Prime Minister Boris Johnson ventured into the heart of Grimsby’s seafood industry, with the ‘Get Brexit Done’ campaign mantra striking a chord in the strong leave-voting constituency.
He started the most important week of his political life on Grimsby Fish Market, where Brussels’ intervention in the industry that made the town ‘Great’ is still a bone of contention for many.
It was part of a strategy to hit Labour’s ‘leave heartlands’ – seen as winnable seats by the Tories.
Conservative Lia Nici is up against Melanie Onn, who has represented the town for the past four years, with the pair the polls’ frontrunners.
John Nicolson, managing director of Excel Seafoods, was one of the first to speak with the Prime Minister, and Brexit was the key subject.
He said: “We need it done now, there is so much uncertainty in this job, with the buying and supplies, looking towards Norway and Denmark.
“The Conservatives have my vote, I was with Nigel Farage last time, to leave the EU, but I was also Conservative before that. I am happy he will get the job done.
“I’m from a household where four of us are all Conservative. I think they can get Grimsby, there are not many Labour here now.”
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Mr Johnson’s arrival followed David Cameron’s visit in the final hours of the 2010 campaign. He shook hands, posed for selfies, held fish and even tallied the bought boxes as the auction was held, laying out the buyer’s tickets.
With a name fitting the visitor, Premier Seafoods’ owner Nathan Godley was in the auction Mr Johnson listened to intently. He said: “We have a lot of visits, Grimsby is clearly important and the publicity is good for the town. If they are not holding babies they are holding fish!
“We had Cameron here and he didn’t come over quite as well. Boris is at home in this type of company and you sense he’d get changed go elsewhere and be just the same in a totally different environment. He adapts to any environment you put him in.
“Having him here is all good fun, and he has been too. He’s very tactile, you can get up close and personal with him. We’ve had politicians in the past who have not been like that. He just likes to get stuck in.”
From holding fish, to pulling boxes, Mr Johnson certainly ‘got the morning done,’ rubbing shoulders in the semi-scrums around the boxes as the sales continued, introducing Ms Nici to the merchants at every opportunity.
Merchant Ronnie McBay added: “I don’t think Jeremy Corbyn would have got such a welcome.”
He stayed for two hours, before heading for the North East, having stayed over at Healing Manor Hotel on the outskirts of the town.
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Gary Cadey, managing director of Garfish said: “We have had them all here and I hope he does us proud. He is the man in the driving seat at the moment and I don’t see that changing. I just want to get Brexit over with the same as everyone else. I export and we need to know where we are. “We just want to get it over with, it has been three and a half years.”
His fellow director in the Grimsby Seafood Village processing premises venture, Pete Dalton, said: “It is all good for the town. He will have turned a few people I think, there will be a good turn out for him. He is like no other prime minister, he got in an got on with it. He is a normal guy who gets on with what he is trying to do, and that includes things for the fishing industry.”
Reece Stansfield, director at Flatfish, was one of white-coat wearing hordes to grab a quick selfie. Not to be drawn on politics, he said; “It is great to meet the personality, and great to see him on the fish auction. It is excellent how engaged he is, and he seems a very nice guy.”
Martyn Boyers, chief executive of market operator Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises Ltd, hosted the visit.
Speaking after the visit, he said: “He seemed very popular, very convivial.
“We had a chat about a number of issues, about imports and the likes of the Icelandic fish. He didn’t know we import as much as we do, and I think he was quite surprised and struck by the reliance on Icelandic and Norwegian fish. He was very positive about the future for trade.”
He was guided round the hall as the Monday market got into full swing, with the national media watching his every move.
The Prime Minister had several long conversations on the hall floor, between photograph opportunities – both official and scores of selfies with the many merchants milling around.
Of the chats on the move, Mr Boyers said: “One or two were sceptical, with comments about fishing limits and how it would work. It is a complex business and perhaps too much to expect to be given a full answer, rather than an opinion. The intention is there though, and what will be, will be.”
Trade deals have already been signed with the ‘Holy Trinity’ of suppliers, Iceland, Norway and The Faroes, but Mr Boyers said that didn’t complete the efforts as Brexit looms over the election.
“We have to be mindful of exports,” he said. “Fish comes in and fish goes out, it is a big, big industry in terms of trade – a huge amount of fish – and we have got to allow that to continue. As well as the agreements we have with Iceland and Norway, we have got to look at trade with EU, and any barriers and tariffs.”
During his visit, Mr Johnson entered the boardroom, where pictures of the last such visit – that of Mr Cameron in 2010 – hang.
Mr Boyers said he came across as scripted, a contrast to Mr Johnson who was “unscripted, a different proposition”.
“He took the time to attend the auction, he tallied the fish, spoke to a lot of people and had pictures with a lot of people,” he said. “He got the dragging hook and shifted a box of fish, and was engaging with everyone.
“This is a marginal seat, he has come because this is an opportunity, and we’ll find out how well it has gone on Friday morning.”
Also standing in Grimsby are: Ian Barfield (Lib Dem), Chris Barker (Brexit Party), Loyd Emmerson (Green Party), Melanie Onn (Labour) and Nigel Winn (Independent).
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