Labour leader declines to reveal source of documents but says PM has questions to answer on Russian donations

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Jeremy Corbyn declined to disclose the source of documents used as evidence that the NHS would be “on the table” in a post-Brexit UK-US trade deal, after Reddit told of a link to a Russian interference campaign.

The Labour leader brandished the unredacted documents at a press conference last week, saying they revealed the US was seeking “total market access” after the UK left the European Union and therefore undermined Boris Johnson’s claims that the NHS would not be part of any trade talks.

Documents, believed to be genuine, were used by Jeremy Corbyn to lambast Tory party

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An anonymous online poster who disseminated documents later brandished by Jeremy Corbyn as evidence the Conservatives would put the NHS “on the table” in US trade talks was part of a campaign directed by Moscow, the site hosting the papers has said.

On Friday evening, Reddit confirmed it has banned 61 accounts; including that of a user called Gregoriator, who it believes was part of a Russian information operation known as Secondary Infektion.

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn clashed over whether the future of Britain should be capitalist or socialist as they presented two wildly different visions for the country in the final leaders' debate. From austerity and the NHS to Brexit and racism, these are the highlights of the night

• Johnson v Corbyn: who won the day?
• BBC debate: Corbyn hits out at Johnson's ‘racist remarks’
  

Get Brexit done? Boris Johnson’s party has a history of broken promises. And don’t forget why you voted Labour in the past

Next week, when Britain goes to the polls, the crucial battlegrounds will be in the Midlands and the north of England, where traditional working-class Labour voters who support Brexit are being lured by Boris Johnson’s pledge to “Get Brexit done”. Many are considering voting Tory for the first time.

As someone raised in a northern working-class town and whose dad was white and working-class, I understand the frustrations that led to Brexit (if my dad was still alive he may well have voted leave), and why so many people want the referendum result to be swiftly enforced. Over the past few weeks I’ve read a lot of articles where remainers talk to remainers and leavers to leavers. So let me reach out, respectfully, from a remainer to a leaver, and ask that you think twice about casting your vote for the Conservatives.

Conservative leader faced off against Labour leader in last televised debate before the election

• Johnson v Corbyn: who won the day?
• How credible are Corbyn and Johnson’s BBC debate claims?
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11.04pm GMT

Related: BBC debate: Corbyn hits out at Johnson's ‘racist remarks’

Related: The Corbyn and Johnson TV debate: our writers’ verdicts | Martin Kettle, Katy Balls, Owen Jones, Gaby Hinsliff

10.59pm GMT

And here are the figures from the YouGov poll showing who won on particular issues.

Boris Johnson was ahead on being likeable, on being prime ministerial, on Brexit, on goverment spending and on security and terrorism.

Alexandra Hall Hall, Brexit counsellor in Washington, described UK government’s ‘use of misleading or disingenuous arguments’

The British diplomat in charge of explaining Brexit to the US government, Congress and public, has resigned, saying she was no longer prepared to “peddle half-truths on behalf of a government I do not trust”.

Alexandra Hall Hall, the Brexit counsellor at the UK embassy in Washington, had been frustrated with the job for some time, according to friends and colleagues.

Party loyalty has its place – it can be honourable. But this election is about voting for your country and your future

• John Major is a former prime minister

At elections, political tribes join together to promote their own policies and criticise those of their opponents. That’s the nature of elections. But there are always individuals who enhance parliament. And there are always policies upon which every party can agree.

One is democracy, and the right of every adult to vote. At every election the future of our country is at stake. But on this occasion even more than usual.

Labour says Treasury document undermines notion of no border in Irish Sea

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Labour has accused Boris Johnson of misrepresenting the impact of his Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, as Jeremy Corbyn revealed a leaked Treasury document that suggested prices will rise and businesses will struggle to bear the costs of border checks.

The Labour leader said the document revealed the “cold, hard facts” about the impact of Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal on Northern Ireland.

A recurring theme of this election has been the battle for Labour’s leave-voting constituencies, the so-called “red wall” of seats running from north Wales to the Humber estuary – the seats that Boris Johnson’s “Get Brexit done” slogan is designed to win over. But despite being billed as the “Brexit” election, many of the key moments of the campaign have come back to economics: taxation, nationalisation, pensions and of course the NHS. This has clearly been a strategy by the Labour party to try to hold together its coalition of 2017 voters, who are broadly united on the economic aims of the party.

Related: Labour’s ‘red wall’ is looking shaky. But the problems started decades ago | John Harris

Many Brexiters undeterred by concerns over character of PM, Guardian research suggests

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Amid ongoing concern from Labour strategists about whether the party can hold on to the support of leave voters in marginal seats, focus groups conducted for the Guardian this week suggested Boris Johnson’s “get Brexit done” strategy was cutting through.

In Rainham in Essex, a group of leave voters, some of whom had voted Labour in the past, spoke warmly about the prime minister. And if his endlessly repeated mantra was familiar, warnings about his character appeared to have made less of an impact.

Former PM says of candidates: none left the Conservatives, the party left them

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The former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major has thrown his weight behind rebel ex-Tories who are standing as independents in next week’s general election.

Speaking at a rally on Friday evening, Major will say that given the opportunity he would cast his vote for Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general who was a thorn in the side of Theresa May’s government.

Treasury document shows how EU and other countries can route goods to GB via Ireland - undermining our internal market - but we couldn’t do the reverse.

The post Johnson leaves Ireland back door wide open appeared first on InFacts.

We examine the PM’s claim that Great Britain-Northern Ireland trade will remain frictionless

Latest election news – live updates

There will be no border in the Irish Sea as a result of Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.

Johnson and his acolytes are spouting lies virtually every time they open their mouths. Here are 12 of the worst - and our rebuttals.

The post 12 biggest Brexit election lies appeared first on InFacts.

New board raises concerns that up to £500,000 was not properly declared

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The new board of the People’s Vote campaign has asked the Electoral Commission to urgently review between £300,000 and £500,000 in donations it believes were not properly declared under the group’s previous leadership.

It is the latest development in the six-week row that has engulfed the group campaigning for a second EU referendum and could lead to an official investigation covering donations made around the time of the European elections in June.

Leaked communique signals caution over PM’s 11-month timeframe for negotiations

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EU member states have signalled a refusal to be bounced into Boris Johnson’s fast-track timetable to strike a post-Brexit trade deal.

If he wins a majority, the prime minister has vowed to take the UK out of the EU on 31 January and agree on a trade deal with the bloc within 11 months, an unprecedentedly short time for such a complex negotiation.

The Labour leader has produced a leaked report on Northern Ireland and customs checks, describing it as 'cold hard evidence' that Boris Johnson has been misleading people about his Brexit deal. Corbyn revealed the confidential document, titled Northern Ireland Protocol: Unfettered Access to the UK Internal Market, at a press conference in central London on Friday.

• General election: Corbyn reveals 'confidential' Northern Ireland Brexit report – live news
  

Open Letter to Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party Dear Jeremy We write as leaders of pro-European groups across the country to ask you to support our “Boot out Boris” campaign. We want Labour to back the Lib Dems in Esher and Walton, where there’s a real chance to kick Dominic Raab out. The […]

The post Corbyn, please back Lib Dems in Esher to boot out Dominic Raab! appeared first on InFacts.

It didn’t kick up enough fuss to force Johnson to face Andrew Neil. It doesn’t push back enough against Brexiter lies. And that’s not all.

The post BBC’s catalogue of Brexit errors appeared first on InFacts.

Comments from Sajid Javid appear to suggest Tories are pivoting back towards close alignment with EU

Sajid Javid has said he has no doubt that the Conservatives, if returned to power, will agree and finalise “a very ambitious, deep and comprehensive” trade deal with the EU by the end of next year.

The language is reminiscent of the Theresa May era and appears to suggest the Conservatives have pivoted away from Boris Johnson’s promise weeks ago of a “super Canada-plus” deal and are now back to close alignment with the EU – something Eurosceptics are vehemently against.

130 pro-EU groups call on Lib Dems to step back not just in Uxbridge but wherever they have no chance of victory. Similar letter is being sent to Corbyn.

The post Swinson, please back Labour in PM’s seat to boot out Boris! appeared first on InFacts.

Losing four supporters to Boris Johnson’s camp exposes King Nigel as the narcissist he is

We should have known better. When the Brexit party was launched in a metal workshop just outside Coventry back in April, it looked like we were seeing a new Nigel Farage. A perma-tanned, more professional, healthier version of the boozy chancer who had hot-footed into the embrace of Donald Trump and the US alt-right chatshow circuit after leading Ukip into oblivion. The louder bigots and racists appeared to have been sidelined, to be replaced by leavers from the left and right who felt disenfranchised by the traditional parties and were ready to swear allegiance to King Nigel instead.

And when the Brexit party topped the polls in the European elections, helping to steer the Conservatives further to the right and toppling Theresa May in the process, it seemed that this time Farage might be here to stay. At least for a while. He was the one man who had the clout to keep the Tories – even when led by someone as slippery as Boris Johnson – honest in his tireless pursuit of a hard and damaging Brexit. A power behind the throne.

If a Johnson government fulfils its promise of a trade deal with the EU next year, it’s likely to be a basic one. That will not revive the UK economy.

The post Quick EU trade deal doesn’t look good for the UK appeared first on InFacts.

The prime minister kept a calculated distance from the US president at the Nato summit because he knows their similarities play badly with voters

A US president’s low-key exit from a Nato summit, skipping the traditional press conference, would once have been perceived as a snub to the host government. But Donald Trump’s departure from London will come as a relief to Boris Johnson. Mr Trump is a fan of Brexit and praises the prime minister as the man to deliver it, but his presence in the country was an electoral hazard for the Conservatives.

Some British voters admire Mr Trump, or find him entertaining, but more do not. It is no recommendation for the Tory leader to be liked by a man notorious for dishonesty, ignorance, narcissism and chauvinism.

He has not just slagged off France’s Macron and Canada’s Trudeau. He has even slapped tariffs on a sycophant, Brazil’s Bolsonaro.

The post Sucking up to Trump won’t get Johnson a good deal appeared first on InFacts.

Nato gathering shows how close our interests are to those of our main European partners and how much we will put at risk if we leave.

The post What a bad time to pursue a solo foreign policy! appeared first on InFacts.

The divisions between politics, the media and business have dissolved, eroding integrity. It’s not bad news for everyone

If this election campaign has a distinctive mood, it is a mix of bewilderment, outrage and exhaustion. The public sphere has been engulfed by a war of attrition in which every poll number, media statement or policy announcement must be treated with suspicion. What is it concealing? Who paid for it? What is it distracting us from?

Related: In its election coverage, the BBC has let down the people who believe in it | Peter Oborne

The Nato summit has underlined a problem both Johnson and Corbyn deny – the cost in power and influence of leaving the EU

It is a common problem, especially at this time of year. You agree to host a party, but when it comes around the timing feels awkward. Work is hectic, some of the guests are barely on speaking terms, someone might make an unpleasant scene. That someone might be you.

A less frivolous politician than Boris Johnson could turn this week’s Nato summit to his advantage. The international stage allows a hosting prime minister to parade himself as a serious statesman, inviting favourable comparison with a Labour rival whose method for communicating on defence matters has traditionally been a loudhailer at an anti-war rally.

Donald Trump has said he would not be interested in putting Britain's National Health Service (NHS) on the table during trade talks with the UK even if it was 'handed on a silver platter'.

Trump, who is in London for a Nato summit, said: 'We have absolutely nothing to do with [the NHS], and we wouldn't want to. If you handed it to us on a silver platter, we'd want nothing to do with it'

We’ll be less safe if we don’t keep EU crime-fighting tools - and much of Patel’s 5-point plan can be implemented without Brexit.

The post Nope, Priti, Brexit won’t make us safer appeared first on InFacts.

BBC should give PM an ultimatum to agree to a grilling. If he refuses, it should let Neil fact-check him in his absence.

The post Andrew Neil should be allowed to interrogate an empty chair appeared first on InFacts.

Some kind of Brexit must happen before progressive politics has a chance again in post-industrial England

Acombination of long-term cultural shifts and the fallout from the 2016 referendum have disrupted the electoral map in this general election, and two kinds of English places stick out. In one group – exemplifed by such recent Labour wins as Canterbury and Kensington, and talk of the Tories losing some Home Counties suburbs – are the kind of constituencies where a broadly liberal, educated element is repulsed by the Conservatives’ reinvention as an anti-European, decidedly nasty party. Meanwhile, politicos are newly obsessed with the second: a very different swath of seats that are post-industrial and less affluent, where a majority of people voted leave and politics seems to be in a fascinating state of flux.

We are facing an estrangement between progressive politics and the people it once spoke to as a matter of instinct

Among PM’s claims was that he is planning largest NHS funding rise ‘in modern memory’

Boris Johnson defended his record during a major setpiece interview with Andrew Marr on the BBC while laying out his election pitch and attacking Labour. But how accurate were his assertions?

Related: The Guardian view on Boris Johnson and the NHS: a problem of trust | Editorial

In his opening statement at the press conference, the prime minister made a pitch to Labour leavers with plans for more state aid and 'buy British' policies after Brexit. Boris Johnson said the government would adopt a more interventionist approach to business after Brexit, taking advantage of the fact the UK would not longer need to comply with EU state aid rules

Jeremy Corbyn says documents show the US wants ‘total market access’ after Brexit

Jeremy Corbyn has claimed official documents obtained by the Labour party show that the US is demanding the NHS will be “on the table” in talks on a post-Brexit trade deal.

The Labour leader said the uncensored papers gave the lie to Boris Johnson’s claims that the NHS would not be part of any trade talks and revealed that the US wanted “total market access” after the UK leaves the EU.

The SNP leader and first minister of Scotland said: ‘A vote for the SNP is a vote to escape Brexit’, as she launched the Scottish National party’s election manifesto.

Nicola Sturgeon said Boris Johnson was ‘dangerous and unfit for office’ and rejected the prime minister’s claims that voting Conservative would ‘get Brexit done’ by 31 January. ‘The truth is that Brexit will dominate Westminster politics for years and years to come, and Scotland will pay a heavy price,’ she warned 

• Anywhere but Westminster: homeless people, the voters without a voice – video

Boris Johnson has rejected granting permission for a second vote on Brexit or Scottish independence in the event of a hung parliament. Speaking at the launch of the Scottish Conservatives' manifesto in Fife, Johnson said it was important to 'honour democracy' and backing second referendums 'would be bad for the country’. The prime minister also laughed off a question about his unpopularity in Scotland

• Boris Johnson launches Scottish Conservatives' manifesto

The UK’s departure from the EU would in fact be the starting date for a huge negotiation

It is the title of the Conservative manifesto, plastered on mugs, T-shirts and the Tory battle bus, while Boris Johnson doesn’t miss the chance to say: “Get Brexit Done”. Like an earlier slogan on a bus, Get Brexit Done is deeply misleading: the UK’s departure from the European Union is only the start of a new phase in the Brexit odyssey.

Prime minister pins his hope on ‘getting Brexit done’ while not scoring any own goals

Take no chances. Make no mistakes. Maintain strict message discipline. Like a football team two up with 20 minutes to play, the Conservatives think the only way they can lose the election is if they throw it away.

The contrast between the manifesto launched by Boris Johnson and Labour’s last week was marked. Behind in the polls and with only three weeks to go before election day, Jeremy Corbyn has gambled that voters are ready for radicalism. In sporting terms, he has thrown on three strikers as subs and sent his centre half up from the back in the hope of getting back in the game.

Boris Johnson was asked about the Conservative party's decision to change one of its Twitter pages to resemble a factchecking site during the first leaders' TV debate. The Tory press office account was rebranded as 'FactcheckUK', a move that Twitter says misled the public. When asked about it at the Tory manifesto launch, Johnson said: 'I haven’t followed this Twitter stuff with the attention you would like  ... I will apprise myself of the detail of this.'

• Twitter accuses Tories of misleading public with 'factcheck' foray

Jeremy Corbyn defends his pledge to stay 'neutral' in the event of a second Brexit referendum after his position is criticised as indecisive. The Labour leader revealed during a Question Time election special on Friday that he would not back either side, putting him at odds with senior party figures

• Corbyn defends his pledge to stay neutral in second referendum
  

Nigel Farage has asked voters to elect at least some Brexit party candidates to 'hold Boris Johnson to his word'. During the launch of a slimline election policy platform based on political changes, lower immigration levels and spending financed by a 'Brexit dividend', Farage said: 'Brexit, for us, is just the beginning, not the end, of a much-needed political revolution'

• Top target seats in the 2019 general election – interactive
  

The Liberal Democrats have made the claim a cornerstone of their election pitch

• Latest election news – live updates

The Liberal Democrats claim there would be a £50bn “remain bonus” from revoking Brexit and Britain staying in the EU.

From revoking article 50 to legalising cannabis, here are the key pledges made by the party

Brexit
A majority Lib Dem government would revoke article 50 and ensure Britain stays in the EU. In other circumstances, they would champion a second referendum with the option of staying in Europe, which they would actively campaign for. They describe Brexit as a “national humiliation” that ultimately costs the NHS, public services, scientific collaboration, peace in Northern Ireland and the ability to tackle climate change. But their “remain bonus” of £50bn is the basis for a lot of the manifesto’s spending commitments, and this pot of money comes from forecasts of higher growth for the UK economy in a remain scenario. Their votes at 16 policy would also come into play if there was another Brexit vote.

Education
Jo Swinson has made much of her party’s offer for children and families and education makes up the lengthiest portion of the manifesto. Headline-grabbing policies are plugging the gap in childcare for working parents by offering free hours between nine months and two years old. They would triple the early years pupil premium to help the most disadvantaged children, scrap Sats exams, hire 20,000 more teachers and pay new recruits a starting salary of £30,000. Michael Gove’s legacy education policy, the Ebacc, would also be scrapped. A form of the popular education maintenance allowance would make a return in the form of a new “young people’s premium”, a portion of which would go to 16-18-year-olds directly.

Boris Johnson shook hands with his rival Jeremy Corbyn during Tuesday's live television debate as both politicians agreed to improve the tone of Britain's political debate.

The two men shook hands after the ITV debate host Julie Etchingham asked: 'Will you shake hands to make a pledge to improve politics?'

• Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn clash in ITV election debate over 'NHS for sale' claim – live news
  

Chlorinated chicken does not sound like something you’d like to see on a menu. The European Union bans imports of chlorine-washed chicken from the US but a post-Brexit transatlantic trade deal could allow exports to the UK. So what’s the truth about chlorinated chicken and is it safe to eat?

Tees4Europe Chair Scott Hunter reflects on Andrew Adonis visiting his group, and how the group's youngest campaigner highlighted the one good thing about Brexit. 

On 16 September, Andrew Adonis kindly agreed to come to address an audience at an event hosted by Tees4Europe. We booked the hall, circulated tickets, picked Andrew up at the station, and   then promptly upstaged him. We had decided that among our other speakers there should be a young person. One name was suggested, and, without asking too many questions, we booked her. Millie, it turns out, was not the sixth former we were expecting. She is 14. It would be an exaggeration to say that at this point that I started to panic, but it certainly had me on edge. But I needn’t have worried.  In the space of five minutes, Millie spoke cogently on just about every Brexit-related topic you could think of. It was a breath-taking performance.  It hasn’t been easy to select highlights to present here, as there were so many, but here goes …

“As an aspiring Royal Navy engineer and somebody with a keen interest in STEM, standing for science, technology, engineering and maths, the effects of leaving the EU on the UK’s defence, military and STEM is of great concern to me. The EU’s member states work together on a number of defence-related issues, such as researching new defence technologies and joint military deployments. The UK contributes financial support to EU security activities, which fund numerous missions such as the combat of piracy off the Horn of Africa and the prevention of human trafficking in the Mediterranean to name but two. Therefore, it worries me deeply that our exit from the EU will damage both the UK’s military and defence, as well as that of the EU. We are stronger together; we are safer together …

“Now, there is one good thing about Brexit. I know, I know, I’ve been talking about what a disaster leaving the EU would be for the last 5 minutes, but don’t panic. In the past, I think young people have viewed politics as something they need to worry about when they’re older, and something for adults to deal with. Since the Brexit referendum, I believe that young people have become increasingly interested and invested in the politics that will affect their futures, and much more willing to make their voices heard…”

And thus Millie Sheridan brought the house down.

It is not over yet. We will keep fighting, but we need your help. 

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No Deal is not democracy

Despite some awful weather forecasts in the preceding days and the start of the school holidays, big crowds gathered at noon in Park Lane last Saturday. As publicity had been limited everyone was pleasantly surprised by the turnout - given the inevitably short timescale to protest against the seemingly unstoppable coronation of “Boris” -. Yet it was on a scale that enabled us all to march comfortably all the way to Parliament Square and hear the excellent speeches (and music!)

1066 Branch was delighted to have the new EM campaign banner – vividly stating “I’m a European!” It drew great attention as we waited in Park Lane. We were delighted to be joined by three ladies from Bath for Europe to help carry it – essential given the size! While we were waiting, we handed out huge wadges of the new EM leaflets round the March. They flew out of our hands!

A great aura permeated the warm streets of London – with a wonderful feeling of togetherness by an amazingly diverse crowd. But it was tinged with a slightly harder edge this time - people like us will not permit such a folly as Brexit to happen – many banners called for “revolt”.

Together, we marched to Parliament Square and managed to hold up our banner at the foot of the Churchill Statue. Judging by his great European speeches founding the European Movement, he would have approved thoroughly!

Most encouragingly, we Remainers are clearly getting kitted up for demos now – judging by the intensity of flags, hats, whistles etc. The whistling outside Downing Street was almost painful in its intensity. 

Graham Bishop is Vice-Chairman of European Movement UK and Board member of the Kangaroo Group.

Eastbourne European Movement Dinner July 2019

Clive Black was the speaker at our July dinner. He opened his talk by stating that the legal

services sector is a UK success story. It is the second largest legal services market in the

world, the largest within the EU, contributes over £26 billion to the economy and is the

jurisdiction of choice for international commercial transactions, dispute resolution and

arbitration.

Thanks to a series of ground-breaking directives which apply across the EU, law firms and

lawyers are granted many rights including being able to: practice as a solicitor on a

permanent basis, give advice on English, EU & international law, to appear in national and

European courts in conjunction with a local lawyer, and to requalify, without an equivalent

exam, after 3 years of practising host state law. He illustrated this liberating effect by stating

that it is easier for a lawyer qualified in Estonia to set up a legal practice in Portugal than it is

for a lawyer in New York State to set up practice at the California Bar.

He went on to explain the challenges Brexit poses to this remarkable achievement. After

Brexit, these ground-breaking directives which allow so much freedom, will be replaced by a

system whereby the professional bodies such as the Law Society and Bar Council may need

to negotiate with 31 national regimes, lawyers will face challenges over market access and

practice rights, individuals over judicial cooperation and the UK over its global status of

English and Welsh law.

He gave an analysis of the impact of Brexit on a number of scenarios including a ‘no deal’

Brexit which could cost the sector up to £3 billion by 2025. The impact could also mean that

judgements made in UK courts not being enforced in EU countries, consumers not being able

to enforce their contracts in EU states, difficulty in claiming for motor insurance accidents,

loss of cross border co-operation in family law matters and could lead to the end of

collaboration on security and policing. His talk gave a fascinating and informative insight

into the UK legal sector and how it might be impacted by Brexit.

Our next dinner is on 11 September where Prof Anwan-Scully will talk about Brexit and the

Disuniting Kingdom. If you would like to come along please call our Chair, Paula Welch on

07510 851722 or visit www.europeanmovementeastbourne.uk

Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London, was the speaker at our June dinner held at Eastbourne's Hydro Hotel and attended by over 80 members and their guests.

He opened his talk, ‘How to win a second referendum’ by saying that lessons needed to be drawn from the Leave and Remain campaigns of 2016. He looked at the reasons why the Leave campaign had won. In 2016 the campaign was at an immediate advantage following many years of negative messages in the media. Polls showed that the British never felt as European as other EU countries and politicians never made much of an effort to sell the upside of EU membership.

The message of ‘Take Back Control’ was simple and powerful as was the counter message ‘Project Fear’. The outcome of Brexit was deliberately vague so the Remain campaign found it difficult to counter. The Leave campaign was well planned, had charismatic leaders, very good data gathering and technical ability and was clever about using it, targeting people who wouldn’t normally vote.

He then looked at the reasons why the Remain campaign lost. It was predicted that Remain would win and it was just assumed that people would think the economic risk too high. The messages were complex and not easy to get across and the thrust of the campaign was overwhelmingly negative.

The Chancellor’s claim that each person would lose several thousand pounds was not credible. Many businesses did not want to come out publicly on the side of Remain. David Cameron made demands on the EU that were never going to be met. The campaign had no counter attack to the immigration issue. Jeremy Corbyn sat out the campaign and Labour voters were not given the cue from their party and the campaign did not target people who rarely vote.

Finally, he made suggestions that might help any future Remain campaign: use real working people, not celebrities, use simple, powerful messages about people who are disenfranchised, utilise SME rather than big businesses, don’t let outsiders get involved or interfere. The speaker at our next dinner on 10 July 2019 will be Clive Black talking about Brexit and the Business of Law.

If you would like to come along please call our Chair, Paula Welch on 07510 851722 or visit www.europeanmovementeastbourne.uk

Councillor Richard Thomas shares his experience of campaigning with the 1066 European Movement Branch in Bexhill.

The good news from Bexhill (one of the more strongly Leave supporting areas in the constituency) is overwhelming! When the 1066 branch did a Brexitometer Day in January, two options got quite strong support: No Deal and Remain, with Remain gaining the most support.  Opinion has shifted dramatically as No Deal is now rejected by 50:37. Staying in the EU is overwhelmingly favoured by at least twice as many people as in January. Moreover, support for a People’s Vote has nearly tripled since January. 

These are sensational results and undeniable evidence of very significant shifts in public opinion, reflecting both local and national efforts. So last Saturday was a massively rewarding day – see Brexitometer below. This was an incredibly encouraging result in the heart of a constituency that voted 58:42 to Leave, gave the Conservatives 67% of the 2017General Election vote, and 57% to hard Brexit parties at the European Parliament Election in May. 

Councillor Richard Thomas 

In Brussels this week to attend the 40^th anniversary of the Kangaroo Group – founded to provide the initial impetus to what became the Single Market just a few year later.

This week sees the 79th anniversary of the evacuation of 338,226 servicemen forming the backbone of the British army from Dunkirk. Officially known as Operation Dynamo; it is also described as the miracle of Dunkirk. The French port has found its way into the British conscience through the expression – the Dunkirk Spirit. A description of British ingenuity and resolve against adversity.

The polls failed to spot rising pro-Remain sentiment in May

London4Europe Committee member Michael Romberg compares the story told by the opinion polls for London with the actual results. A parallel blog published today looks at the results and asks What if?. A separate blog compares the results in 2019 with those in 2014.

1) The EU is history's most successful peace project

The EU was created to ensure peace in a continent torn by centuries of conflict that culminated in WW2. Within the European Economic Area, there has been no war since 1945; this peace, known as Pax Europaea (European peace), is the longest since the end of Pax Romana in 180 CE. For this achievement, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012.

Travelling with my parents from the age of 10, at first in France, was – I now understand – an instructive and exhilarating rebirth. People in villages, seeing our British car, would stop and wave the most joyous of welcomes, others – to our astonishment – would cross restaurants to shake us by the hand and thank us for liberating them.

To me, Europe Day represents something unique in the history of our continent - an unprecedented period of peaceful co-operation between peoples previously so often at war among themselves.

I was born in 1951, soon enough after the war to experience the black dread amongst all the "grown ups" I met at any enquiry about "what it was like in the olden days before I was born". Everyone had happy memories of the 20s and early 30s, but no one could speak of the War period at the end of the 30s and early 40s. During the war, my relatives, like many others, had met refugees from Europe, many of whom had left a big impression. Just down the road from where we lived was a Polish family, who had escaped the German invasion of their country to fight for the allies. "War heroes" we were told. It was clear that WWll was a war with Europe, not against Europe.

At European Movement, on Europe Day (9th May), we asked our members to let us know why that day is important to them. Here are some of their responses: 

"It is important because it gives us the opportunity to show that we are Europeans" - Vicky Seddon

"The UK is made up of many races. My own family tree is made up of Celts from North Wales, Irish from Cork, English and even some from Scandinavia. The country is more European than it realises." Kelvin Lewis 

"The reason that Europe is important to me is very simple... peace, cooperation and friendship" Derek Leak

"We organised a Europe Day discussion with pro-Remain MEP candidates in Derby (Green Party, Lib-Dems, and Change UK). We had invited Labour and Tory remainers, but Labour dithered and then declined at the last minute, and the Tories never replied. We focused on positive reasons to vote in the election, the role of an MEP, what they can achieve, what they can do for their regions, and what the new Parliament might do in the next 5 years." Simon, European Movement Derbyshire 

Image provided by Simon from European Movement Derbyshire

First Epping Forest, then the world

London4Europe Committee Member Michael Romberg writes.

London4Europe's Chair, Richard Newcombe, moonlights as Chair of EM Waltham Forest 4 Europe. In that capacity he wrote recently to the Epping Forest Guardian calling for a referendum under the banner We need to know the will of the people in 2019. 

The local press - both on paper and online - is an under-utilised resource for Remain campaigners. Local press is seen as a surprisingly trustworthy source of local news according to a survey undertaken for local press campaign group Local Media Works. The tables have not been published. But it was undertaken by Yougov - so there will be some foundation to the claim. 

We have to win the argument with Leave voters who believe that the EU’s refusal to give the UK the sort of deal promised by Brexit campaigners is a punishment. London4Europe Committee member Michael Romberg writes

Punish v tr 1. Cause an offender to suffer for an offence. 2. Inflict a penalty for an offence (Concise Oxford Dictionary)

For such a widespread idea, it is quite hard to pin down what it means. It is easy enough to find the EU’s motivation to which it refers: the EU could not let the UK leave the EU and retain all the benefits of club membership without club obligations. Tick; that must be true – but is not of course punishment. Those who use the punish motif also refer to human emotions: annoyance at the affront to the EU’s self-esteem, say. Maybe; though it is hard to believe that would survive the reality of trade talks.

L4E secretary Andy Pye talks to his friend and former business colleague Chris Rand, who came down from Cambridge to experience his first London march for the People's Vote campaign.

The campaign is now more than a protest. We are, as Mike Galsworthy says, building a community. A community which is based on a solid foundation, is here to stay and will sustain until the end of the Brexit episode. It is a community which can put comfortably over a million like-minded people onto the streets of London. A community which is based on a solid foundation, is here to stay and will sustain until the end of the Brexit episode. It is a community which can put comfortably over a million like-minded people onto the streets of London.  How extraordinary that as many as 1 in 40 of the entire population of the UK took time off to visit London and protest - just think of what that means.

Leavers think so; but the question is different

London4Europe Committee member Michael Romberg looks at the opinion polls and sets out the arguments to make to those who think that a referendum on the terms would just be asking the same question again until Leave voters get it right.

Join us on the march for a People’s Vote on the 23 March in central London and show again that the will of the people is now to get a vote on the final Brexit deal. 

History is unfolding in front of our eyes, dizzyingly fast and with all the votes, amendments and amended amendments it can be easy to lose track of where we are and the fact remaining is still possible. This last week in Parliament, through all of the twists and turns of voices and votes lost, a couple of things are clear.

Sovereignty, freedom of movement, national identity

London4Europe Committee member Michael Romberg sets out the case. The harms of Brexit are real but we have a positive case to argue for. Economic prosperity is important but still just a means to an end. Leavers are right in this: the EU is a political project; the issues that matter are sovereignty, democracy, freedom, sense of community with particular reference to freedom of movement, sense of national identity. 

A huge Government defeat but not yet a victory

Charles Parselle reviews the government’s latest defeat and asks what will it take for MPs, so confident in their own ability to vote and vote again, to trust the electorate on whose behalf they supposedly hold their positions.