New British centrist party seeks to overturn Brexit

World
Europe

A new anti-Brexit centrist political party called Renew held its official launch in London on Monday, one of several initiatives by pro-European Union campaigners drawing hope from a perceived shift in the British public's mood.

The Renew party, which was founded last year after French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist-liberal En Marche! movement propelled him to power, said it would seek to stoke debate on Brexit and accused Britain's main parties of losing touch with voters who feel abandoned by the elite.

Emmanuel Macron's political movement En Marche ! crushed longtime mainstream parties in the French general election last year. /Reuters Photo

"We intend to be tough on Brexit and tough on the causes of Brexit," said James Torrance, the party's head of strategy. "We'll pressure MPs to consider the national interest and put Remain back on the table in a vote on the final EU deal."

"We aim to reverse Brexit and restore our influential position in Europe, allowing us to focus on what really matters in the UK," the party said on its website.

In the United Kingdom's 2016 referendum, 51.9 percent, or 17.4 million people, voted to leave the EU while 48.1 percent, or 16.1 million, voted to stay.

Liberal Democrat anti-Bexit activists including former MP Sarah Olney (C) demonstrate with placards and flags London, UK, February 14, 2018. /VCG Photo

Since then, supporters of EU membership have been exploring a range of legal and political methods to prevent what they see as the biggest mistake in post-World War II British political history.

Prime Minister Theresa May, whose government and party is divided over Brexit, has just eight months to strike a withdrawal deal with the EU but insists Britain will leave at 2300 GMT on March 29, 2019.

The next election

The fledgling political party said it already had more than 300 candidates ready to contest the next general election and was aiming to recruit a total of 650 to stand in every constituency in Britain.

The party was founded by former financier Chris Coghlan ahead of last year's general election. Coghlan stood as an independent candidate in that election, running on an anti-Brexit platform, and came fourth with 1,234 votes in Battersea in south London.

Chris Coghlan, independent candidate in Britain's 2017 general election and founder of the Renew party. /VCG Photo

The next elections are not due until 2022 but many commentators believe they could come much earlier because of May's precarious leadership and feuding inside her Conservative party.

Several campaigns have emerged in recent weeks calling for a re-run of the EU membership referendum and putting pressure on MPs to oppose a Brexit agreement when it comes before parliament as expected this year.

One of them, Best for Britain, captured the headlines this month because of a large donation from billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros.

Former Labour Party politician Andrew Adonis, a member of the House of Lords, has launched his own campaign alongside the youth group "Our Future, Our Choice."

British Prime Minister Theresa May. /VCG Photo

'Wake-up call'

Opinion polls since last year's general election have shown growing support for staying in the bloc but polling expert John Curtice said last month that it was "not exactly a dramatic change."

Curtice also said that there was "not of lot of evidence in support of the idea that there has been a dramatic increase in support for a second referendum."

Renew said it aims to address what it called the root causes of the 2016 Brexit referendum.

December 6, 2016: Brexit supporter Hazel Prowse burns an EU flag outside of the Supreme Court in London, UK. /VCG Photo

"The Brexit referendum was a wake-up call that we are a nation divided, with deep discontent at inequality," it said. "Leaving the EU will only make things worse. We should reconsider Brexit, now we know more."

The party said it would focus on inequality by increasing the minimum wage, boosting infrastructure outside London and creating more affordable housing.

It said it would also "look at better ways to manage immigration" – one of the main issues in the campaign.

8149km

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters