Thousands have signed up to a 'Brexit Party' on a Dutch beach
Thousands of people have signed up to a Brexit beach party in the Netherlands to say goodbye to their “good friend” the UK on October 31.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to lead the UK out of the EU at the end of October, with or without a deal.
The event, which around 10,000 people have signed up to on Facebook, is due to take place at Strand Wijk Aan Zee, a beach on the country’s west coast.
The party would allow people to sit in deckchairs looking out to sea as “Great Britain wakes up as a closed institution” while enjoying “Dutch chips, French wine and German beer”.
Another 60,000 people have expressed interest in the party at Wijk aan Zee, north-west of Amsterdam, on October 31.
The plan comes from the documentary maker Ron Toekook, who told Dutch broadcaster NOS it will be “as if you are saying goodbye to a good friend who you hope will return sometime”.
Speaking of the event, Mr Toekook said: “I live near the beach and I thought it would be nice on October 31 to go to the beach and... look over the ocean to the horizon where Great Britain is and then wave at the Brits and say farewell to good friends of ours.”
Mr Toekook said the party was a way to mark the departure of the UK, which had shared centuries of close-cultural, trade and political links with the Netherlands.
Members of the Facebook group have posted pictures of the beach where the event is due to take place with a photo of the British traditional dish of fish and chips.
People wrote on the group suggesting the songs that could be played on the day should include “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2, "England Lost" by Mick Jagger and "Every Time We Say Goodbye" by Ella Fitzgerald.
Mr Johnson wants further negotiations with the EU with regards to a Brexit deal and has asked European Council President Donald Tusk to remove the Irish backstop from the existing deal.
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However, the EU chiefs said an open letter from Mr Johnson published this week gave no “realistic alternatives” to the backstop.
Mr Tusk said on Twitter: “The backstop is insurance to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland unless and until an alternative is found.
"Those against the backstop and not proposing realistic alternatives in fact support re-establishing a border. Even if they do not admit it."