This was the third march, and by a considerable way the largest . Like the first two, it was totally peaceful and good humoured; it was a family occasion, with children and grandchildren cheerfully darting about and enjoying themselves. Not a pane of glass was broken, not a hint of violence anywhere. What a contrast it was with those “gilets jaunes” thuggish anarchists who, a mere week ago, trashed the Champs Elysées in Paris!
It was a singularly spontaneous occasion too, with groups of friends meeting up and sharing the spring sunshine, while making a serious point about the central political issue of the day. No formulaic banners and slogans, just home made, mainly humorous, comments. Of course a lot of hard work by People’s Vote and other organisations had gone into the arrangements. But they were tapping into a profoundly felt sentiment of outrage and despair at the way the government had been handling the Brexit negotiations, who now seemed poised to take us out of the European Union on the basis of a bad deal or perhaps with no deal at all. That same spontaneity is the only possible explanation for the huge success of the “ Revoke Article 50 “ petition – four million subscribers and rising.
Was this just a metropolitan elite, out of touch with their fellow countrymen? Well it certainly did not look like an elite. And there were plenty of marchers from every corner of Britain even if the majority obviously came from the London area. There was some latent anger, but mainly directed towards the Prime Minister’s xenophobic dog whistles about “ citizens of nowhere “ and “ jumping the queue”; and her astonishingly misjudged broadcast to the nation last Wednesday.
If you had asked, at any moment during the 47 years since this country signed up to join the European Communities, whether you could imagine a crowd a million strong marching through London waving European flags, you would have simply been laughed to scorn. In an odd sort of way it has taken the events of the last three years to bring to the surface the fact that an awful lot of our citizens do have views about being part of Europe, and they are not hostile or critical views, quite the contrary. As Dr Johnson said the imminence of execution does concentrate the mind considerably .
The reaction of ultra-Brexiters to the March and the petition is revealing too. All that sneering from people like Andrea Leadsom and John Redwood. Perhaps it is they who don’t “get it” and not the marchers. And how many people are turning out to march with Nigel Farage in time to reach London on 29 March, the exit day that was not to be?
What political conclusions can one draw from all this? Well, traditionally, British political decisions are not made on the streets but in Parliament and that will be true in the two weeks ahead of us on this occasion too. The marches may have had their roots in the great Chartist demonstrations of the 1840’s, but they are not an attempt to snatch control away from Parliament, rather to galvanise Parliament into exercising its role of controlling the executive and setting a course for the country.
If members of Parliament do now set the Brexit negotiations on a new course and seek a longer extension of Article 50 while we sort out what we collectively want and how we intend to get proper democratic endorsement for it, then they will not be on their own. It may well be that most people are heartily fed up with a process they were told in 2016 would be as simple as pie but which is still dragging on. But this impatience does not extend to acquiescing in its ending up in the wrong place.
It is frequently said that our politics is broken. But that is hardly the lesson to be drawn from the March and the petition, when millions of our citizens are peacefully exercising their right to express their profoundly political views on the burning issue of the day. The problem arises because the two main political parties are deeply divided on that issue. And that problem can only be solved in the short term if the government reaches out for support across party lines for a new course of action and stops repeating mantras about Brexit meaning Brexit and no deal being better than a bad deal.
Edited by Jenny Sterne
Excellent article, David, and so true. For me, Michael Heseltine’s moving speech summed up the underpinning reason why this country should remain and be a responsible contributor to the EU. Heseltine explained the origins of the EU. It was born out of the destruction of two world wars. It is a movement to bring nations together in a spirit of co-operation aimed at preventing anymore wars. This was a speech made by an articulate statesman and one that should be published in its entirety on this website and used to promulgate and educate the British public. Heseltine articulated the most fundamental reason why we should never leave the EU. Never again must we have such devastating wars. The irony is this: When I voted the polling station was flooded with young male workers who are normally never seen to vote in general elections. It was a protest vote but if there is another large scale war they wil be the ones conscripted to fight it. No one put the undeniably fundamental reason that the EU is about peace. If we don’t have peace we have nothing. We must start putting this argument into the public domain more forcefully.
I absolutely concur with William Taylor…please please publish his speech on the website I’m sure if people read his reasons while we join and must remain…will I’m sure convince some leavers to remain
Yes, please publish Heseltine’s speech, InFacts. I didn’t even know about it until I saw William’s comment just now and it’s important.
Thanks for raising awareness of this, William.
I just arrived near Parliament Square to hear Heseltine’s speech. It was the passionate speech of elder statesman to us all, and in particular the MPs in the House of Commons and Lords to go beyond the mere survival of their political tribes but to act in the National interest, especially on behalf of the young. They will be the ones to pay the price if we get it wrong.
It is very noticeable that anti-EU supporters tend to be inarticulate, rude, threatening and abusive in posts on social media. While screaming that a second vote is “undemocratic” they blithely ignore the fact that the June ’16 vote was the SECOND referendum on the issue. Seemingly democracy is OK as long as it favours them. The fact is that we can have another referendum, and a third, and etc, if necessary – if the circumstances have changed. and changed they certainly have, since we now know just how damaging Brexit (of any sort) will be. Leavers seem to be blind and deaf to the new info which we now have – but far from dumb, unfortunately.
This gives a good summary of Heseltine’s speech -https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-march-latest-theresa-may-speech-michael-heseltine-a8837041.html