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Thread: Ever since the referendum there has been a campaign to stay in the EU and it's been a disaster. Again and again they have alienated the very people they needed to win over and failed to make a case for the EU
They attacked the legality of the vote because Leave over spent. Anyone breaking electoral rules should of course be pursued to the full extent of the law. But to suggest we should rerun or null the referendum because of Facebook ads is patronising and undemocratic.
Whatever the spending, more people voted leave than remain. If you suggest that this was only because of ads then you are implying the voters you need to win over are thick or gullible. Not a great campaign strategy.
By attempting to over turn the result in court you aren't addressing the reasons people voted leave in the first place. You're getting Leave on a technicality. Exactly the sort of establishment stitch up many people voted leave to put an end to.
Another approach Remain campaigners are trying is to campaign to change Labour policy from soft Brexit to full on remain (or second vote).
Everyone sees calling for a second vote for what it is: an attempt to stay in the EU. It's not fooling anyone.
Most Labour party members campaigned and voted remain. In fact the remain campaign was probably made up of almost entirely Labour party activists. But for many Brexit is not the only or even the biggest issue.
Asking Labour to sacrifice seats in leave voting areas to oppose something in Parliament they don't have the numbers to beat is asking activists to prioritise a hopeless attempt to stop Brexit over the very real possibility of a Labour government.
Attempting to stop Brexit in Parliament before a general election also makes a mockery of the democratic mandate MPs have to see it through. More than 80% of MPs were elected on manifestos promising to leave the EU.
For many the principle of seeing through our democratic decisions is much more important than a trade agreement and not seeing it through sets an incredibly dangerous precedent.
Focussing on Labour policy has allowed the Remain movement to get hijacked by often highly toxic anti Corbyn campaigners. This has further alienated many potential allies.
There has been a rage and sense of entitlement expressed by many remain campaigners because Labour doesn't represent their views anymore. Often from people who have been getting on just fine with the status quo and often dismissive of ordinary people's problems or motives.
All if this alienates leave voters and even potential remain campaigners. It plays right into the hands of people like Farage who wants to cast himself as anti establishment and Remain as a middle class establishment stitch up.
Even if by some miracle (it's impossible but for the sake of argument) Brexit was stopped in Parliament the Brexit party and other leavers would clean up at the next general election and take us out of the EU anyway. Because remain still haven't won the argument!
If you are passionate about the benefits of EU membership the first thing you should do is accept that we are leaving. At least for now.
What remainers should be doing instead of campaigning against leaving the EU is campaigning for the individual benefits of EU membership they want to protect. Policy by policy. They should start with things we all agree on and work from there.
By finding areas of common ground with Leavers, Remainers can move the debate forward, educate us all about Ethe EU and protect the best aspects of membership even if we do leave.
Does everyone agree we should be able to import radioactive materials necessary for x-rays and chemo from the EU? Of course they do. Leavers and remainers let's campaign for it.
Does everyone agree that we should share intelligence with security forces in the EU to prevent terrorism, smuggling and human trafficking? Of course they do. Leavers and remainers let's campaign for it.
Let's campaign to preserve all the positive aspects of membership and increase our chances of keeping those benefits. We educate everyone about the EU and you never know remainers might make some friends instead of enemies. Maybe even enough to sway public opinion
Either way we are all much better educated on EU membership and make a decision as much as possible together.
