Steve Bray

Steven Bray (born June 1969) is a British activist from Port Talbot in South Wales who, in 2018 and 2019, made daily protests against Brexit in College Green, Westminster.

He is variously known as Stop Brexit Man, Mr Stop Brexit or the Stop Brexit guy.

He was often heard during TV broadcasts from College Green at Westminster shouting anti-Brexit statements or seen quietly walking into the background of live TV interviews, wearing a colourful blue outfit and carrying placards with a simple 'Stop Brexit' or anti-government message.

Since Brexit, he protests against the incumbent Conservative government more generally.

British broadcaster ITV has referred to him as a notable figure, both for the length of his continuing protest and for the technique he used to disrupt multi-camera interviews.

The Huffington Post described him as the "ultimate Brexit protester", while Labour MP Ben Bradshaw has called him an international celebrity.

Steve Bray was born in June 1969 and was originally from Splott in Cardiff, South Wales.

As a child he moved home frequently while his father served at RAF bases in Germany.

Before becoming involved in political activism, Bray himself served in the British Army and was a self-employed numismatist, working in Port Talbot, South Wales.

Bray is divorced, with a daughter and grandson.

When Brexit became a major political issue, Bray found himself at odds with many of his friends.

In his own words, "I fell out with all my friends. They were all leavers and I binned the lot of them."

His opposition to Brexit was in part due to a belief in the benefits European Union funding had provided to Port Talbot, and a sense that the leave campaigns were misrepresenting the benefits of Brexit.

Bray has worn a European Blue jacket, and a blue top-hat with a yellow hat-band.

He has a cape made up from a Union Jack sewn into an EU flag.

He carried two double-sided, burgundy-coloured, A2-sized placards with the messages "Stop the BREXIT mess", "We want a people's vote", and "Things have changed, it is time to reassess".

In March 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, formally initiating Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, following the result of the 2016 referendum on the UK's EU membership.

Bray was incensed, leaving Port Talbot and travelling to London to protest.

He later said he had never attended a demonstration prior to beginning his Brexit protest.

Bray paid £8,500 to have a float carrying a larger than life size model of May's head with a pistol marked with the word "Brexit" in its mouth to be brought to the UK.

Following the 2017 general election and the Conservative–DUP agreement, Bray lived on the streets in London, refusing to spend money or pay taxes, for a week in protest, during which time he began protesting outside the Houses of Parliament.

During the first year of his protest, Bray and allies were present outside Parliament five days a week.

Camera teams from all news sources interview politicians on College Green, outside the Houses of Parliament.

When Bray spotted a team arriving, he walked over, and as the live interview began, appeared in the background of the shot, displaying his posters.

As the camera moved, so did he, remaining in the frame.

He then walked off before the team could ask the police to remove him.

With a two-camera interview, he knew which camera was live and moved from one to the other.

In an incident on 14 November 2018, with Brexit expert Georgina Wright being interviewed by BBC News presenter Annita McVeigh, the camera-hopping lasted over two minutes.

When the camera team chose to film against the door of the Palace, Bray used another tactic.

He stood close by and shouted 'Stop Brexit' over a loudhailer, interfering with the sound track.

Bray was the unsuccessful Liberal Democrat candidate for the Cynon Valley constituency in the 2019 United Kingdom general election.

On 19 October 2019 he was clearly heard to yell during a live TV interview 'bollocks to Boris' after the Brexit deal the Prime Minister proposed was not agreed by parliament.

The BBC tried to circumvent Bray's disruption by building a 5 m platform on which to conduct interviews.

Bray was not deterred, and raised the EU flag on a 5-metre-high pole, which could be seen waving behind the presenter.

Every evening at around 6pm he performed a ritual, approaching the Palace and shouting "Stop Brexit, it's not a done deal", before leaving.

He returned at 11 the following morning and stated he would continue to do so until another referendum were called.

In January 2019, Bray moved into an apartment opposite the Westminster home of Conservative Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg.

To rent the property in Westminster's Cowley Street for two months, he raised more than £12,000 from the public.

In response to the news of his new neighbour, Rees-Mogg said: "Should he wish to borrow a cup of sugar, he would be very welcome."

In late 2020 he changed his trademark EU-blue outfit for a full Soviet-era Russian general's uniform, complete with medals, as he called for the Government to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum.