The second referendum campaign revisited

January 30
32 mins

Episode Description

This week, deep breath, we’re delving back into the Brexit years, after a new book about the failed campaign for a second EU referendum is published this week.


It tells the story of a rag-tag bunch of Remainers, Europhiles and progressives coming together out of the anti-Brexit movement following the vote to leave in 2016, hoping to drag the country back to the ballot box in the hope of a different outcome.


How they got closer than anyone might have expected, and why they ultimately fell short, is the subject of 'No Second Chances The Inside Story of the Campaign for a Second EU Referendum, by the journalist Morgan Jones.


Host Alain Tolhurst spoke to her about why that period between 2017 and 2019 has been "memory-holed" by most in Westminster, and what we can learn from that period about how the current government, led by the one-time shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer, is reshaping our relationship with the EU.


Speaking alongside her is the Labour MP Andrew Lewin, who back then founded and ran the 'Remain Labour' group, and Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics at King's College London, and the director of the UK In a Changing Europe think tank.



Presented by Alain Tolhurst, produced by Nick Hilton and edited by Ewan Cameron for Podot

See all episodes

Never lose your place, on any device

Create a free account to sync, back up, and get personal recommendations.