As the battle for Brexit Britain reaches its peak, Our Future Our Choice campaigners are taking to the streets on a battle bus. Hugo Lucas explains why.
There are indeed weeks where decades happen. And history has been made in the last seven days, even though very little has actually been decided.
The country waits with bated breath, through letters of no confidence, press conferences for jumped-up backbenchers (who belong in the dustbin of history), swathes of blue-on-blue attacks, and some disappointing interviews on both sides.
But in our minds, the attention has been in the wrong place. The biggest changes taking place at the moment in the country aren’t in the back rooms of the Tory party; waiting for Michael Gove isn’t anywhere near as important as the sea change in public opinion that we’re seeing in response to this deal.
Our Future, Our Choice has launched a battle bus. The first destination was Loughborough, to meet Nicky Morgan MP, but more importantly to do some real campaigning.
The idea is to to amplify the voices of voters who increasingly feel unrepresented by a Conservative Party that is pursuing a terrible deal.
Neither are they reassured by the stance of some of the Labour leadership that a People’s Vote is an option for the future, not today.
The #battlebus has launched! We’re off to Loughborough for some campaigning. No-one voted for this deal, and young people aren’t buying it.@OFOCBrexit pic.twitter.com/ioBLDayViP
— Hugo lucas (@Hugodlucas) November 17, 2018
The change on the street is startling. Not only does there appear to be a significant majority for Remain, much more than could be expected in a place like Loughborough (which voted narrowly to leave), but even among the Leavers, there is appetite for a People’s Vote.
There’s nothing to support the claim that people are bored of Brexit. Most of the people who didn’t want to have a go on the Brexitometer, or discuss their feelings with us, didn’t do so out of boredom.
“Don’t get me started” was my most-heard phrase – which suggests a serious depth of feeling, not a deficit of interest.
So we’ve started by going to places where MPs will have events with us – first Nicky Morgan, and then Jeremy Lefroy in Stafford.
But already, the requests are coming in – will we come to Bury St Edmunds for some campaigning? Could we go to Chester? Gravesend? Bristol? Shrewsbury, Salford, Boston, Newcastle, Hazlemere?
We’ve had dozens, and we’re intending to make as many as possible.
This campaign is waiting to be won by those who want to win it, and young people should be at the centre of this debate. We’re making sure that they are. Remainers want a People’s Vote.
By launching this big blue coach, we’re focussing the mind of the country on one key point: young people didn’t vote for this, and they shouldn’t have to live with it.
Our message goes out to MPs: please don’t throw us under the bus.
Hugo Lucas is the chief strategist at Our Future, Our Choice campaign.
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