Can you spare £18k?

Dear [MP's name],

According to research by Credit Suisse, the UK has reduced household wealth by £1.2 trillion. That's £1,200,000,000,000. 

Put in more comprehensible terms, that's approximately £18,400 per person.

Do you have a spare £18k to lose without batting an eye? Perhaps Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Rupert Murdoch, and Arron Banks do. I know I don't.

Let's stop this madness. Vote no to triggering Article 50.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/22/brexit-vote-uk-household-wealth-credit-suisse?CMP=share_btn_tw

Regards,

[name]

[address]

[postcode]

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Massive opportunity to destroy the UK

Dear [MP's name],

I'm sure you've seen the news.

http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2016/11/15/john-mcdonnell-backs-brexit-enormous-opportunity-britain

Labour today promised to get behind Britain's exit from the European Union, saying they now believed Brexit is an enormous opportunity for the country.

The only thing Brexit represents is an enormous opportunity to destroy our unity, civil rights, workers rights, social services, and economy.

You are a good MP and an intelligent, responsible person. The Labour Party you know and love is no more. Please reconsider your decision to stay. 

Our government needs you, but the Labour Party doesn't want you. If you don't want to join the LibDems, join the Greens, start a new party, open a London branch of the SNP — something, anything. 

Please, for the survival of the UK, consider this.

Kind regards, 

[your name] 

[your address]

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Sleaford and North Hykeham By-election

Dear Lincoln, Sleaford, and North Hykeham Liberal Democrats,

As you know, Stephen Phillips' resignation as an MP was due to irreconcilable differences with Theresa May's government on "child refugees, keeping the UK in the Single Market and the Government's reaction to the Brexit court case to name but three." 

This is our chance to show both the Tories and Labour how reasonable adults behave.

Lincolnshire had some of the highest Leave results in the UK. They're not going to elect a pro-EU candidate — but they might elect one who opposes the worst kind of Brexit. They might elect one who opposes May's totalitarian regime.

I know that Labour have so far refused to cooperate or work together in Richmond Park. This is our chance to be "the bigger man".

Together we can create a more open, inclusive, educated, engaged society, in which everyone has the tools to improve their own lives. Together we can defeat the cataclysm of Brexit — or at least a hard Brexit.

I implore you, please do not field a candidate in the Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election. The harsh reality of this constituency is that neither a LibDem candidate nor a Green one can win. Only a Labour candidate can defeat the far right.

Reject hate. Embrace openness. We don't need to agree on everything, but we must work together to bring our country back from the brink of self-imposed destruction.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Shannon Clarke 

CC: Tim Farron, LibDem Press Office, More United, Vote for Europe, Open Britain, InFacts, Vote Leave Watch, CommonGround, Represent Us

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Which Is Worse?

I am not American. I have never lived in the US. In the past two decades I've probably spent a combined total of 48 hours there, mainly inside airports.

And yet…

The American presidential election — this American presidential election — is happening on the world stage. It affects us all.

Over the past few days and weeks, I've been growing more and more frightened about this election. I genuinely don't know which outcome is worse. No, I don't mean I can't tell whether a tax-dodging, misogynist, fraud-committing, xenophobic, narcissistic, fascist, homophobic, vain, racist, vengeful, angry, hateful, paedo-rapist cult leader is better or worse than a competent woman who happens to be a bit stern-looking. I'm not a moron.


What I mean is, which is worse:
Donald Trump wins the election and single-handedly sets about destroying the country and the planet?
or
Donald Trump loses the election and his rabid hordes of supporters run riot — raping, pillaging, burning, and murdering everyone and everything in the country?

Genuinely, I do not know.

I know the election will be closer than it ought to be. I know Trump has more supporters than he has any right to. I know the left hates Hillary and many will abstain rather than vote for a candidate who is further right than they would wish. I know many on the right can't bring themselves to vote for a candidate from the "wrong" party and so will abstain. I know many people have bought into the line that she's corrupt and untrustworthy (in spite of all evidence to the contrary) and so will either abstain or vote for the Orange Hitler. I know that many people are frustrated and alienated by the current political establishment and will "protest vote" — much as a similar set of people did here in the UK a few months ago.

I'm terrified for this world and everyone in it.

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Together We Can

Dear Ms Lucas, Mr Corbyn, Ms Sturgeon, Ms Wood, and Mr Farron,

Zac Goldsmith's "resignation" from the Conservative Party and the forthcoming by-election in Richmond Park has created a massive opportunity for all progressive-minded political parties. This is our chance to show the Tories how reasonable adults behave.

Together we can create a more open, inclusive, educated, engaged society, in which everyone has the tools to improve their own lives. Together we can defeat the cataclysm of Brexit — or at least a hard Brexit.

I implore you, Ms Lucas, Mr Corbyn, and Mr Farron, please field one candidate between you. The harsh reality of Richmond Park is that neither a Labour candidate nor a Green one can win. Only a LibDem candidate can defeat Mr Goldsmith.

Ms Sturgeon and Ms Wood, obviously you won't be fielding candidates, but I urge you to lend your support. You have the respect of a great many people in London. An endorsement from either or both of you would have weight.

Reject hate. Embrace openness. We don't need to agree on everything, but we must work together to bring our country back from the brink of self-imposed destruction.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

(Your name here)

CC: More United, Vote for Europe, Open Britain, InFacts, Vote Leave Watch

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Where Do We Go From Here?

Dear (copies sent to: Heidi Alexander, David Lammy, Jess Phililips, and Chuka Umunna),

Firstly, I should say, I'm not one of your constituents; I'm a resident of Lewisham-Deptford. I have already sent the below to my MP, Vicky Foxcroft. 

I'm writing to you today as a former Labour voter. I've followed the stories of your (completely understandable) disenfranchisement from Corbyn's vision for Labour. I've admired your courage and conviction. 

The odds of Corbyn winning the Labour leadership race stand at 98% today (source: https://betdata.io/labour-leadership-2016).

So, what next?

I sincerely hope you'll take Tim Farron up on his offer. I've followed your voting record and I've seen how hard you work for our country; I think you'll find the LibDems a natural fit. The Labour Party no longer values sensible, practical, economically sound principles. I do — and I think you do too.

I hope you give this message sincere and introspective thought.

Thanks.

British by Choice

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/17/farron-invites-labour-and-tory-members-to-join-lib-dems

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Brexit is a Pig in a Poke

Imagine your boss sends you to a sealed-bids auction. Upon arrival you realise you have no idea how much money she wants you to spend, what she wants you to buy, or what the end game is. Obviously you'd put bids on every single item in the auction and hope for the best. Right?

That's the position into which the British public have put Theresa May. You go to that auction, Ms May! You buy that pig in a poke, whatever the cost! Hang on, you didn't buy the wrong pig in a poke, did you? Naughty Theresa!

The argument for invoking Article 50 soon is that negotiations cannot begin until it has been triggered.

But hang on... Are we really ready to begin negotiations?

Surely the first and most important rule in the art of negotiating is to know your own objective. What do you want? What will you accept? You don't go to that auction until you know which item you're there to buy, how badly you want it, and how much you're willing to pay.

So, what do we want? 

Please, do not say, 'out of the EU'. There are several different & contradictory flavours  of Brexit; each has its supporters. 

Some would say that access to the single market outweighs the desire for reduced immigration; others would say the reverse. Some would say we should sever all economic ties to the EU and go straight to WTO rules; others say that's economic and political suicide.

What we as a country need from our government now is for it to research and investigate several viable options. This does not mean negotiating with the EU. This is the pre-negotiation phase. This involves Ms May tasking Mr Davis and his ministry with putting together a short list of Brexit options. These should be presented as deals we think we could actually negotiate along with expert analysis on the implications (to education, employment, taxes, national politics, socioeconomic conditions in the UK, the global financial and political situation, etc.)

In simple terms, these options should include:

1. Something akin to the Norway or Switzerland model
2. Something along the lines of the Canada or Turkey model
3. Moving straight to WTO rules 
4. Remaining in the EU 

This short list must then be set before parliament for them to decide. Then and only then — when we know what we are negotiating for — will we be ready to trigger Article 50.

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Response from Nicola Sturgeon's office

Brilliant response from Nicola Sturgeon's office to my letter. Sounds like they just might be open to #MoreUnited after all. Well, here's hoping...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <CorrespondenceUnit@gov.scot>
Date: 1 August 2016 at 11:45
Subject: RE: Thanks and Pleas

Thank you for your correspondence following the EU Referendum.

Scotland has delivered a strong, unequivocal vote to remain in the EU with all local authority areas in Scotland voting to remain in the EU and the Scottish Government welcomes that outcome. The Scottish Government firmly believes that EU membership delivers many social, economic and cultural benefits for individuals, businesses and communities across Scotland. We also welcome those EU nationals who have chosen to make Scotland their home and who make an important and valuable contribution to our economy and society.

Given the support in Scotland for remaining in the European Union, the Scottish Government is exploring all options to secure Scotland's interests, and to protect its relationship with the EU and our place in the single market.

In ensuring we consider all options, the First Minister has said that independence has to be considered, however the starting point of our discussions is to protect our place in Europe.  Any decision on a further referendum will be for the Scottish Parliament to take having considered all the options for Scotland's future relationship with the EU.

The Government's approach has been supported by the Scottish Parliament and the First Minister has already begun discussions with the UK Government, other devolved administrations, EU institutions and other member states.

The Scottish Government has also made it clear to the UK Government that we should be consulted before the UK Government begins the process of seeking to negotiate a withdrawal from the EU, and that we should be fully and directly involved in any negotiations in order to ensure Scotland's interests are properly represented.

However it is important to be clear that at this time, the UK remains a member of the EU and the ability to trade with the EU, and the rights of EU citizens, remain unaffected at present.

If you would like any further information on the steps being taken by the Scottish Government to protect Scotland's  relationship with, and place in, the EU, you can find this online at www.gov.scot/Topics/International/Europe/eu-referendum

Thanks again for taking the time to get in touch.

 

Fiona Hyslop

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs

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You Should be Angry

Did you vote Remain? You should be angry.

Were you unable to vote because of your age, citizenship, or residency? You should be angry.

Did you choose not to vote because you felt you didn't have enough data to make an informed decision? You should be angry.

Did you vote Leave? Do you now regret it? You should be angry.

Did you vote vote Leave? Do you still believe it's the right thing? I think you're wrong, but you too should be angry.

Are you Theresa May? Did David Cameron and the Eton old boys run off and leave you holding the bag full of their steaming turd? You should be angriest of all.

For years Nigel Farage and his ilk have been telling us to blame the EU for our problems. The government encouraged them. Frankly, David Cameron was probably thrilled with them. It was like winning the political lottery.

Can't get an appointment to see your GP? Blame the invading hordes of EU migrants (never mind it's actually due disgraceful underfunding and mismanagement by the Tories). Having to wait at the local A&E? Kids can't get a place in the school you wanted to send them to? On a mile-long wait list for social housing? Can't get welfare or can't get by on what they give you when you finally do?  Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Can't smoke in the pub? Must be the EU's fault (it's not).

And yet, as we all discovered on the 24th of June, neither the government nor the Leave campaign actually had a plan. Yes, yes, fine — Brexit means Brexit. But what does Brexit actually mean?

That no one had a Brexit plan suggests they did not take it seriously. This was a game of oneupmanship between entitled trust-fund toffs.

There was no plan because this was never real to them. Boris described the £275,000 a year he was paid to write a column for the Telegraph as chicken feed. That's £2,292 per hour according to him. Chicken feed. How rich is David Cameron. No one knows because he hides his money from his own government to avoid paying taxes. Both were born into money. Neither has to work a day in his life ever again if he chooses.

They have dropped us all into the toilet for a laugh.

And so we should be angry. Both Leavers and Remainers alike should be angry. We should not wallow in our anger, nor should we waste it on each other. Our anger should be our impetus to act. It should spur us into doing something.

Talk to people. Engage one another in passionate — yet respectful — debate.

Write. Blog, tweet, post to Facebook. Write to your MP, your MEP, the leaders of political parties, your local councillors (they may have the ear of of your MP or be otherwise well connected).

Plan events. Volunteer at events. Attend events.

Join a political party. Share your views with them. Listen to the views of other members. Attend meetings.

Join #MoreUnited.

Donate money if you've got any. Donate your time if you have that. Sign petitions — lots of them. Wear badges. Wear safety pins. Wear t-shirts with slogans.

Above all, educate yourself. Research the implications of Brexit. Research the fallout. Read articles by people you agree with. Read articles by intelligent, well-informed people with whom you disagree passionately. Read articles you don't understand. Ask questions. Talk to people who hold different viewpoints, come from different cultures, come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, are of a different religion.

We can come back from this. We can recover. We can move forward. But only if we don't back down. Only if we learn from our mistakes. Only if we don't keep calm and carry on.

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Saving Labour vs Saving the UK

Hi Vicky,

I voted for you in 2015. I believed then that you would be an excellent MP. Since then, you've shown yourself more than worthy of the faith I (along with thousands of other Lewisham-Deptford residents) put in you. You are an excellent MP. 

I also felt comfortable voting for you because I believed Ed Milliband would have been a good Prime Minister. I continue to believe that as well.

Because of all the above, it is with regret that I tell you no today. 

I'm not interested in Saving Labour because it is no longer worth saving. 

You know me; you know how much I love my dogs. I have sat with vets on several occasions while they have euthanised one of my dogs. It's a horrible heart-breaking, gut-wrenching experience. We do it, because it is a mercy to the animal.

Today it is your own beloved Labour Party that needs to be euthanised. There is a cancer at its core. 

The country doesn't need to prolong the party's torment as it slowly dies on the world stage while all around us burns.

It's too late. Owen Smith isn't the candidate to topple Corbyn's regime. He isn't the right candidate to lead the Labour Party to rise up out of the ashes of its own demise.

Instead I ask YOU to join me in supporting a new cross-party movement for progressive liberalism. Read more about it here: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/19/liberals-celebrities-and-eu-supporters-set-up-progressive-movement.

It may be too late to save the Labour Party that was, but it's not too late to save the UK.

Thank you for everything. I hope you'll give this some thought.

Regards,

British by Choice

Lewisham-Deptford 

London

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The Lies of the Tories

I came across someone this morning spouting David Davis's lies.

"I thought this was a group devoted to setting up trade deals within Europe. I voted leave as I think our little island nation should become autonomous again and YES also because there is no room at the inn and we cannot possibly feed water and clothe the world."

This is my response to that person and to anyone else who says similar.

They lied to you.

David Davis said he would achieve trade deals with individual EU member states, bypassing EU bureaucracy. He can't. It doesn't work that way. We will have one trade deal with the EU and it will need to be agreed by all 28 interested parties. We will also need to have our own trade deals with all other potential trading partners.

Each and every one of these deals will take years to achieve. Each one of them will require hundreds of thousands of person-hours and cost many millions of pounds to achieve.

In the meantime our economy will lose TRILLIONS OF POUNDS. We will do ourselves irreparable damage on every level of our society.

We've been had.

Furthermore, we are not "full". This is another Tory lie. They have underfunded our NHS, our schools, our universities, our local councils, and a thousand other things. They've taken money away from us and told us it was immigrants who were to blame.

It's all lies.

Immigrants pay far more into the system than we take out of it. We also spend money within the local economy, creating jobs and spreading wealth. Tory austerity, on the other hand, has created a nation in which the basic human rights of the poorest citizens are being systematically violated.

David Cameron and his buddies along with the Leave campaigners should be prosecuted for the damage they've done to this country.

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Letter template about Trident (for MP)

Dear [Your MP's name],

It shouldn't need saying in this day and age, but sadly it does. Please vote against replacing Trident. It's dangerous, we don't need it, and we can't afford it.

Thank you.

[Your full name]
[Your full address]

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LibDems Post-Referendum: What Next

Meeting of @LibDems tonight…

Vince Cable

Former minister for Business Innovation & Skills

"Wouldn't amaze me if tomorrow's news was that Theresa May was out and had handed reins over to Corbyn."
Described TM as best of a bad lot

She's going to have to explain what "Brexit means Brexit" actually means.
TM wasn't chosen by country, wasn't even chosen by her party, but by default. She must call an election.

It was very clear that Remain won the economic argument, but we lost the overall argument. We said there would be painful economic consequences. Anyone of any learning agreed.

We're very lucky that someone in this country was ready with a Plan B and that someone was Mark Carney.

We've only just begun to recover from the 2007/8 crisis.

As a result of Brexit, credit will become more difficult to obtain. 

The likelihood is that we will face a Brexit recession in the next year. This will be because people will lose confidence, they will have less to spend, and businesses will be unable to grow in the UK.

Recessions come and go. What makes this one different? We've used up our weapons. Western world now has lowest interest rates since the days of the Babylonians. They cannot go lower. 

As we hand the country over to the right they will be tempted to remove protections and safety nets — for workers' rights, for sustainability, for the environment.

We have a responsibility to provide a positive alternative and constructive solutions. And we can.

We've had a party crisis following the last election, but we've weathered it with more dignity and cohesiveness than Labour are dealing with theirs. We are fighting for the 48% of voters who voted to Remain.

Caroline Pidgeon

London assembly member

So many of us in the room have felt gutted after the last election, but we've felt it even more so on the 24th of June. We feel like our country is slipping away from us. 

We've seen horrific incidents of racism in the weeks since then. Disgusting xenophobic attacks.

I'm proud to be party of the only party that wholly fought for the UK to remain in the EU.

I've been horrified by the use of EU citizens resident in the UK as bargaining chips.

The new prime minister must deliver on the fantasy promises of the Leave campaign. People voted on the basis of the what they were promised with regard to cutting all we give to the EU and keeping all we get from them.

Already major companies have cut investment and announced plans to move thousands of jobs away from the UK. Virgin, Easyjet, Siemens, Morgan Stanley, etc.

The new PM has to deliver on Leave's glib optimism. If she can't, she must call a general election.

We must ensure our voices are heard. LibDems must stand up for Britain's place in the EU.

Kishwer Falkner

LibDem peer

Chair of foreign affairs from 2010-5. Too many wars and interventions.

Margaret Macmillan wrote an interesting piece in which she referred to the English Channel as our moat.

There is a real danger at the moment that the international cooperation is breaking down. 

Most countries are judged on 3 types of power: hard (military), soft (influence), and the ability to get things done.

The City of London is the global financial centre. This is predominantly due to geography and history. Brexit will have an impact on that. Half a million jobs are dependent on that sector. Back office jobs, all over the UK. Technology jobs. Regulatory jobs. Nobody in thinking about how dependent we are on those jobs.

The Norway option is the only option left to us that if we leave. It's the only one that works. 

Simon Hughes

Minister of state for justice until 2015

My late father lived to see Margaret Thatcher become leader of the Tory party. He wasn't happy about it, but told me we must always look on the bright side.

Living on an island, it's easy to forget how connected Europe is. We can get a train all the way to Moscow.

We failed to win the argument about immigration. People voted to Leave because they believed the lies that we were being inundated with. We failed to win the argument. 

Within days Cornwall, which voted to Leave said they wanted to be sure they would continue to receive the EU funding they've been getting. The leader of Labour Out (a German citizen) suddenly turned around and began arguing for eu citizens to be allowed to remain.

I think we will see Article 50 triggered and I think it will be done with parliamentary approval. There may be a different referendum to agree terms as negotiated.

Tories are more right now than they were under David Cameron, and they were further right then than they were in coalition with us.

We must continue to fight. Labour is in no shape to fight the progressive cause. We are the people who must fight the liberal cause.

Audience Questions

Q1. Seeing as we've had this vote and we disagree as dos Scotland, shouldn't we let them have another referendum about leaving the UK?

Answered by Lib Dem member of House of Lords, that old folks home that pretends to be another House.

Doesn't believe we should have a general election now, because we'd end up with a strong Tory govt with a UKIP opposition. But we must begin a cross-party fight back. We should be shouting from the rooftops about the consequences of Brexit.

Q2. In our first-past-the-post system, we do not end up with proportional representation. What can we do about that?

Simon Hughes: We've failed. All of us have failed to produce a feeling of belonging. Non-metropolitan England have wreaked vengeance on us for alienating them. We must speak to their needs. We must engage with them. This referendum was not about the EU, it was about London. We must build a proper alliance of progressives. We have an unelected House of Lords, and an unelected monarch.

Vince cable: Scotland presents us with an interesting conundrum

Q3. Alex from Harrow

If we are working together as progressives, should we support Angela Eagle as leader of Labour

Q5. Should we be working together across parties?

CP: I'm not sure whether we should or shouldn't support Angela Eagle, but what I do think is that we'll see Labour splitting. I also think some Conservatives will break away. We should absolutely work with them, whether as one party or as an alliance of parties, I don't know.

Q4. Sarah of Greenwich

Tim Farron said if there is a snap general election, we should campaign on a platform of remaining in the Eu, but if A50 has been triggered is that possible?

KF: We're not out until we're out. We can cancel A50 before it's in force.

Sarah: Unless we can be certain that we can — definitely, absolutely — cancel an A50 after it's been triggered, we can't promise that. What's to say Europe would accept that?

VC: I've been around the country speaking to business groups around the country. And business leaders overwhelmingly want to remain. Instead of worrying about the institutions, about which side of the line we land on, we must position ourselves to protect what is good and right about the EU.

SH: I think we won't have a general election called until the Autumn and I think A50 will be triggered before them. We must balance being the party that represents the 58% with NOT disrespecting the 52%.

KF: A general election is a fresh mandate. It is not undemocratic for a new govt to overturn decisions of a previous party.

Q from a doctor in the audience 

The NHS is in crisis. Scientific community is in crisis. We must do something about this.

VC: I was responsible for science budget in govt and we made sure that was funded. Universities will be very badly hit by this both in loss of funding from EU and in student bodies from EU. You cannot have tax cuts and increase spending at same time. Ms May will need to address this.

Q from audience member

I'm hearing a lot about progressive alliance. What does that look like?

Q from audience

Regretful I agree, we can't disregard the 52%. If there is a general election in the next few years, we can and must try to claw our way back from this.

KF: The EU will not be bending over backwards to make concessions to us. We're not playing nicely with them at the moment. Why would they play nicely with us? I wouldn't advocate us drawing red lines, but I would encourage our negotiators to think very carefully about our priorities.

SH: Think of the benefit to the EU if after two years, the negotiations are such that we decide to remain. That would be a grand success. We have to be clear about our own position, but we must be willing to engage with others. 

Q from Wendy from Westminster 

I came here tonight hoping to hear some optimistic news about Brexit, about us not leaving. I am deeply disappointed. This is not a fait accomplis. We do not have to do this. You've had one donation from me, unless you can provide more certainty, you won't get more.

Q from audience

I'm from Italy. I've lived here for 20 years. I woke up on 24/6 feeling unwelcome. We haven't talked about European values. I share the other woman's disappointment. Tonight has been all very polite. The time for polite is past. We need passion. 

SH: This referendum is not binding, it is advisory. I think parliament will vote to BEGIN the negotiation process. And I think it's the end of the negotiations that are more important. I am hopeful that what we will see is an outcome that will persuade people to stay.

CP: I agree with Wendy from Westminster. I hope we can halt this in its tracks.  There are many things about this that should have been done differently.

Audience member

I voted Leave. I'm not against immigration. I'm American. I voted to Leave because this government has let us down. We have banks that don't pay minimum wage. Every time the EU voted to increase protections to individuals, the UK government fought them on it. So my question is this: can the Lib Dems do better?

VC: A lot people voted to Leave for similar reasons you did. And if you're foolish enough to hold an unnecessary referendum, you'd better be sure you can win. David Cameron handed the marginalised communities of this country to blow him a great big raspberry, and they did.

SH: The areas with the largest Leave vote are the areas with the lowest rate of post-16 education. They are the communities with people who have been left behind by the economic recovery in the major metropolitan areas.

Audience member

I'm from Germany. What is your advice to other EU countries now. How should they react to what is happening here.

Audience member 

I work in video games. After the referendum, people feel very disenfranchised and are angered, but it's left them with an unwillingness to vote in future as they don't believe their voice will be heard.

Audience member 

I joked the LibDems last year because I was angry at how the LibDems was treated in the coalition. If also like to say that I'm an octogenarian and I voted to Remain.

CP: I think a lot of people punished us for the coalition, not thinking that we'd be virtually wiped out.

Audience member 

I'm from Blackpool, which was 70% Leave. I joined 2 weeks ago. I work in brand marketing. I think the LibDems have a branding issue.

CP: Our brand is damaged. You are absolutely right. I hope the gentleman here will get in touch with our marketing people, because we need help. 

VC: To close, I'd like to say we were the only party that was united. We've come out of this regaining some of the ground we lost last year. I hope that we maintain that momentum.

SH: We do have a branding problem. We had it at the last election. We said, 'please keep us in power. We will help temper the government.' But people don't vote for that.

Sent from my iPhone

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Response from Mary Honeyball, MEP

Excellent response from the office of Mary Honeyball, MEP for London 

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Matthew Ford" <matt@maryhoneyball.net>
Date: 7 July 2016 at 16:07:24 BST
Subject: RE: On Brexit

Dear British by Choice,

Thank you for taking the time to write to Ms. Honeyball. Ms. Honeyball has received a staggering number of correspondence regarding the 'Leave Vote', it's consequence for the UK, EU Nationals, the triggering of Article 50, along with Nigel Farage's comments in the European Parliament, and many peoples personal concerns and views.

Overwhelmingly, the correspondence has about people's concerns regarding Britain's future and our relationship with the European Union, the nature of the leave vote and peoples continued desire to remain in the European Union. From Friday 24th onwards we witnessed an unprecedented moment in British history and politics, with events changing hour to hour. Ms. Honeyball has been working throughout this period both in Brussels and back in the UK. I have been briefing Ms. Honeyball regarding your correspondence and the many others we have received, and these are helping shape her thinking alongside her own work after the referendum. I thought is best to attach a link to a panel event Ms. Honeyball spoke at following the 'Leave Vote', where she articulates the mood in Brussels along with her thoughts on the vote. Ms. Honeyball highlighted how emotional the European Parliament was at the vote to leave and the challenges facing the UK.

https://soundcloud.com/the-fabian-society/where-now-for-britain-where-now-for-labour

Furthermore, I can assure you Ms. Honeyball will continue to represent London and her constituents in the European Parliament. However, until we have a new Prime Minister and a far better understanding of how they will handle the consequences of the vote, there can be no concrete assumptions as to what the future holds for the UK after this referendum.  As we have seen, those who ran the 'Vote Leave' campaign had no plan regarding how they would leave and this is an issue Ms. Honeyball highlighted at the beginning of the year.

http://thehoneyballbuzz.com/2016/01/26/so-whats-the-plan-mr-farage/

Furthermore, many have asked about Ms. Honeyball's views on the role Labour has to play in opposing UKIP. Ms. Honeyball is clear that she wants a  strongly pro-European Leader of the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn has shown he is not the person to provide that. She has written more here:

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2016/06/after-european-referendum-campaign-jeremy-corbyn-needs-go

and she was on Channel 4 discussing it here:

https://thehoneyballbuzz.com/2016/07/04/channel-4-news-interview-labours-future/

Ultimately, it will be the decision on the UK Parliament on how we proceed, however, Ms. Honeyball along with her European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP) colleagues will work to shape the debate around the vote and work with their colleagues in the European Parliament.

Thank you again contacting Ms. Honeyball and for sharing your views on this most important of subjects.

Best wishes,

Matthew Ford

Caseworker

Mary Honeyball MEP

www.thehoneyballbuzz.com

Twitter @maryhoneyball

-------- Original message --------
Date: 03/07/2016 09:37 (GMT+00:00)
To: mary@maryhoneyball.net
Subject: On Brexit

Dear Ms Honeyball, 

Fifty-two per cent of voters in this country voted to commit economic suicide. Many of them did so because they have been screwed over by the current government. Many of them did so because of beautiful lies they were told by a Leave campaign that was fuelled by political ambitions of people who have never had to work. 

The people who propagated those lies knew they were lies. They did not care. This was never real to them. They thought it was a game. They thought it was a popularity contest. 

The poor, who are already suffering under Tory austerity, will be hit hardest by the economic devastation caused by this decision. 

Not only have we voted to commit economic suicide, we've also handed the country to the far right. Immigrants and people of colour are being attacked and degraded because we have legitimised racism and xenophobia.

Democracy is a constantly evolving beast. One minute we vote for something, the next we change our minds. That is how democracy works. If we don't like the result of a vote, we are free to petition, campaign, and speak out against it. That is how democracy works. 

This referendum is not democracy in action; this is democracy on steroids. In an election, the results can be reversed, they can be repealed. A few years later we do it all again and we make a different decision. Not this time. If we do not fight this, it will be irreversible. 

There will be no more UK. Scotland will leave. Northern Ireland will break away. London will no longer be the financial capital of Europe — and if you don't think that's a bad thing, you must not know how much tax we pay. The price of everything will increase while wages go down — at least for the few lucky enough to have a job. We will have to wave goodbye to our workers' right. We will kiss our human rights goodbye.

As one of the MEPs representing me in the European Parliament you are beholden to carry this message to them. They must be informed that this is not over yet. 

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

British by Choice 

London Borough of Lewisham 

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Letter from Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru

From: "Morris, Aled" <Aled.Morris@assembly.wales>
Date: 5 July 2016 at 10:42:23 BST
Subject: RE: United Left in a Post-brexit World

Dear x,

Many thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with Leanne on the result of the recent referendum on EU membership. As I'm sure you can imagine, Leanne has received an incredibly high volume of correspondence over the past couple of weeks and it has proven to be difficult to acknowledge each email in as timely a way as we'd like. Please accept our apologies for this.

This is just to briefly confirm that your thoughts have been passed on for Leanne's consideration and that your feedback is very welcome indeed.

Warmest wishes,

Aled Morris

Swyddog Gweinyddol ac Achos | Administrator & Caseworker

Leanne Wood, Arweinydd Plaid Cymru ac Aelod Cynulliad dros y Rhondda

Leanne Wood, Leader of Plaid Cymru and Assembly Member for the Rhondda

Sent: 27 June 2016 10:42
To: Gerry.adams@oireachtas.ie; caroline.lucas.mp@parliament.uk; clucasmedia@parliament.uk; Wood, Leanne (Aelod Cynulliad | Assembly Member) <Leanne.Wood@assembly.wales>
Subject: United Left in a Post-brexit World

Dear Ms Wood, Mr Adams, and Ms Lucas,

Firstly, I want to thank you for your dedication and commitment as party leaders. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. Thank you again for taking on such a thankless job.

David Cameron has resigned. George Osborne stuck his head above water for the first time this morning — and only to tell the markets they're right to panic. Having created this mess, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, and Michael Gove appear to have washed their hands of the entire situation. The Labour Party is imploding as Jeremy Corbyn refuses to step down as leader. 

I'm writing to you today because the UK is at a crossroads. What comes next will set our course for decades to come. We must define the terms of our relationship with the EU and obtain their agreement.

In the first 36 hours following the results of the referendum the world turned upside down. Following is a list of some of the consequences that unfolded in that time.

• David Cameron resigned as PM, effective October 2016.
• Nigel Farage admitted the Leave campaign's claims of freeing up £350 million a week to be spent on our own social services was erroneous.
• Daniel Hannan stated that this decision is unlikely to have an impact on EU migration rules.
• Sinn Fein called for Northern Ireland to leave the UK and reunite with the Republic of Ireland.
• The SNP indicated their intention to secede from the UK and remain a member of the EU. Furthermore, the EU indicated they would view such an application favourably.
• Almost 150,000 people signed a petition calling for an independent London.
• More than two million people across the UK signed a petition calling for a second referendum on leaving the EU.
• Both the Daily Mail and the Sun published articles advising their readers of the dire, devastating personal consequences of Brexit.
• The value of the FTSE 100 fell by £50 billion and the FTSE 250 fell by £25 billion.
• The value of the pound reached a 31-year low. In fact, it was falling so rapidly that British tourists overseas were unable to exchange or withdraw cash.
• The Bank of England announced they had set aside £250 billion of additional liquidity as an emergency measure.
• Rampant, vulgar incidents of public racism in broad daylight were reported all across the country.
• The EU began pressuring the UK to leave quickly.
• Voters across the UK have publicly expressed remorse at voting Leave, saying they did so purely as a protest against the current government.

The time to act is now. We are a nation in crisis. We cannot afford to wait days or weeks. The consequences of delaying will be devastating to our economy and our national identity.

We must not trigger article 50 and give formal notice to cede from the EU until we have a plan in place on how we will proceed. There is no plan. Right now instead of developing a plan, the Conservatives are arguing over whose responsibility it was to have developed one. 

We must engage with one another across intra-national borders to work together to resolve this. The rest of the UK stands to lose more from Scotland's separation than they do, but — make no mistake — we all lose. The same is true for Northern Ireland. This is Game Theory in action. Only by working together can we all win. 

Mr Cameron must call a general election. We cannot allow him to simply hand the premiership to Boris Johnson or Theresa May. We cannot permit this country to be ruled by an unelected official for 3.5 years. This must be done immediately and be enacted before Mr Cameron's resignation takes effect in October. Please urge him to do so now.

We need a united left to lead us back from the brink of the apocalypse. A planned coalition of parties united against the Right is the best defence to the madness that is threatening to hurl us all off a cliff. You can and should play a key role in that. I urge you all to work with your colleagues in Labour, the SNP, the Lib Dems, Sinn Fein, Plaid Cymru, and the Greens to achieve this. The time for focusing on what separates us is past. We must work together now for the good of all our people.

Please act immediately.


Yours sincerely,

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Letter from David Lammy, MP

From: "David Lammy MP" <casework@davidlammy.co.uk>
Date: 6 July 2016 at 15:33:29 BST
Subject: EU Referendum (Case Ref: ZA18774)

Dear Friend,

In the aftermath of the referendum result I have received hundreds of letters and emails about Brexit. Please forgive me on this occasion for responding with a uniform email, but it would take me weeks to reply to each individual email individually and I want you to be completely clear on my position on what is the most important political issue of our generation as soon as possible.

My position is absolutely clear. On behalf of my constituents, 75% of whom voted to Remain, I will never, ever vote for Brexit. I will continue to stand up for my constituents, as they will be the first to suffer when the post-Brexit recession hits and they will be the first to be hit by an economic downturn. I will not vote for the invoking of Article 50, or any other steps that would begin the process of the UK leaving under the UK, under any circumstances.
It is not too late to stop this and I will continue to make the case for Parliament to act to stop Brexit or for a second referendum on a coherent plan, because at present there is absolutely no semblance of a Brexit plan in place. The referendum was advisory and non-binding, and the UK's most fundamental constitutional requirement is that our Parliament is sovereign and must therefore approve any Brexit before Article 50 is invoked and before we withdraw from the EU.

On Saturday 25th June I published the following statement (https://twitter.com/DavidLammy/status/746728892279431168), and I am proud to be the first MP to call on Parliament to stop Brexit:

"Wake up. We do not have to do this. We can stop this madness and bring this nightmare to an end through a vote in Parliament. Our sovereign Parliament needs to now vote on whether we should exit the EU.

The referendum was an advisory, non-binding referendum. The Leave campaign's platform has already unravelled and some people wish they hadn't voted to Leave. Parliament now needs to decide whether we should go forward with Brexit, and there should be a vote in Parliament next week. Let us not destroy our economy on the basis of lies and the hubris of Boris Johnson".

I set out my position in further detail in an article for The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2016/jun/26/second-referendum-consequences-brexit-grave?CMP=share_btn_tw):

"It is clear that the Leave campaigners do not have the slightest semblance of a plan and the promises that the campaign was built on were nothing more than a pack of lies, especially claims about £350m extra cash to spend on public services and the ending of free movement of labour.

The referendum was advisory and non-binding. Almost 500 Members of Parliament declared themselves in favour of Remain, and it is within their powers to stop this madness through a vote in Parliament.

It is also within Parliament's powers to call a second referendum, and we need a second referendum at the very least, on the basis of a plan that is yet to even be drawn up.

The consequences of exiting Brexit are grave. I have a simple message to all those who believe in remaining in Europe. We have to fight for our economic future, for our children's future and for the country that we want to be. Speak out, sign the petition calling for a second referendum and tell your MP to ask for a vote in Parliament".

On Monday 27th June following the Prime Minister's statement on the outcome of the EU referendum, I asked him:
The Prime Minister will recognise that some of my constituents are among the poorest in Britain. In these very tough economic times, it is the poorest who will suffer. Does he recognise that young people, poor people and many middle class people who voted for remain want a plan, and that lies behind the call for a second referendum on the detail?

I also sponsored Early Day Motion 243  (http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2016-17/243) calling on the Government to ensure that there will be a second referendum allowing UK citizens to agree or disagree with the terms of the UK-EU exit package before Article 50 is triggered.

On Saturday 2nd July I spoke to a crowd of thousands in Parliament Square at the March for Europe standing for hope, unity solidarity and most of all against hatred and intolerance.

My message was clear: "Don't mourn the EU, organise. Lobby your Members of Parliament and say to them they must vote on whether we are going to press the Article 50 button. Tell them the Leave campaign was based on lies. Keep up the fight."

You can read my speech in full here (http://www.davidlammy.co.uk/#!March-for-Europe/em4gf/5778c6590cf23a71a160516a), or watch it on YouTube here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08vqfclk48E).

I said:

"I am here first and foremost as the son of immigrants. It is my honour and my privilege to represent Tottenham, the most diverse constituency in this country and I am proud.

… And let me say to those that have emailed me or written comments on some of the articles I have written or been part of:

I'm not going anywhere. I was born in this country. This is my home. This is our home. And this will be my children's home.

We are standing for unity, we are standing for hope, and we are standing against division.

If we look at the campaign, as we think about these Etonians who have got us into this huge mess – an Etonian Mess.

We need to send Ofsted in – that school is failing.

… We need Parliament to take a look at this. Or, let's put it back to the people in a referendum.

Why is this so crucial? As we stand here, and I say this from my heart representing Tottenham, it is the poorest people in our country who will suffer".

I look at the racism, hatred and xenophobia that has been unleashed following the Leave victory and I say: not in my name. This is not my country. I do not recognise this Britain as my home. So I hope that you will join with me and stand for unity and hope, against hatred, division, fear and intolerance.

Thank you for writing to me about the aftermath of the EU referendum and Brexit. Rest assured that I will continue to lead the campaign against Brexit and do my utmost to keep Britain in the EU.

Yours

David Lammy MP

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Sample Letter to MEP

Find your MEPs' contact details here (you will have several). Write to them all to let them know what you think. 

Dear (YOUR MEP'S NAME HERE),

Fifty-two per cent of voters in this country voted to commit economic suicide. Many of them did so because they have been screwed over by the current government. Many of them did so because of beautiful lies they were told by a Leave campaign that was fuelled by political ambitions of people who have never had to work. 

The people who propagated those lies knew they were lies. They did not care. This was never real to them. They thought it was a game. They thought it was a popularity contest. 

The poor, who are already suffering under Tory austerity, will be hit hardest by the economic devastation caused by this decision. 

Not only have we voted to commit economic suicide, we've also handed the country to the far right. Immigrants and people of colour are being attacked and degraded because we have legitimised racism and xenophobia.

Democracy is a constantly evolving beast. One minute we vote for something, the next we change our minds. That is how democracy works. If we don't like the result of a vote, we are free to petition, campaign, and speak out against it. That is how democracy works. 

This referendum is not democracy in action; this is democracy on steroids. In an election, the results can be reversed, they can be repealed. A few years later we do it all again and we make a different decision. Not this time. If we do not fight this, it will be irreversible. 

There will be no more UK. Scotland will leave. Northern Ireland will break away. London will no longer be the financial capital of Europe — and if you don't think that's a bad thing, you must not know how much tax they (IF YOU WORK IN THE FINANCE SECTOR TO, CHANGE 'THEY' TO 'WE') pay. The price of everything will increase while wages go down — at least for the few lucky enough to have a job. We will have to wave goodbye to our workers' right. We will kiss our human rights goodbye.

As one of the MEPs representing me in the European Parliament, you are beholden to carry this message to them. They must be informed that this is not over yet. 

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

(Full name)

(Full address)

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This Has Made Me Very Sad

I've just been accused of being undemocratic. I've been told to accept the will of the people with good grace and a smile.

Well, screw that.

Fifty-two per cent of voters in this country voted to commit economic suicide. Many of them did so because they have been screwed over by the current government. Many of them did so because of lies spread by a Leave campaign that was fuelled by political ambitions of people who've never had to work. 

The people who propagated those lies knew they were lies. They didn't care. This was never real to them. They thought it was a game. They thought it was a popularity contest. 

The poor, who are already suffering under Tory austerity, will be hit hardest by the crisis caused by this decision. 

Not only have we voted to commit economic suicide, we've also handed the country to the far right. Immigrants and people of colour are being attacked and degraded because we've legitimised racism and xenophobia.

Democracy is a constantly evolving beast. One minute we vote for something, the next we change our minds. That's how democracy works. If we don't like the result of a vote, we are free to petition, campaign, and speak out against it. That's how democracy works. 

This referendum is not democracy in action; this is democracy on steroids. In an election, the results can be reversed, they can be repealed. A few years later we do it all again and we make a different decision. Not this time. If we don't fight this, it will be irreversible. 

There will be no more UK. London will no longer be the financial capital of Europe — and if you don't think that's a bad thing, you probably don't know how much tax we pay. The price of everything will increase while wages go down — at least for the few lucky enough to have a job. Wave goodbye to your workers' right. Kiss your human rights goodbye.

No, I will not agree to disagree with those who voted Leave. No, I will not accept this. No, I will not shut up.

Sent from my iPhone

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#StephenCrabbforPM

Stephen Crabb is a bad candidate for Prime Minister.

He thinks homosexuality can be cured by positive thinking. He believes cutting disability benefits will HELP those who need them. 

And yet…

And yet, the alternatives are just SO MUCH WORSE.

We are going to be stuck with one of the five Horsemen of the Apocalypse as our Prime Minister for up to 3.5 years. And not just any years either, these will be some of the single most important years in this country's long history.

Pale / Death: Michael Gove (being alternately operated by Sarah Vine or Rupert Murdoch). He wants this country to commit suicide. For what reason, I cannot begin to imagine — but he does.

Red / War: Theresa May hates immigrants. Never mind free movement within Europe, she wants to ban SKILLED immigration from anywhere. I mean, remember the racist vans? She would build a wall around the country if she could.

White / Pestilence: I'll let the Telegraph describe Andrea Leadsom, shall I? "Ms Leadsom is the 'real world' candidate, with prime Thatcherite credentials. It is no surprise that Tory grandees this week spent hours on the phone persuading her to stand. She will bill herself as the person who will deliver brexit because she is passionate about the outcome." Ugh!

Black / Famine: Liam Fox is a fraudster, a nepotist, and a thief. He misused huge amounts of government funds at a time when the country could least afford it. Surely that's enough.

Other: So, Stephen Crabb… As Prime Minister, he would undoubtedly think bad things about homosexuals. He would wish he could try to cure them. But let's be realistic here: those thoughts will be so far to the back of his mind. He will not have even one second of time to spend acting on them. At the end of his term, the LGBTQ community will still have every right and freedom they have today — and maybe, just maybe, we'll all have a country left in which to enjoy our freedoms.

We NEED a general election. In the absence of one, I know which one of the above I'd prefer.

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