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Version 19 Version 20
EU referendum live – 'The Britain I love is better than this,' Gordon Brown says EU referendum live – 'The Britain I love is better than this,' Gordon Brown says
(35 minutes later)
6.46pm BST
18:46
Jessica Elgot
My colleague Jessica Elgot was at the Trafalgar Square memorial of Jo Cox. She sends this:
Jo Cox’s murder has inspired far more love than the hatred that killed, her husband has said in an deeply emotional tribute at a celebration of the murdered MPs life on what would have been her 42nd birthday.
It included tributes from Malala, Bono, Bill Nighy and Lily Allen, as well as Syria’s humanitarian rescuers, the white helmets.
In Trafalgar Square, more than 10,000 people gathered in the humidity, played in by the couple’s favourite band, Diddley Dee, who played at their wedding and had become close friends of the pair.
Each touch at the event, named More In Common after the words of Cox’s maiden speech, was intensely personal, a tribute song recorded by Bono who admired Cox’s work with Oxfam, a performance by Lily Allen of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know, a song the family sang at the holiday cottage on the river Wye.
Children from her five-year-old son’s school sang civil rights anthem If I Had A Hammer.
Brendan Cox, his voice catching, called his wife’s death “an act of terror designed to advance hatred against others.”
“What a beautiful irony it is that an act designed to advance hatred has instead generated such an outpouring of love,” he said.
Among the crowd were the close knit community of Hermitage Moorings, where Cox lived on the family house boat. Wearing white roses, the goup carried a six-foot banner with a picture of their friend, designed in the style of trade union banners.
Maria Carey, the couple’s next door neighbour, designed the banner in a race against time to get it ready for Wednesday, sketching the design and begging firms to print over the weekend.
“She was the most wonderful person, always positive, it has been a privilege to know her personally and inspiring to see her professionally,” Carey said.
6.37pm BST
18:37
Here’s a better extract from Gordon Brown’s passionate speech earlier.
6.37pm BST
18:37
Cameron ends, his voice sounding hoarse:
Let’s go out there and vote remain tomorrow, Thursday. Let’s go for it!
And with that, the rally is finished.
6.35pm BST
18:35
Cameron tells voters to ignore untruths from the leave side on Turkey joining the EU imminently, an EU army and the fabled sum of £350m a week going to the bloc. “Don’t go and vote on the basis of things which are not true,” he says.
Cameron says the one word he would use to sum up his argument is, “together”. Cameron cites Churchill, saying he did not want to fight alone in Europe.
6.32pm BST
18:32
Cameron is going hard on the economy. His final message to undecided voters is: “Put jobs first, put the economy first.”
6.30pm BST
18:30
This is a greatest hits run through by Cameron. He makes a previously-heard analogy about not driving a car which a mechanic says is unsafe.
He lists the need to cooperate over terrorism, climate change, Russia and Islamic State. “The idea that you take back control by leaving is an illusion,” Cameron warns. There’s lot of mentions of terrorism, crime and safety.
6.27pm BST
18:27
Cameron is in his shirtsleeves, roaming the stage and waving his hands. “Wasn’t that a belter of a speech from Gordon Brown?” he asks, also praising Tim Farron.
He goes straight onto the need for a strong economy, saying it “is everything”. He is again scathing about Michael Gove’s comparison of experts warning against Brexit to Nazis. “That is the extent to which they have lost it,” Cameron says.
6.24pm BST
18:24
We’ve not heard from him yet, but David Cameron is here. He’s now being introduced.
6.19pm BST
18:19
Next we have the current Lib Dem leader, Tim Farron. This is a very big, very cross-party event. He says he will not have the definition of patriotism defined by “little Englanders”. This is another passionate speech. “I will vote remain tomorrow because I am a patriot,” he says.
In the meantime, here’s a final average of polls for tomorrow’s vote – and it’s tied at 45% each, with the crucial 10% still undecided. It’s up to them now.
#EUref polling average:REMAIN 45 (+2)LEAVE 45 (=)DK 10 (-2)https://t.co/j41CRKjgoU #Brexit #EUreferendum pic.twitter.com/zYFG8lDMOL
Updated
at 6.21pm BST
6.14pm BST6.14pm BST
18:1418:14
Lucas introduces the former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown. Lucas introduces the former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown, who details what the EU does for security, based on his very wide foreign policy experience.
As we await David Cameron, another detail from the Jo Cox memorial in London. According to people there, as it took place a small plane carrying a banner urging a leave vote flew over a few times, prompting some displeasure. The official Vote Leave campaign has denied it organised this.As we await David Cameron, another detail from the Jo Cox memorial in London. According to people there, as it took place a small plane carrying a banner urging a leave vote flew over a few times, prompting some displeasure. The official Vote Leave campaign has denied it organised this.
@stellacreasy @voteleave what absolute shits@stellacreasy @voteleave what absolute shits
Updated
at 6.16pm BST
6.08pm BST6.08pm BST
18:0818:08
Now we have Caroline Lucas, the Green MP. David Cameron is, presumably, sitting on the bus looking forwards to next week, when he no longer has to share platforms with people from the Labour, Green and trade union worlds.Now we have Caroline Lucas, the Green MP. David Cameron is, presumably, sitting on the bus looking forwards to next week, when he no longer has to share platforms with people from the Labour, Green and trade union worlds.
6.06pm BST6.06pm BST
18:0618:06
If you missed Gordon Brown speaking live, here’s a video snippet.If you missed Gordon Brown speaking live, here’s a video snippet.
6.03pm BST6.03pm BST
18:0318:03
A better shot of Brown speaking.A better shot of Brown speaking.
6.02pm BST
18:02
Brown is finished, and stalks straight off the stage like a slightly angry bear. “Gordon Brown,” says Tristram Hunt, in awe, as the small-ish crowd – all seemingly hand-picked, as tends to happen at such events – cheers wildly.
Now speaking is Cathy Warwick, who heads the Royal College of Midwives, which is officially pro-remain. She’s followed by former TUC head Brendan Barber.
Updated
at 6.04pm BST
5.59pm BST
17:59
Brown is striding about, turning to face all the people around him, speaking without notes and passionately. He’s also now covered the benefits of security, the environment and defence of staying within the EU.
He talks about 1,000 years of European conflict ended by the EU, and of a new era of human rights. “Now there is no war, Europe is at peace,” he positively bellows. This is stirring stuff, the type of very positive pro-EU speech some have argued the campaign has lacked so far.
Brown is seemingly not a fan of the campaign so far:
This is not the Britain I know, the Britain I love. The Britain I know is better than these debates, these insults, these posters.
He wants a more positive Britain, one exemplified by Jo Cox.
5.52pm BST
17:52
Next we have Gordon Brown. He also pays tribute to Jo Cox, and then talks at length about the economic and trade case for remaining in the EU. “If you want jobs to remain, vote remain. If you want industries to remain, vote remain,” he says.
5.47pm BST
17:47
Tristram Hunt, the Stoke-on-Trent Labour MP, has emerged from the bus to introduce the first of the speakers. First we have Harriet Harman, the former Labour deputy leader. She begins by paying tribute to Jo Cox.
Tomorrow, she tells the crowd, you will make “the biggest political decision of your life, one that is irrevocable”.
5.43pm BST
17:43
A giant union flag bus has pulled up outside Birmingham university. If it’s not David Cameron inside then it’s a very big coincidence. We should have some words from the prime minister soon.
5.39pm BST
17:39
As we still await David Cameron – the live video feed is currently showing footage of officials seemingly shrugging about what is going on – here’s something which might sway the odd person towards remain – a suggestion from the venerable Foreign Policy journal that Brexit could jeopardise the making of the Game of Thrones TV show in Northern Ireland.
5.32pm BST
17:32
Ione Wells was also at the Trafalgar Square memorial and talked to people as to why they attended:
Caesar and Antonio are visiting the UK from Spain on holiday. Caesar (left) said they were devastated to hear of this “great tragedy”. They are here to show their belief in “freedom and respect for everyone”.
Peter Bruggen said he was feeling “a great deal of sadness at this assassination” and also because he wishes to express his views on unity and the referendum.
“I was living in Strasbourg aged 15 to learn French - living with a family. They took me to the cinema, and I saw early screenings of Churchill in meetings about unions. I was also taken to the opera and there, by chance, I sat right next to Robert Schuman - the prime minister of France at the time. Now, I don’t believe in these things but it felt like a message. I felt a closeness, a union, and have never had a doubt since that union was the right thing.”
Updated
at 5.35pm BST
5.19pm BST
17:19
We have a final pre-voting poll and... well, if anyone says they can predict tomorrow’s result with much confidence they’re lying.
Too close to call in final #EUref poll: Leave 45% Remain 44%. Everything rests on 9% still undecided. [sample:3,000] https://t.co/BXhLPZjNAa
5.17pm BST
17:17
This is Peter Walker taking over for a final couple of hours of the pre-referendum day live blog. As you’ll see from the updated video feed above, we’re due any moment to see David Cameron making a final appeal for the remain campaign, outside Birmingham university. We’re also promised a mystery special guest.
Updated
at 5.22pm BST
5.04pm BST
17:04
Frostrup ends the Trafalgar Square event by urging the audience not to let this be just one day. Let’s take the spirit of unity and roll it out, she says.