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This could be our last chance to fight for democracy and our place in Europe

MPs will only act on the demand for a Final Say if the public makes its voice heard over the jeers and sneers inside the Commons

Sadiq Khan
Friday 18 October 2019 14:09 BST
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Campaigners gear up for fresh Final Say march demanding second Brexit referendum

Boris Johnson is offering the British people a terrible false choice on Brexit.

His first offer is his bad deal, negotiated in an unnecessary rush over recent weeks. It equates to an extreme hard Brexit that would be even worse for the future of our country than Theresa May’s deal – something few thought was possible.

His second offer is an unimaginable and catastrophic no-deal Brexit that would trigger an immediate crisis across the UK.

Both of these options would cause huge damage to our country, to people’s livelihoods and to the life chances of the next generation. Our prime minister simply does not have a mandate to force such a terrible false choice on our country – with the negative implications for our economy, our jobs and our future prosperity.

But there is another choice available to Britain. One that Boris Johnson is refusing to accept, but is possible nonetheless. That choice is to give the public the Final Say on Brexit, by taking the decision out of the hands of the politicians and putting it back to the people, but MPs will only act on that demand if the public makes its voice heard. That's why this Saturday I’ll be joining hundreds of thousands of people in London to make sure our message is heard loud and clear over the jeers and sneers in the House of Commons.

This will be one of the biggest, most important and most historic protests this country has ever seen. People from every part of the United Kingdom, from every walk of life, will be coming together to with one voice. We will be marching with those from all political parties and none – not for any party-political interest, but for the national interest.

We will be marching together, not because we want to ignore the will of the people, but because we trust the people to solve this crisis once and for all.

We will be marching together, not because we despair of our democracy, but because we want to defend it.

This won’t be the first time we have led protests against Brexit in London, but it could be our last chance to defend the future of our country. It gives me hope to remember that every time we have marched before, we have managed to ratchet up the pressure on the politicians and move the debate in the right direction. More and more MPs have changed their mind and now agree that this can only be resolved through a Final Say vote with the option to Remain in the European Union on the ballot paper. And, just as I would, a recent poll of polls by YouGov showed that the majority of the British public would now vote to stay in the EU if they had the chance.

So I encourage everyone who can to make the effort to come along. If you’ve never marched before, now is the time. If you’ve joined us before in a march, we need your support once again. And if you didn’t get a chance to vote in the 2016 EU referendum – particularly young people – come along to ensure that your voice is heard. For it’s your future, and the future of the next generation, that’s on the line.

Saturday could change the course of history, and to put us on the path towards a brighter future by ensuring the people get the Final Say.

Sadiq Khan is the Mayor of London

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