Event allows young people to have a say over ‘betrayal’ by older people, says Vince Cable

Thousands of people have gathered in central London for what organisers hope will be the “biggest, loudest and most important” anti-Brexit march since the referendum.

The event, organised by The People’s Vote, an umbrella group campaigning for a referendum on the final deal, is expected to draw more than 100,000 people.

The march will begin on Park Lane in the West End in London at midday.

Campaigners are also hoping to unleash a tide of postal protest aimed at MPs by issuing 100,000 postcards emblazoned with the words: “Brexit has already become a dog’s dinner – the whole process is going badly wrong. And it’s only going to get worse.”

A spokesman The People’s Vote said it was time to tell politicians they will not be forgiven “if they allow a bad deal to be rammed through parliament” or “blindfold the public about the long-term cost of Brexit”.

“It’s now apparent to everyone, that whether it’s a deal or not a deal, this is going to be really, really miserable for everyone. This idea that a soft Brexit will sit up in its coffin suddenly is for the birds,” the spokesman added.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Vince Cable, who will speak at the rally in Parliament Square said it was time for young people to have a say over their “betrayal” by the older generation.

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Among the young people attending is Orkney resident Sorcha Kirker, a postgraduate archeology student who is taking a 1,000-mile (1,600-km) round journey by bus, along with 20 fellow students. They will leave Inverness on Friday night and return home on Saturday 24 hours later.

Kirker will be on one of the 120 coaches being laid on, some of which are funded by celebrities including Delia Smith and Olly Alexander.

“We are incredibly excited, we’ve been looking forward to this for the last two weeks. It will be relief to get on the bus,” she said.

Kirker said she doesn’t buy the argument that the march is about shaking liberal progressives, who voted remain, out of their inertia over Brexit. “You can’t say that about us, we are doing something about it. It’s so important for young people to be engaged and for us to be involved in this march to showcase how we feel about this cause.

“This is so important to all our futures and if there is anything we can do to shape that future, it is something we should do.”

Tim Mathews, a development project manager in the renewable energy

industry travelled from Durham.

He said: “I’ve never marched, protested or anything similar before. I really couldn’t justify my day if I spent it doing anything else - and couldn’t really continue to complain if I didn’t take even this superficial proactive action.”

Among the sponsors who have agreed to pay more than £1,000 each for buses to take supporters from around the UK are Star Trek star Sir Patrick Stewart, author Ian McEwan and former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine.

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While the campaign for a second referendum is backed by many political figures, organisers say it is about grassroots-level anger that Brexit is already damaging the country.

They argue that people had not been given the facts about Brexit in the 2016 referendum. The consequences, however, are already being felt with the loss of NHS doctors and nurses and food prices increasing due to the weakness of the pound, according the organisers.

Cable is expected to say Brexit is causing a “tragic” split between generations.



“A substantial majority of my generation voted to leave. A substantial majority of the young voted to remain,” he will say. “Your generation is being betrayed by mine. By those who look back to the past, who see Britain as a museum.”

The People’s Vote group includes Open Britain, the European Movement UK, Britain for Europe, Scientists for EU, Healthier In the EU, Our Future Our Choice, For Our Future’s Sake, Wales For Europe & InFacts.

Other backers include Tony Blair’s former spokesman Alastair Campbell, London mayor Sadiq Khan and Tory rebel MPs Anna Soubry and Philip Lee, some of whom will be speaking in Parliament Square.