Dudley councillor and MEP Bill Etheridge pushes case for Brexit during action day

Around 25 UKIP members from across the region, teamed up with Vote Leave and Grassroots Out activists, to hand out leaflets during a campaign day in Stourbridge on Saturday (May 14) urging people to "make June 23 UK independence day" as the EU referendum nears.

West Midlands UKIP MEP and Sedgley ward councillor Bill Etheridge said feedback from members of the public in Stourbridge was “great” and he added: “It was fantastic to see some many UKIP activists from across the region, plus other Brexit supporters, turn out in Stourbridge and promote the case for leaving the dictatorial EU. It is time to get our sovereignty back.

"Outside of the EU we would be able to negotiate our own free trade agreements and we would be free to make our own laws in Westminster."

Cllr Etheridge and the UKIP team will be holding further Brexit action days across the Black Country in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, West Midlands Conservative MEP Anthea McIntyre hosted a question and answer session on the EU and forthcoming referendum on Friday (May 13) at Old Swinford Hospital School in Stourbridge in a bid to offer basic factual information about the pros and cons of the European Union and Britain's membership as she believes voters have been feeling short of simple, reliable, impartial details.

Miss McIntyre , who is keen to stay in the EU, has been holding gatherings across the region to talk about issues including the cost of EU membership, its effect on immigration and the potential impact of Brexit on trade.

She said she'd tried to be "unbiased" in her presentation and said she was holding the discussion events as she believes "properly-informed debate" is necessary before people can decide how to vote.