Something exciting happened on Tuesday night.
Four politicians from four big parties (Green, Labour, SNP and Lib Dem), along with Amina Gichinga and John Harris, came together to start building a Progressive Alliance.
There should be another general election in the next year. A Progressive Alliance could see Labour, SNP, Lib Dem, Green, Plaid Cymru, Sinn Féin and other parties agreeing not to contest each other in constituencies.
The speakers were very clear – this is not about denying the referendum’s democratic outcome.
A Progressive Alliance is not about fighting Brexit. It’s about fighting a poisonous Conservative-UKIP definition of Brexitopia.
Catch up on the speeches here:
“For many [Brexit] was a howl of rage against exclusion and a sense of powerlessness, and we have to listen to that and respond.”
“We need to lobby for an early election, because no politician has a mandate.”
“Now is not the time for a narrative that says you’re either for us or against us.”
“This shit just got real.”
“One practical way is to stop with all the bogus listening and actually give people the power to speak. It’s pretty simple, it’s called proportional representation. Actually there’s a better word for it – it’s called democracy.”
“Because of the inclusive and positive way that [the Scottish Independence campaign] was organised, it left an incredibly powerful legacy.”
“You will find us in Scotland great friends and allies I hope, when it comes to talking about a Progressive Alliance, and achieving constitutional change throughout all of these islands.”
“Politics is often pitted as this thing that some people know how to do, and most people don’t.”
“Step outside your comfort zone, it’s going to be fun.”
“We’ve probably got too many columnists in this country, and we’ve not got enough journalists. We certainly haven’t got enough reporters.”
“If you woke up on Friday morning thinking that the country you live in was suddenly being controlled by a social tribe you didn’t know much about, and you suddenly felt terrified about the future – bear in mind that’s how millions of people in this country have lived for decades.”
“The instinctive reaction of the next Conservative government (if there is one) will be to deal with this by slashing workers rights, getting rid of environmental regulation, doing what George Osborne’s been talking about the last two days – trying to turn us into a kind of Liechtenstein-on-Thames.”
“We have to have to think about mobilising public investment – policies that we should have pursued more in coalition.”
