The owner of the Grain Barge pub has explained why it is flying an EU flag half-mast as the UK prepares for Brexit.
Former Bristol mayor George Ferguson, who owns the moored Hotwell Road pub, has made the gesture to mourn the UK's impending departure from the EU at 11pm tonight (January 31).
Another half-mast EU flag has been flying since last month's General Election result at North Street's Tobacco Factory arts hub, which Mr Ferguson also owns.
He said: "I do feel deeply sad about it. What makes it saddest is the older generation has let down younger people, who have to live with it."
Mr Ferguson hit out at the Brexit Party's Nigel Farage and colleagues, who were told off yesterday for waving Union Jack flags in UK MEP's final debate in Brussels.
'Deeply ashamed'
He said: "It’s absolutely disgusting and extremely bad mannered. I’m deeply ashamed of that kind of behaviour.
"Brexit is damaging, not just economically, but it is culturally damaging. That’s the sadder part of it.
"We’re in a city that’s basically pro-EU. I’m proud of that.
"I'm moving from a Remainer to a Rejoiner. It won’t be in my lifetime that we rejoin, but I am confident it will be in my children’s."
Mr Ferguson says there are about 80 staff across the Tobacco Factory and Grain Barge, with about 25 per cent from the EU.
He added: "We’ve had hundreds of young EU citizens working here, very happily. We feel devastated for them.
"There's bound to be an impact on the EU staff here, but we will stay a happy place.
"There will be a dilution of people coming to work for us from Europe. We've certainly had fewer over the last couple of years, since the referendum.
"We’ll take the flag down on Monday. We will move on positively and I will do everything can to encourage multicultural diversity."
