People's Vote march: Sadiq Khan, Delia Smith and Dragon's Den host join forces to address thousands of attendees of People's Vote march

Jacob Jarvis20 October 2018

Leaders from across the political spectrum addressed a boisterous crowd which grew to 700,000 attendees at the people's march on Saturday.

TV chef Delia Smith opened up the addresses on stage and described the current Brexit situation as "unmitigated chaos".

She said: "When the vote first happened we weren't fully informed.

"Now we know the dire consequences that can be summed in two words: unmitigated chaos."

Delia Smith led speeches at the People's Vote march on Saturday
PA

She ended by asking Brexit backing politicians: "Where are you let's be having you," in homage to another famous speech she made.

Following this, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan took to the microphone.

He said it is time that the Brexit issue is "taken out of the hands" of politicians and "returned to the British people".

"Young people's voices wasn't heard," he said.

"But they are being heard loud and clear today. Echoing all the way down to the doors of Downing Street.

"This government is leading us towards a bad deal Brexit deal or even worse no deal at all.

"These options are a million miles away from what we were promised."

MP Sarah Wollaston likened Brexit to "the stuff of nightmares".

MP Sarah Wollaston addressed the crowd
PA

She said it was like someone being rolled into an operating theatre and told that the surgery they were having was changing massively.

Then as they said they wished to change their mind, they would be told they consented two years ago.

These talks were followed by a group of young people from across the UK, who expressed their fears over Brexit.

Poignantly, some of their concerns were clinched on if there were a hard border in Ireland.

People's Vote protesters march on Parliament Square - in Pictures

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Vince Cable described the fallout from the referendum a "tragedy" for the generational divide he feels it has caused across Britain.

He said: "We are all here this afternoon because we care about the future of this country."

He then went on to address what he called the "young people" in the crowd. He spoke of how the majority of young people who voted were remain while more people, in his words, of his generation voted leave.

"It is a tragedy that this country is now being divided by generation," he said.

The younger generation are having a "backwards vision of the future" thrust upon them which is "turning Britain into a museum", he added.

"But it doesn't have to happen.

"Let's be very clear, there's no deal better than the one we have now.

"It's the best for Britain. It's the best for Europe."

Britain's leader of the Liberal Democrat party, Vince Cable
REUTERS

He was joined on stage by Chuka Umunna, MP for Streatham, who also spoke of divides caused by Brexit.

He said that those who voted remain were being part of a "liberal metropolitan elite".

He referenced how his constituency had the highest proportion of remain votes during the referendum and said he was "proud of this".

He also said: "We now know, going through this process, Brexit is not going to make any problems better it's going to make them worse."

MP Anna Soubry delivered a rallying speech to the crowds, praising her fellow MPs for coming together as "friends".

She said: "Brexit was undefined, it's also undeliverable.

"We are making the case that they did not vote for this chaos and this mess.

"Brexit will be a disaster for the future of our country.

"Where are all the Brexit leaders?

"They've walked away.

PA

"We will not walk away. We will take responsibility and we will sort this out with a people's vote."

Nicola Sturgeon also expressed her views on a new vote, vowing that the SNP would back one, when speaking in a video message.

She said:"The story government's handling has been chaotic, incompetent and shambolic.

"It's a scandal and it cannot be accepted."

Another notable talk came from Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden.

Deborah Meaden addresses Anti-Brexit campaigners
PA

She explained what she would do if someone came to me and said, "I will make your family poorer," as well as damage other businesses and cut off ties to a trading partner.

She said she would respond: "I'm out."

While the march was taking place in London, former UKIP leader Nigel Farage held a counter Leave means Leave rally in Harrogate.

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg also tweeted against the rally, saying: "We have already had a People's vote. The People voted to Leave."

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