It was billed as a large event that would show the ‘political class’ that the British people would not put up with Brexit being delayed.
But organisers claim just 350 people have signed up to this weekend’s Leave Means Leave 200-mile march from Sunderland to London.
The march will make its way to Hartlepool on Saturday, before proceeding on to Middlesbrough on Sunday.
It will then stop off in towns including Pontefract, Doncaster and Wellingborough before arriving in London on March 29 – the day Theresa May originally set as Brexit day.
They will be joined by Brexiteers Andrea Jenkyns MP from the Conservatives and Kate Hoey MP from Labour.
https://twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1106855220552839168
Nigel Farage, who has been the face of the protest, is also unlikely to participate in the full march, telling social media users he would only be doing ‘some of it’.
In announcing the protest, Farage declared: ‘All of us who want Britain to be a great country once again accept that we must be prepared to stand up for what we believe in and fight for our independence.’
But it now appears the ‘will of the people’ have spoken and they are not entertaining the publicity stunt.
The event was mocked by social media users from the start with Leave Means Leave urging those interested in participating to pay a £50 fee for a marchers’ kit and for help with accommodation and transport costs – because they will be bussed between different legs of the journey.
But questions remain over where the remaining funding is coming for the overhead costs associated with the event.
The march is likely to be overshadowed by a number of counter protests this weekend, including one by Led By Donkeys, a group which have arranged mobile billboards to troll the Brexiteers during the journey.
‘He’s organised this march with his millionaire friends and a Westminster lobbying firm while all the time pretending this march is a grassroots thing,’ a spokesperson told Sky News.
On the other hand we’re a bunch of volunteer dads who’ve crowdfunded these vans with fivers and tenners from people around the country.’
https://twitter.com/ByDonkeys/status/1106825700852592641
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It is not the first time Nigel Farage’s attempts to sell something have been a flop.
His Australia tour dates were either cancelled or moved to smaller venues because of a lack of interest, and in 2017 his one-man show in Clacton was outsold by an Elvis tribute act.
Next weekend anti-Brexit campaigners will be heading to London to end the madness by calling for a People’s Vote. A demonstration in October attracted three-quarters of a million people.
MORE: Find your nearest (well attended) anti-Brexit event using our listings page
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