Final Say: Steve Coogan calls on public to join mass march through London on Saturday for a People's Vote on Brexit

Exclusive: The TV star said he had paid for coaches to bring people to London for the march on Saturday

Comedian Steve Coogan has called on members of the public to join the mass march through London on Saturday demanding a People’s Vote referendum on the outcome of Brexit.

Writing exclusively for The Independent, the actor described the Brexit deal being delivered by the government as a “looming disaster for our country” and said the public had to be given a final say on whether to accept it or not.

Mr Coogan spoke out as thousands of people prepared for the march at the weekend, organised jointly by The Independent as part of its Final Say campaign and by the People’s Vote campaign, which will see high profile MPs and the mayor of London address crowds in Trafalgar Square.

So far more than 860,000 people have signed The Independent's petition. In his piece, Alan Partridge star Mr Coogan said that if he had tried to write a plot aligned to the government’s attempts to negotiate Brexit then “incredulous commissioning editors would laugh at me”.

He added: “More than 100,000 people marched through London in June calling for a People’s Vote, and even more are expected this Saturday, the 20^th of October.

“Along with many others, I’ve paid for coaches to bring people from across the UK to London in what could be the biggest march in a generation. That democratic will – that public demand – cannot simply be ignored or written off.”

Mr Coogan argued that a People’s Vote is not about “ignoring the will of the people or downplaying the democratic decision of 2016”, saying that democracy is ongoing process.

He went on: “This is too important for politicians alone to decide.

“That’s why I support a People’s Vote so the people have a final say on whatever Brexit deal Theresa May comes back with. Let’s step back from the edge and not rush into the void. Let’s decide our own future.”