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A LEFT-WING multi-millionaire sparked fury last night by donating £1million to the pressure group demanding a second Brexit referendum.
Self-avowed “Leftie Guardianreading” Julian Dunkerton was accused of wasting money by campaigning for a vote that nobody wants.
Mr Dunkerton, 53, donated the extravagant sum to the People’s Vote campaign.
He claimed the hugely successful fashion chain Superdry he founded would have “struggled to cope” outside the EU.
Twice-married Mr Dunkerton – who is worth an estimated £441million and counts actor Idris Elba among his friends – was attacked for ignoring the democratic will of the people.
Critics also pointed out that his empire was built largely on clothing made in Asia and the Middle East.
Tory MP and leading Brexiteer Peter Bone said: “It seems to me that certain people don’t accept the democratic will of the British people.
“The referendum was a great democratic experience which engaged a whole nation. Both sides accepted that whatever result was going to be final.
Wages
“If somebody with a lot of money thinks they can overturn the wishes of the British people then that person is significantly mistaken.”
Ukip leader Gerard Batten said: “He’s a Left-wing millionaire who has donated £1million to overturn the democratic result of a referendum. He’s joining the ranks of all the Left-wing millionaires who supported Remain and despite all the immense resources given to the Remain campaign they still lost.
“Now, two years later, they still can’t accept the democratic result and they are doing everything they can to overturn it.
“If he is so wealthy, instead of giving a million pounds to overturn the democratic result of a referendum, how about using it to make sure workers in India get a better wage.”
Pro-Brexit Tory MP Andrew Bridgen insisted his grand gesture would make little difference as many former Remain voters were now behind Leave.
He said: “People’s Vote about democracy.
“Their declared intent is to overturn the democratic decision of the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union.
“The way the EU has dealt with talk the UK government in these negotiations, a large number of former Remain voters have come to the conclusion that we couldn’t possibly stay in this relationship any longer.
“It would be rather like returning to an abusive relationship if we stayed in. We would be an absolute doormat.”
Mr Dunkerton, who married his second wife, model and designer Jade Holland Cooper, 31, last weekend, announced his donation in a newspaper.
He wrote: “I’ve got a good instinct for when a mood is going to change and we’re in one of those moments now.
“It’s becoming clear now there is no vision for Brexit and the politicians have made a mess of it. Increasingly, the public knows Brexit is going to be a disaster. Maybe they just need to be given that little bit of hope that comes when they see how opinion is moving.
“I will be paying for one of the most detailed polling exercises ever undertaken by a campaign, so more and more people have the confidence to demand the democratic right for their voice to be heard to get a people’s vote on any Brexit deal or the outcome of these negotiations.”
Mr Dunkerton claimed that when he launched his first business in the Nineties, it would have been impossible to negotiate deals in different countries.
Describing himself as a “serial entrepreneur”, he added: “If