Gary Lineker backs campaign for referendum on final Brexit deal
2 min read
Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker has thrown his weight behind the campaign for a referendum on the final Brexit deal
The former England striker said the prospect of leaving the EU on bad terms was “more important than football” as he signed up for the People's Vote campaign.
His intervention comes as pro-EU campaigners unveiled plans to ramp up their push for another referendum with a “summer of action”.
Mr Lineker, who has been vocal in his criticism of Brexit on Twitter, said he spent much of his time covering the World Cup in Russia for the BBC worrying about the “mess” Britain is now in.
“Now I’m back I find the whole thing more bewildering and worrying than ever,” he said.
“Whether you voted Leave or Remain, did anyone really vote for the mess we seem to be in, let alone the prospect of no deal with all the terrible consequences attached to that?
“There are some things in life that, even for someone like me, are more important than football. This is one of them. I am not a politician but I know when something is going wrong and right now Brexit feels like it is going very wrong indeed.
“The politicians seem unable to resolve the problem the people gave them in voting to Leave. That is why I think there should be a People’s Vote on the final deal, and why I am sending best wishes and good luck to the campaigners who will be stepping up the pressure over the summer.”
The case for another public vote ahead of Britain's exit next March has been backed by a host of MPs from across the main parties.
The People’s Vote campaign will mount rallies across the UK in the coming months, culminating in a “massive” protest on the streets of London in October, as the Government and EU try to reach agreement on a final settlement.
The group will also publish “authoritative new research” showing the impact of Brexit on communities and industries across the country – alongside regular polls.
Femi Oluwole, chief spokesperson of Our Future Our Choice (OFOC), part of the People’s Vote campaign, said: “This is a people’s movement holding the elite to account.
“We the people – from all walks of life and every region and nation in our country – are taking back control of the Brexit process from the politicians like Jacob Rees-Mogg who have failed us, and we demand a People’s Vote."
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