouldn't happen...
Starmer has been a severe disappointment as PM. His ‘reset’, while perhaps well-intentioned, smacks of a desire to cherry-pick elements of EU membership and pay as little as possible for the privilege. His insistence in sticking to his “red lines”, regardless of public opinion or global events, may prove his integrity, but also his inflexibility and lack of courage.
Building closer ties to the EU, step-by-step, is welcome and necessary, but at some point, the government will have to accept that rejoining the EU is the only sensible option. Joining the single market, and/or the customs union, would be a huge step, but would not give us a seat at the table.
In order to have a voice and influence, joining the EU is the only viable option. Half measures are not going to cut it. Rejoining the EU is inevitable. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get the ball rolling!