Saturday's Put It To The People march is further proof that the tide has changed and Brexit is not what people want

The march today shows that the tide of history is turning against Brexit

Today’s truly epic march is testimony to the groundswell of public opinion turning against Brexit. A groundswell so great that it can no longer be ignored in a fully functioning democracy.

Many media outlets have until now seldom been willing to allow those marching today a voice, but have instead been happy to air meaningless soundbites and bullying language of the kind that has for too long suffocated constructive, pragmatic debate or discussion.

I also make this accusation against those MPs who now see that their careers depend upon perpetuating the myths about Brexit. Too many of them, unwilling to make honest, hard decisions for the good of all the people of the United Kingdom, have become rabble rousers because it is in their own best interests to do so.

The march today shows that the tide of history is turning massively against them – traditional Labour and Tory voters side by side, black and white, rich and poor, every faith and none are all saying very clearly that enough is enough. The true patriots are making their voices heard too, in the phenomenal online petition to revoke Article 50 which I have no doubt will pass the 5 million mark soon and keep rising. Opinion poll after opinion poll is making the same point just as powerfully: since the start of 2018, 113 out of 125 polls have favoured remaining in the European Union. Only three polls have shown a majority wanting to leave, with nine tied.

Theresa May’s intransigence over the past few days, her blinkered determination to represent the best interests of the handful of sinister hard-right ERG MPs within her party and the DUP, rather than the overwhelming majority of the people of the United Kingdom, is converting still more Leave voters to the Remain cause daily.

They abhor the bullying and bribing they see, the greed of individual MPs who are clearly doing very nicely out of this unfolding disaster, and they are waking up to the lies told by the snake-oil Leave campaign leaders during the referendum campaign and recognise that May is now in the business of creating a “hostile environment” for every single one of us.

What dreams the Brextremists promised us, what nightmares we now face.

The people of the United Kingdom are now sick of the games that are being played in Westminster and are unwilling to countenance any more the damage that any form of Brexit – let alone a no-deal Brexit – would do to our economy, our reputation in the world, and, most irresponsibly, to our poorest and most vulnerable.

And who still – apart from the disaster capitalists and others with equally disreputable motives – can honestly say that they believe in Brexit any more? Even the most rabidly right-wing media organisations in the land could not put a positive spin on the pitiful turnout of largely elderly, white, male middle-class individuals that showed up for Nigel Farage’s massively and expensively hyped Brexit Betrayal March, that even he couldn’t face being seen with for long. What an act of hubris the Farage Mirage March turned out to be.

With no arguments left, all the Brextremists can do is to threaten and to raise the spectre of rioting on the streets. Let me tell you now that if people gather on the streets when this political insanity is finally consigned to the ashcan of history, it will be not to riot, but to party.

I believe that it is absolutely right that the march today was about revocation rather than a People’s Vote – that now seems no more than a formality, given how opinion and circumstances have manifestly changed – but, for all that, those of us on my side of the argument who are taking victory for granted do so at our peril. The Brextremists have not just the prime minister fighting for the rich and powerful few and not the many, but also, unbelievably, Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of what is still laughably known as the opposition.

Let us also continue to factor into this May and her increasingly irrational behaviour. All I would say is that I hope very much, going forward, that the United Kingdom demands of its leader – as the United States does of its – regular medical reports. Present rules expressly forbid our press from addressing this issue – but I wonder if, in terms of our body politic, this is healthy for our country. It is difficult to begin to imagine the effects of the pressure on May over the past few years, but especially the past few weeks.

It is not merely May but all of our politicians who have a clear responsibility not just to represent us, but to represent us at our very best. And I would remind them all of how Sir Winston Churchill spoke of prioritising their responsibilities – first and foremost, they should do what is in their “faithful and disinterested judgement right and necessary for the honour and safety of the United Kingdom”.

I might add that as a result of excruciating back problems – due to too much travelling around the country and burning the candle at both ends over the past few months – I was advised to follow the march only on the television, although I am there in spirit every step of the way. Rest assured, however, that I will be up and about again soon – and with a vengeance. No one could – nor should – take this utter insanity we continue to witness lying down.

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