The New European celebrates its third birthday

When we launched on July 8, 2016 – into the immediate shockwave of the referendum result – we could have had no inkling that this newspaper, and our website and podcast, would quickly become a rallying point for those who refused to give up on the idea that the vote for Brexit was, and remains, a ghastly mistake.

In those early days, when it came to railing against the iniquity of the Leave campaign, and arguing for a confirmatory vote once we knew, quite literally, what the damage of Brexit was, The New European had the field to itself.

These days that field is rather crowded. Practically every news publication in the country has accepted our argument that Brexit is not the simple question of being in or out, but is instead the most complex and insoluble political problem in history.

Even Jeremy Corbyn has belatedly come around to our way of thinking. Perhaps.

So we’ve won the argument, but there is a grave danger that winning the argument is now no longer the point. Democracy itself is now at a fork in the road; will we follow the so-called will of the people, as stated in 2016 and before the chaos of the ensuing years, or the will of the people as it stands now – rightly phobic of no-deal, anxious of any other sort of Brexit, and faithless in either government or opposition.

The battle rages or, some weeks, limps on. But only one thing is certain: Those who labelled The New European (and by extension you, our readers) foolish, deluded and treacherous are today the ones who seem foolish, deluded, and, yes, I’ll say it, treacherous.

Foolish in their belief that the British public is not wise to their self-interested lies.

Deluded in their belief that they can negotiate anything better than Theresa May’s miserable and pointless Brexit deal.

And treacherous for so obviously putting the interests of their party, or their personal ambitions, ahead of the national interest – risking the delivery of what the vast majority agree will be a cataclysmic no-deal just to appeal to the hard rightists who prop them up.

If you are reading this in the newspaper, then you are the backbone of our support and the only reason we are still publishing.

Advertisers have never been part of the model behind The New European, which is just as well since most have run a mile rather than be seen in our pages. (Incidentally, if you are a business owner with the inclination and courage to advertise in a newspaper very clear about its commitment to Remain, do get in touch with me directly: matt.kelly@archant.co.uk. We’re cheap!)

Our entire business is predicated on the idea that if we reflect the passions of our audience well enough, then our audience will happily pay for us to exist. You do. Thank you.

Online, our audience is growing rapidly. We now have around two million people looking at theneweuropean.co.uk every month. Our articles are widely shared on social media. The word is spreading. And our podcast has more than 15,000 listeners a week – and is has also become a firm favourite for Remainers everywhere.

How can you help us keep going? There’s no secret. Buy the newspaper more often. Subscribe.

You can make a one-off or regular online donation from as little as £5 – just click the ‘support us’ button at the top of the website.

Share articles from our website to your friends, especially those friends on the other side of the argument.

Download the podcast and give it a five-star rating. It deserves it. Buy a T-shirt or a beach towel. If ‘Bollocks to Brexit’ is a bit strong for you on the beaches, then we have less provocative alternatives.

But above all else, keep fighting Brexit. We are a small part of an enormous swell of opposition to leaving the European Union. Ultimately, that is our only goal. Not publishing success (though that is nice), but in giving voice to the arguments that one day, we sincerely hope, will prevail.