I My speech to the March for Europe

Here we are.

I’m proud to be with you. And I’m proud to have walked with you. And I’m proud to stand with you. And I’m proud to talk to you.

Because when we work together, when we share our wealth, we all prosper. When we live as a community, all our lives are better. When we stand together we are all protected.

Sixty years ago today our community was created. Sixteen years later we joined it.

And it isn’t perfect. Francis does spend all the parish funds on his allotment. Jean Claude is very bossy. And they do come stay a lot.

But we’re not perfect either. We’re always wanting special rules, just for us. And it bugs our neighbours. But we rub along. And we prosper.

Together we are stronger. We make our garden grow.

Next week, we’ll tell everyone we’re leaving. We’re going to live on our own. All the faults are theirs. We’ll do better by ourselves. That nice Mr Trump, he’ll look after us.

But we haven’t left yet.

Next week will also see the next step in our case to establish that Article 50 is just the beginning of a journey. We have new additions to a very powerful legal team. We will file our written case. We will seek a hearing date in June. Ireland has said it wants to discuss the way forward.

The Claimants – me along with three very brave politicians from the Green Party who came forward when no one else would – are bringing this action to give the people of this country a choice. A choice they must have. A democratic choice. To remain if they want to remain.

I can’t tell you what answer the courts will give. But what I believe is that pushing the Article 50 button is like starting a journey. If we want to turn around, we can turn around.

Will we turn around? No one knows. No one knows what the future holds.

We voted to leave in a very different world. No President who thought NATO obsolete. No one threatening to tear up trade rules. And we did not know what Brexit meant for the country. And we still don’t know now.

I’m not in the crystal ball business. I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know what will happen. But I will say this: no one else does either. Anyone who tells you they know the popular mood will remain the same is lying to you. Because they do not know. Because they cannot know. Because the only certainty you can rely on is change itself.

But I’ll tell you this.

What will make Brexit happens is if you give up. If you give up now. Now, at their last moment of control. The last moment before real life walks in on their fantasy.

And takes their cake away.

It’s the hope that kills you, they say. They say that but they’re wrong. The hope will save you. It will save you. And there is hope. There is real hope. Don’t give up.

Fight for your country. Fight for our children. Fight for our future.

Thank you.

Postscript: you can watch a recording of the speech here https://youtu.be/Q4ehBWt-bpY