ELLIE Chowns, the Green Party’s candidate for North Herefordshire, believes the people should have the final say on whether the UK leaves the European Union.

The Bishops Frome and Cradley county councillor and West Midlands MEP believes Boris Johnson was wrong to call a general election to solve the Brexit impasse.

She feels there are so many issues at stake with the world facing a climate crisis and local services under huge pressures.

“This election does feel like the future of our country hangs in the balance,” she said.

“All bets are off in politics these days. Nobody could have predicted any of it over the last few years.

“We’ve been surprised time and again and there is everything to play for here.

“The future of the UK is in the balance with our relationship with Europe but also whether we take the urgent action needed to tackle the climate crisis.”

She says her party has had a clear position on both issues for a long time.

“A general election is the wrong way to resolve the Brexit crisis.

“I’ve always argued that what we need is a people’s vote because Brexit is one single decision.

“The price of our membership of Europe was always way less than one per cent of government expenditure and yet it’s blown up to 100% of political debate.

“On the EU, now that the leavers know what leave means, we need to put it back to the people. We need one specific leave option put against the specific remain option that we had.

“That was the problem with the first vote. It set out a general dissatisfaction against Europe on the part of a small majority of people but it didn’t say where the country was going to go.

“The leavers have spent three and a half years arguing. They have never been able to decide between themselves where they want to go.

“Whatever happens with Brexit it is not going to be over very soon.

“It’s important that we talk about improving public services and tackling the climate crisis which will be made much harder by Brexit.

“It’s clear our better future lies within the EU.”