REMEMBER THESE 114 MPs

→ #RememberThe114 – Share 24-minute video

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟭𝟰 𝗠𝗣𝘀 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗫𝗜𝗧

In February 2017, MPs voted on whether to trigger Brexit – the Article 50 notice-to-quit the EU – in the second reading of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill.

498 MPs voted yes, but 114 MPs took a stand and voted no.

This video is a tribute to the 114 who spoke out and voted against Brexit at that time. For those in the Conservative or Labour party, it meant defying a three-line whip.

(In the Parliamentary Conservative Party there was only one – Ken Clarke – who disregarded his party’s whip and voted against triggering Article 50).

The defiant MPs argued that it would be damaging to Britain to go ahead with Brexit then, especially as there were no assessments, no details, and no plan on what Brexit meant.

Now or later, people may look back and consider that these 114 MPs were on the right side of history.

Today, many of the MPs who voted against triggering Brexit still believe that leaving the European Union was a terrible mistake. Some are no longer MPs. Some have changed party. Some have since passed away. Some now support Brexit, or at least accept it.

But seven months after the EU referendum, when there was a hasty rush to go ahead with Brexit, these 114 MPs acted in accordance with their conscience and their judgement, putting the welfare of their country and constituents above their party and political career.

Please help to share this video and use the hashtag #RememberThe114.

Many politicians who are against Brexit seem muted now – but all of us who are pro-EU should encourage them to speak up, and on, our behalf.

Your support of this video will show politicians that they can say the truth, without fear or favour – that Brexit is a disaster for Britain.

▪ Producing this video has been a big project that started two years ago and has involved weeks of production.

I am grateful for the dozen or so supporters who contributed £10 each – some a lot more – to help purchase from Parliament over 20 hours of video footage from the debates that took place on 31 January to 1 February 2017.

I am most thankful to Marie Crowley, who spent many days cataloguing the raw video footage for me so I could choose the best speeches, and for obtaining photos of MPs who voted but didn’t speak.

In addition, a big thank you to other members of my dedicated team of volunteers, Carole Harding and Pauline Taylor, for checking the video for any typos. And a special thank you to fellow journalist, Alun Drake, for his guidance on the video.

▪ The title of the musical track on the video is appropriately ‘UPSIDE DOWN’ by Mike Block. Of course, at 2½ minutes long, I had to extend the track to last just over 21 minutes. https://www.mikeblockmusic.com/music

▪ Here is a list of all those who voted for and against triggering Article 50:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons...

© Video production and report by @JonDanzig

#Brexit #EU #referendum #democracy