Frequently Asked Questions for Renew Only
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1 Frequently Asked Questions For Renew Only Confidential Rethink Brexit. Renew Britain. Revolutionising Opportunity for all 2 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – for public information Not for distribution – do not give to media Updated December 2017 Sandra Khadhouri, Head of Communications This document is for use by RENEW HQ and candidates only; some content will be used for factsheets and social media. Please do not give this to media. Sensitive FAQ are to help us answer difficult questions, only if asked. General FAQ Why did you set up the RENEW party? We believed people were being let down by the current political offering and decided to do something about it. Both main parties are consumed by polarising ideology and infighting, and are knowingly leading the UK down a damaging path. The Liberal Democrats are a spent force and have been discredited by their previous role in the Coalition government and by failing to make an impact overall. No party is responding to the public need for politicians to focus on improving their lives, rather than prioritising party or personal ambition, and are now embroiled in the complexity of leaving the EU. How will you address the crisis of faith in politicians? Our party, made up of people outside the political system, will bring fresh ideas and integrity into local and national politics, shaking up the system so that true values of public service can be restored. Like the public, we believe many existing politicians are out of touch with the nation. Over time, there has been increasing disillusionment with politicians and institutions in general. The referendum and 2017 elections are being treated as an ‘exciting period’ by MPs at Westminster, rather than the deep crisis it represents - people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake and our influence in Europe in jeopardy. Renew takes that very seriously. Why now? Is there space for a new party? We believe the time is right for a new party. Legions of voters are now totally unrepresented by ineffective political leadership and policies, including people who want to remain in EU and those who want responsive public services, a strong economy and sustainable public finances. Brexit and the underlying grievances it exposed, means that an alternative vision is sorely needed. We face many challenges that need urgent solutions. The damaging path to Brexit comes with an imminent deadline, but it’s more than that: the inequalities and distortions in society are harming people, making society ever more divided. If this all continues, and with the preoccupation of Brexit, it will only get worse. What do you stand for? Our charter is based on four fundamental beliefs; ● Personal responsibility and opportunity for all, including national unity based on tolerance and diversity and Global Britain leading internationally. ● A new economic model that leaves no one behind ● A strong economy based on innovation, regulated free markets & responsible public finances ● National prosperity and security assured through EU membership We also stand for integrity, honesty, and transparency, since lies and deliberate misinformation have been leading us in the wrong direction. We are also believe in inclusivity, as we represent the whole of the UK, and not just one grouping over another. In this way we hope to restore unity and bring the UK back together. 3 What are your goals? We want to stop Brexit through a democratic process, ensuring factual information reaches the public and that problems are addressed fairly at the national level. We also want a national consultation to help us engage the public on their future needs. We are devising a new vision that will revolutionise opportunity for all. We believe this will create a happier and more equal society. We will also constructively reengage with the European Union on UK public concerns, some of which are shared by other countries. How can you overturn a democratic vote? We respect the strong demand for change expressed during the referendum. We will now ask people about proposed alternatives based on what they know now. People previously had to choose between a known (remaining) and an unknown (leaving). With little factual information on the consequences of leaving, it was difficult to judge the best option. We propose another reassessment of public opinion about the final deal since many people are changing their minds now that more information has come to light. We also believe that many grievances were not only based on decades of scepticism about EU, but were also about deeper cleavages in our society. Many on all sides also admit the vote was poorly managed – it was designed only to be purely advisory, not binding, with a simple majority vote and lack of requirement for consensus among the 4 constituent nations – inadequate criteria to decide such a major course of action. Do you accept the referendum result? We respect the result in terms of what it told us about the public mood and current views of the UK’s role in the EU, and lack of concrete knowledge among everyone including politicians, about the consequences of departure. It showed us the nation was split and there was deep-seated anger about inequality and our institutions. What the referendum didn’t tell us was what people truly want to change and why they blame the EU for their grievance. How will you stop Brexit? There is one group who have the right to change their minds about Brexit – the British people. Renew, like some campaign groups, are showing people they are free to express a change of heart or stand up for Remain, and that this is an acceptable, responsible and patriotic thing to do. If we succeed in that, there will be tremendous pressure on MPs to find a way out of this mess – for example through a referendum on the final deal, which includes an option to remain. Many EU leaders have been clear that the UK would be able to stay in if we changed our minds. How are you influencing public opinion? We are doing this by ensuring factual information reaches the public, conveying a positive vision for Britain’s place in Europe and showing that we can only address inequality from a position of strength within the EU. We are also forming links with like-minded groups, including campaigning organisations and those from the worlds of business, science, academia, medicine and culture, who strongly feel leaving the EU is detrimental to us in so many areas. Renew will be going all over the country in the next few months to listen to people’s concerns. There are many crucial issues that need to be addressed – like the impact of large scale immigration. We want to solve these problems but are convinced Brexit won’t help, so will be rolling out proposals for alternatives. Won’t you splinter support against Brexit? We plan to work with campaigning groups that share our vision for stopping Brexit and addressing inequality. But in terms of parties, Remain voters have little choice at the ballot box - in the last election, they mainly opted for either Conservatives or Labour as the least worst options, since they have given up believing there is another way forward. The Lib Dems made little impact. Traditional parties have proven that they cannot be trusted with the remain vote. We believe we are the only credible party that offers a viable way forward – we are the complete package. Not only to stop Brexit, but to deal with what comes next. 4 Labour’s popularity has risen especially among youth – how will you challenge that? Labour are weak and muddled in some of their policies. As long as Corbyn supports Brexit there is no future for the many, no jobs first Brexit, and reduced opportunities for young people. The purpose of an opposition is to challenge government, not enable it, when it is fundamentally harming the future of UK citizens and the national interest. Labour promises to throw money at everything are also unrealistic – and would leave us saddled with debt. We will not make false promises but prioritise targeted and realistic spending to ensure our country moves forward in a way that is responsible, but also renews aspirations. What about other new parties? There have been 26 new registered parties since the elections in June. We believe we are the only credible party to offer a way forward. Why don't you join forces with the Liberal Democrats? The Lib Dems, despite their pro European stance, failed to make an impact – they have been fatally tainted by their previous time in the coalition, when they agreed to an increase in tuition fees and cuts to public spending. So Remain will fill that gap, by offering a complete whole solution – staying in the EU and then addressing social and regional inequality at every level – such as housing, education, NHS and so on. We also believe we need to bring fresh blood into the system to shake up old ideas - talented people from outside politics who have a lot to contribute and can bring groundtruth into policy making. Are you trying to replicate the Macron En Marche movement in France? We are certainly learning lessons from across Europe and adapting them to our national context. We have taken some inspiration from the way the French President swiftly built a movement and party to completely alter French politics and tap into popular discontent and hunger for change. Like En Marche, we are bringing in people from outside the political system who have relevant experience and integrity in wanting to represent their constituencies. Our ongoing commitment to listen to Britain and use on-the- ground views to shape policy development will ensure that we build a movement that properly responds to what all voters care about.