Comedian Steve Coogan has called on members of the public to join the mass march through London on Saturday demanding a People’s Vote referendum on the outcome of Brexit.
Writing exclusively for The Independent, The actor described the Brexit deal being delivered by the government as a “looming disaster for our country” and said the public had to be given a final say on whether to accept it or not.
Mr Coogan spoke out as thousands of people prepared for the march at the weekend which will see high profile MPs and the mayor of London address crowds in Trafalgar Square.
The Independent has also been running its Final Say campaign to demand the referendum, with more than 860,000 people having signed its petition so far.
In his piece, the Alan Partridge star said that if he had tried to write a plot aligned to the government’s attempts to negotiate Brexit then “incredulous commissioning editors would laugh at me”.
He added: “More than 100,000 people marched through London in June calling for a People’s Vote, and even more are expected this Saturday, the 20th of October.
“Along with many others, I’ve paid for coaches to bring people from across the UK to London in what could be the biggest march in a generation. That democratic will – that public demand – cannot simply be ignored or written off.”
Mr Coogan argued that a People’s Vote is not about “ignoring the will of the people or downplaying the democratic decision of 2016”, saying that democracy is ongoing process.
He went on: “This is too important for politicians alone to decide.
“That’s why I support a People’s Vote so the people have a final say on whatever Brexit deal Theresa May comes back with. Let’s step back from the edge and not rush into the void. Let’s decide our own future.”
The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.
Sign our petition here
