Well, that was a lively start to the morning, out with my daughter Grace (always feisty) to do Good Morning Britain, where Piers Morgan (always feisty) and Susannah Reid (always feisty) decided to throw Nigel Farage (always feisty) into the mix. It got feisty, especially on Brexit. And as ever, Nigel Farage was good with the one-liners, but took us no further forward on what we can actually do to address the issues Brexit has thrown up, and thrown our country into a sense of chaos.

Grace was there to talk about a brilliant short film she has made for the People’s Vote campaign, starring the wonderful Richard Wilson in his best Victor Meldrew mode as he tries to order, and eat, something called ‘The Brexit Special,’ from a restaurant menu. You can see it here.

Below is the press release which sets out the background to the film. Please watch the film, share and spread the word, and keep active in the debate. The politicians are screwing this up big time, and at some stage it will have to go back to the people.

I understand why Labour want a general election if the government fails to get a good Brexit deal. But Piers’ discussion with John McDonnell on nuclear weapons showed that an election will be about all sorts of issues. The Brexit issue has become too big to be lumped in with everything else. Also, it was delivered by a referendum, and whereas I do not accept another People’s Vote is anti-democratic, I do think it would be anti-democratic to make a change to that position without another vote of the people, either by crashing out on no deal, or by MPs alone saying we should not proceed as planned.

The People’s Vote gives the country a way out of the mess and the impasse. The first party that takes the lead on it, far from losing support in the country, in my view gains it. In leadership, usually better to lead than to be led reluctantly to where you end up … and the argument Richard and Victor and Grace play out in the sketch is kind of hard to push back on.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RICHARD WILSON BRINGS BACK VICTOR MELDREW FOR ‘BREXIT SPECIAL’ COMEDY SKETCH IN SUPPORT OF PEOPLE’S VOTE    …. ‘I DON’T BELIEVE IT …’

Comedy acting legend Richard Wilson stars in a sketch that is the latest campaign weapon in the ‘People’s Vote’ fight for a referendum on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

The star famed for his Grumpy Old Man act as Victor Meldrew plays a customer enticed to a restaurant by an advert for a new dish – the ‘Brexit special.’

Unfortunately for him, the chefs cannot agree what ingredients to put into it, the head chef who designed it quits, to be replaced by a ditherer out of her depth in the heat of the kitchen, and eventually a waitress breaks down crying as she admits to Wilson they cannot make the dish after all.

It is when Wilson is told that he will nonetheless have to pay that he delivers his famous catchphrase: ‘I don’t believe it.’And when he asks for something else instead, he is told that as so much time has been wasted trying to make the Brexit special, the kitchen is now closed.

The sketch, filmed on Friday at Ravel’s Bistro in Gospel Oak, Camden, was written by the young writer, comedian and activist Grace Campbell, who has been using a version of the Brexit special joke in her stand-up routine, including at the recent launch of the Women for a People’s Vote campaign.

Aged 24, she is the daughter of Alastair Campbell, an advisor to the People’s Vote campaign and ardent anti-Brexit campaigner. ‘I showed the sketch to my Dad, who loved it, and I asked him to help me get a good actor for it. He said “there is only one man who can do this justice.”’

Campbell Senior, 61, who has worked with 82-year-old Wilson in the past on Labour Party election campaigns under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, contacted him, sent him the sketch, and the actor immediately agreed to take part.

Wilson, who lives in St John’s Wood, had a heart attack and suffered head injuries in a fall two years ago, and said he was taking things easier. ‘But I was happy to help. I totally support the cause. I was very distressed by the referendum and I just think the whole thing is now a total mess. I really liked the sketch and I had great fun making the film with Grace. As we were filming, Mrs May was doing her statement after the Salzburg meeting where it all seemed to be falling apart. I hope we get a vote on the deal, because I really fear for where it is heading now.’

Grace, who in addition to writing and directing also co-stars as the waitress, said: ‘So many young people in particular feel that Brexit is going from bad to worse, and I just feel we all have to do what we can to campaign for the People’s Vote, and with the option to stay in the EU. I hope people see this and think “yes … you can send back a bad meal in a restaurant, so why can’t you send back a bad deal in a negotiation?”” She added: ‘It was a total joy working with Richard. It’s not just that he is nice and funny, he is such a brilliant actor. I learned more in a single day’s filming with him than from practically anything I have done before.’

Her proud Dad said: ‘I was an extra at another table, and Grace kept telling me off because I just kept cracking up, and ruined several takes. But there is a really serious point in the film. We keep being told there are only two routes on Brexit now – no deal or Mrs May’s Chequers deal. But her deal is dead. And no deal would be a killer for the country. The People’s Vote gives the country a way out. The politicians have screwed it up. The people have to take back control and have a say on the outcome.’

Wilson said: ‘I have to pay for a meal which is advertised on the menu as the best thing since sliced bread but which they don’t know how to make. That is a very good Brexit metaphor.’

Ravel’s Bistro owner, Katarina Szajna, said she was thrilled for the restaurant, a favoured haunt of Monty Python star Michael Palin, to become a film location for a day. ‘I know Alastair because he lives nearby and he comes in regularly so when he and Grace popped in and asked if they could film here I had no hesitation. And when they told me that Richard Wilson was involved I was thrilled to have such a great actor in the restaurant. There was quite a buzz when it was all going on.I think most of our customers will be happy we have helped on this. I hear strong anti-Brexit views all the time in here. People are very worried.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For further questions or information, please use the following contact details: adrian.mcmenamin@peoples-vote.uk