Brexit: Life goes on in Shropshire after exit

David Cameron has resigned as prime minister, Michael Gove scuppered Boris Johnson's chances of becoming premier and Theresa May has taken his place.

On the other side of the despatch box, Labour MPs gave a vote of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn, most of his shadow cabinet resigned, Angela Eagle stood against him for the party leadership and then withdrew in favour of Owen Smith.

Oh, and amid all the drama, it is easy to forget that Nigel Farage – who many see as the architect of the referendum – also resigned as Ukip leader. It is hard to think of a time when British politics has seen so much change in such a short period.

If an opinion poll carried out by shropshirestar.com is anything to go by, it seems the people of our county on the whole seem fairly positive about the prospect of Brexit Britain.

Of the 500 people who took part, 64 per cent they were more confident about Britain's future prospects since the vote, compared to 36 per cent who were less sure.

But whichever side of the argument one sits, life goes on. And many people over at Shrewsbury Market Hall seemed unmoved by the goings on at Westminster as they go about their daily business.

William Dodd runs a butchers' and delicatessen on the market with wife Dawn.

Neither Mr Dodd, who is 57, nor Mrs Dodd, 60, voted in the referendum, saying they could not decide.

"I couldn't make up my mind, there were so many reasons for staying in, and so many for leaving," says Mr Dodd.

"I was 50-50, so I thought it was best to abstain. It's for the younger generation I feel sorry for, the daughters and grandchildren, having said that, it might be the best thing that has happened to them, we just don't know."

Mr Dodd said he was surprised by the sequence of events over the past month.

"It was quite a shock, the way it all happened straight away."

Mrs Dodd believes that the Government is already back-tracking on some of the claims made during the campaign.

"They have done a U-turn already, they said they were going to put all this money into the NHS, and now they've gone back on that.

"I don't think it will make much difference really, the Government will do what it wants to do, they never listen to ordinary people otherwise the country would not be in the state it is in at the moment."

Mr Dodd says he does not wish to see another general election, believing people would not want to vote again.

"We've had this vote, we've now got to let them get on with it and give them a chance," he says.

Indeed, it seems there is generally little appetite for going to the polls again as people go about their daily business. "I don't think there's a need for another election," says Phil Roe, 63, who runs the Urban Bikes stall on the market.

"We've been through these changes of prime minster before, and it's no big deal, although people like to think it is."

Mr Roe, who lives in Castlefields, had voted to remain in the UK.

He says he was not really surprised by the result, or the event that followed.

"I wasn't surprised by the result," he says. "People in this country often vote against things.

"They don't vote because they're in favour of something, they vote to protest.

"I voted to stay in because I have worked in manufacturing for most of my life and I remember what a pain it was bringing stuff in to the country prior to 1975.

"At the first bike place I worked we imported tyres from Czechoslovakia and clothing from Belgium and it was a right mess."

He says he is not particularly surprised by the political upheaval that has followed the vote, saying David Cameron's position had become untenable.

"Cameron had pretty much pinned his hopes on winning. I think he was a bit of a risk taker," says Mr Roe.

Browsing through the books in the upper gallery of the market is Jackie Harper, 70, from Monkmoor.

She says she was quite shocked when she heard the result. "I thought we would vote Leave, but I thought they would fix the result so that Remain would win it. I was quite surprised when I heard the result."

Mrs Harper, who voted Leave, says she is quite pleased about the result and never once regretted the way she voted.

"I think it will be hard going for the first few years, but after that we will benefit," she says. "I voted Leave because I think we should be able to stand on our own, we were on our own before."

Mrs Harper says she was surprised by the speed with which David Cameron left Downing Street, but she is confident Theresa May will be able to steady the ship.

"I think Theresa May will make a great prime minister. When I saw her on Question Time she reminded me a lot of Margaret Thatcher.

"I don't think we need another election. Besides, I don't think there's anybody in the Labour Party who is capable of doing the job."

Over at the Snapdragon Wholefoods stall, owner Jan Bridges takes a very different view. She is unimpressed by Mrs May's voting record and says Jeremy Corbyn is a man of integrity who has been unfairly undermined.

"Britain should have voted to stay in," says the 64-year-old from Monkmoor.

"I think we have made a mistake. Instead of being divided, we should have stayed together. An awful lot of people want to retract their vote and change their minds. Many people have told me that, I don't just mean one or two.

"Having travelled to Scotland, and seeing the vast space up there, and seeing the vast spaces we have in Shropshire, we could put the immigrants somewhere and turn it into a city."

Taking a few moments' rest on a bench in the market hall is former postman David Myers.

He says he does not normally take much of interest in political matters, but he voted for the first time in the referendum, choosing to leave the EU.

"I heard people saying we would be better off staying in the EU, but I believed that Britain should be able to go it on its own," says the 64-year-old from Abbey Foregate.

"We have always managed before. I don't know much about politics, but I was probably surprised that David Cameron has gone."

Linda Tisdale has kept Lin's Flowers on the market for the past 25 years, and says the weak pound has already left its mark on business.

"I have noticed already that the flowers are much more expensive," she says.

"I go to the wholesale market in Birmingham at 3.30 in the morning and notice that I don't get as much for my money.

"They say it's because the pound is weak. Some of the flowers come from Columbia, but most of them come from Holland."

Mrs Tisdale, who is 69 and lives in Belle Vue, says she does not pay that much attention to the political developments since the vote. "My husband is quite political and he saw Theresa May speak for the first time the other day and said she was brilliant," she says.

"I don't really know enough about it."

Crystal Evans, 55, from Rodington, keeps the Green Swan natural clothing stall on the market, and also works as a chiropodist.

She voted Remain in the referendum and says she has already noticed a fall in business as a result of the vote.

"I feel people don't want to spend money at the moment," she says.

"My son works for a recruitment firm and the Friday after the vote they lost a £1.1 million contract. Four hundred people's jobs have been lost because they have moved to Germany."