Britain's EU vote: #Brexit view from Shipley

This report is part of a series on community views about the June 23 referendum on whether the United Kingdom should exit the European Union.

SHIPLEY, England — This town in northern England contains the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire, a preserved workers' village and mill dating back to the Industrial Revolution. Now it has a new claim to fame: It is home to the first British parliamentarian to publicly call for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

"Ten years later, I still strongly believe we would be better off out(side the EU)," Philip Davies, Shipley's Conservative Party member of Parliament, said. "I am pretty certain the majority of my constituents will be voting to leave the EU in the referendum. At a recent public debate out of 126 votes, 93 people voted to leave."

Shipley is located near the industrial city of Bradford, in West Yorskhire. It has a mixed-income population of 15,500.

Davies said he had a number of concerns about Britain's membership of the EU.

"The influence the ‘remain’ side claim we possess is an illusion," he said. "We are not sat at the top table making the decisions as we are out-voted. This happened in every single instance over the last parliamentary session. Instead of one of nine countries like in 1975 (when the U.K. last held a referendum on on leaving the political bloc), we are now one of 28, and with each new country our influence lessens."

"Trade will not be lost in the case of Brexit (a British exit from the EU), as trade is a two-way street — and our European neighbors make more money from us than vice versa. In fact, if we left, the U.K. would be the EU’s single biggest export market," he said.

Davies said immigration was also a major issue.

"Free movement of people within the EU means we cannot control our borders. This is putting a huge strain on housing, school places and the National Health Service. The only way to control immigration is to leave the EU," he said. "Britain built its wealth as a global trader, and our future prosperity depends on trading with China, India, South America and emerging economies in Africa. Not being stuck to an inward-facing, backward-looking protection racket."

Eric Hawthorn, the founder of Radio Design, a firm that makes phone mast technology for telecoms companies and employs 200 people at its headquarters in Salts Mill at the heart of Saltaire, feels differently.

"Unrestricted access to Europe, the world's single biggest market, is the most important thing for my business. If I didn't have that access I would have to think about leaving the U.K." he said.

Hawthorn said he employs a range of nationalities and sees immigration as source of strong, fresh talent.

"We have a great team who work hard, pay taxes and benefit the area," he said.

Kevin Warnes, a local politician in Bradford who represents the Green Party, also thinks it would be better to remain part of the EU.

"The EU delivers vital environmental, social and employment protections for EU citizens as well as essential regulation of the single European market," he said.

"We welcome the freedoms that EU membership gives us and our fellow Europeans in terms of being able to travel, work and study anywhere in our continent. Most key decisions that affect Bradfordians are made in the U.K., not in Brussels. Policy decisions such as those on government tax and spending, education, health, welfare, transport and defense remain in the hands of British citizens, as it should be," he said.

Hairdresser Claire Wilkinson has run a salon in Shipley for 18 years. She says the majority view of her customers feel that Britain should quit the EU.

"I'm voting to stay in because I don't want to see taxes, shipping costs and everything else going up," she said.

Fruit and vegetables seller Gordon Peel has run a stall in Shipley's open market for 40 years and said he thought fellow traders were evenly split in their views.

"Personally I'm not voting to leave — I think we've been in it too long," he said. "I believe if you stick with something you can make it work."