The best reactions to that Daily Express front cover

The front cover for the Daily Express and @christhebarker's parody front. Photograph: Twitter. Archant

Twitter reacted with bafflement at the latest Daily Express front cover which called for Big Ben to chime on Brexit day.

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The front reads: 3,338 days ago the Daily Express urged 'Get Britain out of the EU.' When the clock strikes 11pm on January 31, our blessed freedom from the confines of Brussels will be secure and a new chapter in the great history of this nation will begin."

It continues: "As a potent symbol of this landmark movement, one thing is certain...

"Big ben MUST bong for Brexit".

In a double-page spread the newspaper backs Boris Johnson's remarks that the costs - expected to be in the region of £500,000 - could be crowdfunded. They call for readers to help out the efforts.

So far there has been a muted response to crowdfunding initiatives on website GoFundMe.

The front cover has been widely mocked on social media, with some users offering alternative suggestions for covers.

Here are some of the best replies proving while some have lost their minds, we haven't lost our sense of humour...

If it doesn't bong do we get to behave like adults and stay in the EU? — Richard Blackburn (@RPBlackburn) January 14, 2020

A divisive and purely symbolic gesture with an ever growing price tag... yeah, I can see why that would be an ideal way to welcome Brexit. — Julian Shea (@juliansheasport) January 14, 2020

Then the Daily Express & Nigel Farage can bloody well pay for it! — Tracy Hopkins (@tracyshopkins) January 14, 2020

I'd already decided to take January 31 and February 1 off social media. I was right; this country has lost its collective sanity. — Tom Bacon (@TomABacon) January 14, 2020

Crowd fund to hear a ring - what a waste of money, why don't folk that intend to put money towards this crowd fund use it for a local charity instead. — Mark Bradley (@celtic196721) January 14, 2020

If the next chapter in the great history of this nation is in any way defined by these dimwits, our main export will be Peppa the fucking Pig. https://t.co/YNxL1gHMMo — Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) January 14, 2020

Goodnight to everyone except people who want Big Ben to bong for Brexit, you need to get out more https://t.co/Xy1mghJZo2 — •• (@agirlcalledlina) January 15, 2020

If historians ever need to refer to the moment that an entire nation lost its ****ing sanity https://t.co/RQ80HXaPct — Luke McGee (@lukemcgee) January 14, 2020

I know certain people are laughing at this, but, in all seriousness:

- Why does it cost £500k to ring a bell?

- Why is a government encouraging people to donate money for this over giving it charity?

- Why are MPs giving money to this over their communities? https://t.co/VFLBvhg9tK — David Chipakupaku (@David_Chippa) January 14, 2020

Mopping and mowing, chins running with patriotic spittle, crabbed limbs dancing, dancing, euphoric keening from toothless maws BONG BONG BONG shit off https://t.co/VIt4GIfAcc — Sarah Phelps (@PhelpsieSarah) January 14, 2020

The people who wrote this headline are not stupid enough to believe it but they do think we are stupid enough to believe it. https://t.co/SaVJ6eR9Ls — Dan Rebellato (@DanRebellato) January 14, 2020

britain is a weird divorced dad who takes his hobbies way too seriously https://t.co/gscNl7wuPU — henry cooke must bong for brexit (@henrycooke) January 14, 2020