Beam them up...Remainers turn to Star Trek’s Patrick
Sir Patrick Stewart at the launch of the People’s Vote campaign. Far right, comedian Andy Parsons with, from the left, Caroline Lucas, Layla Moran, Chuka Umunna and Anna Soubry yesterday PRO-Brussels campaigners faced ridicule last night after launching a new cross-party push dedicated to triggering a fresh referendum on Theresa May’s Brexit plans.
Former Tory minister Anna Soubry and senior Labour MP Chuka Umunna were among politicians uniting yesterday for the People’s Vote campaign.
And they faced jibes from Brexit supporters after recruiting Star Trek actor Sir Patrick Stewart to be a leading spokesman for the group.
Tory MP Peter Bone, a leading Leave supporter, said: “This call for a second referendum is so off the planet that I suppose it is appropriate to have someone from Star Trek involved.
“These people just want to keep re-running the referendum until they get the answer they want. They are elitists who think they know best and don’t want to respect the will of the British people. The idea we are going to have a second referendum to overturn Brexit is worthy of science fiction.”
Mocking the referendum campaign group with a Star Trek gag, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: “We will be able to boldly go again to areas that perhaps we’ve neglected over the last 45 years.”
Sir Patrick claimed the characters in his most famous screen roles, Star Trek’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier from the X-Men, would have supported Britain’s EU membership. He said: “They were excellent, admirable individuals. Yes, intellectuals but also compassionate and concerned for the well-being of everyone. They would have voted Remain.”
Hundreds of supporters of the campaign were at the rally in Camden, north London, to hear speeches from Sir Patrick, Ms Soubry, Mr Umunna, Lib Dem MP Layla Moran and Caroline Lucas, a co-leader of the Green Party.
Comedian Andy Parsons was also there.
The People’s Vote is being backed by a series of pro-Brussels groups including Open Britain and Best for Britain. It is thought the organisation has built up a war chest of millions of pounds.