Second Brexit vote? We haven’t had our first yet!

People's Vote March - Amanda Jones - Credit: Archant

For those who didn’t get a say in the original EU referendum they are hoping that there will be a People’s Vote so their voices can finally be heard.

I am 20 years old and currently taking a second gap year to focus on the campaign I started to provide a youth voice on Brexit: Campaign For A First Referendum, which has a petition with more than 8,800 signatures.

Unlike other existing campaigns, my campaign does not support Remain or Leave. Our message is clear: we believe the two million young people who, like me, will have turned 18 by March 29, 2019 should get their first vote on Brexit. We are the only generation whose entire adult lives will be affected and we haven’t had our voice heard.

The recent Channel 4 poll has just highlighted that 77% of 18-24 year olds would have voted to Remain. But as many of this demographic did not get their first vote, this will surely have played a part in the 6% increase to 54% total Remainers in the UK. It is absolutely vital that this generation gets a chance to vote, and with these recent results I really believe that our cause is now more important than ever in testing the ability for the UK to find the democratic will of the people.

You can visit our website at www.firstreferendum.org

Stephanie Banatvala

Campaign For A First Referendum

We must start thinking about how we will win a People’s Vote for Remain. The USA mid-term elections show that an angry electorate will not easily be persuaded just by rational argument and certainly not by negativity.

The 2016 referendum assumed people understood what benefits we get from the EU. That was clearly not the case, even for those voting Remain. The last two years have revealed just how entwined our lives are with the EU, to our benefit. We must not use Project Fear, we must have upbeat messages of prosperity, jobs, collaboration and a future where we benefit from strong alliances with our closest friends and neighbours.

We must also counter the feeling that voting for the deal, however bad, will mean we can now get on with all the other urgent matters facing the country.

Agreeing to the deal would just be the start of years of negotiation, confusion and changes for the worse. Only voting to stay in the EU will limit the time we need to spend on this issue.

Sarah Anderson

Alsager, Cheshire

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