Thread by @patrickcherry

How about a #Remain manifesto, agreed & promoted by all major Remain groups? #RemainManifesto

The purpose would be to explain how, if we Remain, we can address Leave's concerns and can commit a future govnt to enact them, to the letter. 1/20

The manifesto could address the main reasons we have been told for the Leave vote.

It could focus purely on the key areas - immigration, sovereignty, EU federal plans, EU wastefulness.
It could detail precise ways in which we can protect ourselves from these concerns. 2/20

hy not compromise by changing Britain as it is today, but not by leaving the EU? And save the cost & risk of Brexit.

But I think we should only address the areas directly detailed as being the reasons for the Leave vote. Not what we suspect may be underlying. 3/20

This is materially different to our current situation:

- Remain has no central 'manifesto'
- Arguments are confused, with much focus on Leavers being wrong, concerned un-necessarily, or stupid
- It commits UK to a 'change' agenda, when we Remain 4/20

- It would bring Remain & Leave together, with Remain accepting that concerns exist & need to be addressed

- More general issues would be left aside for now - no austerity, NHS, FPTP/AV or right/left bias - just actions that can protect each of us from Leave concerns 5/20

The purpose is to take Remain beyond Project Fear/Reality and economics, to accept that concerns exist, and to suggest how these concerns can be addressed, using tools that we have, & that can be implemented right now. 6/20

The spin-off purpose is to portray Remain more as a Party or movement, & to create a Change agenda that can be enacted after a Remain win.

The manifesto actions can deliver real results - reducing the risk of Leave fears, & at the same time educating & engaging the UK. 7/20

The manifesto commitments may sound controversial; they may sound quite aggressive, unnecessary and not like Remain at all.
They may challenge liberal views, & go beyond what many Remainers think acceptable.

It’s a difficult time. Remain may need to move, to compromise. 8/20

Compromise by changing Britain as it is today, but not by leaving the EU.

and only in the areas directly detailed as being the reasons for the Leave vote. Not, for now, what we suspect may be underlying. 9/20

So, what should be in the manifesto? It needs to be very short, simple, but detailed and executable.

Here are some suggestions or examples: 10/20

Remain manifesto commitments:

1. Implement Registration for all immigrants, allowing the UK to enforce the 90 day deportation if no job or no proof of self-sufficiency 11/20

2. Require prove of registration and eligibility before access to all NHS and education services. For everyone. 12/20

3. Keep track of all immigration and population movements into and out of the UK; alongside a track of leadtimes for doctor appointments & school places, % new immigration involved, & with specific thresholds for investment where evidence of shortage of services 13/20

4. Civil service team to track and publish EU information in a number of areas: every piece of EU legislation or proposed legislation; assessment of the cost of EU administration and possible waste; assessment of global trade facilitated or hindered by the EU 14/20

5. Track of activity and record of each and every UK MEP. Focus on ensuring UK sovereignty and interests are not marginalised, and there is time to debate and for UK govnt to engage where necessary. 15/20

6. BBC charter changed to provide channel for EU information as above; Civil Service team to shine a light - scrutinise, publicise and intervene, i.e. UK will not sit back and allow changes to our EU relationship, or waste of resources, to occur quietly any more. 16/20

7. Brexit was largely an English affair. England needs its own devolved assembly. Regardless of difficulty, Remain will charge the govnt to create an English devolved assembly after a #Remain win at the #peoplesvote. This is right and fair. 17/20

All the above, for instance, to be actioned on Remain win of #PeoplesVote with the government charged to carry this out. 18/20

Not only does this show that Remain accept that the original Ref and Leavers' concerns are not to be dismissed or forgotten. 19/20

It also serves to combine Remain into a movement that can focus support and make Leaving the EU, and the associated risks and problems, unnecessary.

Might this work? Might this start to bring Britain together? 20/20

@threadreaderapp please #unroll