REVEALED: Logo for new anti-Brexit 'centrist' party
3 min read
Plans for a new political party with the aim of stopping Brexit have taken a step forward after its logo was unveiled.
The insignia for The Democrats emerged on merchandise being sold online and promoted by James Chapman, former chief of staff of Brexit Secretary David Davis.
Mr Chapman hit the headlines last week when he described leaving the EU as a "catastrophe" and called on moderate Labour and Conservative MPs to set up a new party.
He also claimed that he had already been contacted by two Cabinet members, as well as Labour frontbenchers, about the project.
The T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts have the name of the proposed party emblazoned across the front, above the UK and EU flags, with the hashtags #stopbrexit and #notinmyname.
It is understood that Mr Chapman - who is also a former political editor of the Daily Mail and communications director for George Osborne when he was Chancellor - is trying to raise funds for a pro-EU event planned for Parliament Square on 9 September.
Several senior Labour and Conservative figures are said to be in talks about appearing at the event.
Speaking last week, Mr Chapman said: "Two people in the Cabinet now, a number of who have been in Conservative Cabinets before now – better cabinets, I might say, than the current one – and a number of Shadow Cabinet ministers have also been in touch.
"They’re not saying that they’re going to quit their parties but they’re saying they understand that there’s an enormous gap now in the centre of British politics."
He added: "My view is that the Conservative party brand has now been damaged to such an extent that the party won’t be elected again and ever again get a majority.
"The hard Brexit plan that Mrs May is pursuing is going to take our economy off a cliff, it’s going to make Black Wednesday look like a picnic and when that happens the Conservative party will never be in power again."
NICKY MORGAN
But former Cabinet minister Nicky Morgan, who campaigned for Remain in the EU referendum, ruled out joining a new party.
Writing for the ConservativeHome website, she said: "The silly season is clearly in overdrive this August, with speculation about the time having arrived for a new UK political party to be formed. This would be a very bad idea for many reasons. Just ask those who were involved in the SDP: are any of them saying that a new centrist party is a good idea? Or look at Ukip, now floundering after their platform has been taken away from them.
"Brexit is a huge and shifting tectonic plate in the UK political landscape. It is undoubtedly challenging long-held allegiances and party relationships like nothing else I’ve known in my 28 years as a Conservative Party member.
"But a new party formed solely to deal with the Brexit fallout and then, supposedly, tying together moderates and centrists from existing parties would be a party which would quickly collapse under its own contradictions."
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