Grassroots activists where informed of the impending launch of March For Change over the weekend and it soft-launched late on Wednesday evening with a social media campaign spanning Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
“It’s important to send the new Prime Minister an early message. A show of force to make our voices heard and our presence felt in London long before the clock runs down towards no deal again.”
March for Change aims to become the largest independently crowdfunded march of 2019 and the organisers have set a target of £200,000 to cover the event costs. They are seeking donations and participants from across the country.
The website sets out a transparency policy which includes provisions for publishing names of donors who give more than £500 – separating it from the Brexit Party who have attracted the scrutiny of the Electoral Commission over their donations in recent weeks.
March For Change is a collaboration between Britain For Europe and Scientists For EU, working alongside partners including In Facts, NHS for a People’s Vote, Women For Europe, Avaaz, and Women For a People’s Vote, and states its mission is: “To put Brexit behind us and fix Britain.”
“When the UK first narrowly voted to leave in 2016, the promise was that we would leave with a better deal. 3 years later we could be heading for no deal at all. We need change and we need it now.”
The independent campaign is a political underdog co-founded by Tom Bruffato, instrumental in organising the huge pro-European protest in London this March, and Dr Mike Galsworthy of the popular Scientists For EU and NHS for a People’s Vote grass roots movements. Scientists for EU is one of the best performing online campaigns in the country.
The website sets out the reasons to hold the March For Change, stating: “While politicians have spent the last three years arguing about what Brexit looks like, all the issues that led to Brexit in the first place have gotten worse. Our NHS is in crisis, our schools are having to beg for stationery and we still don’t have nearly enough affordable housing. When the UK first narrowly voted to leave in 2016, the promise was that we would leave with a better deal. 3 years later we could be heading for no deal at all. We need change and we need it now.”
“From the climate crisis to tax dodging, we know that working together gives us the best chance of solving the global problems we face. We want to put Brexit behind us and reunite the people. Reunite with Europe. We want to build a better Britain in a better Europe and a better world,” it continues.
“Change isn’t the status quo. It’s not things remaining as they are. Change is taking the power…out into our local communities and supporting the grassroots groups across the country in every way possible…to build something which has been missing for three years: a way we can all move forward together.”
March For Change says it will also be supporting local groups up and down the country, making sure they are equipped with specialist social media support and in the delivery of local ground campaigns which step beyond the now familiar street stalls.
A spokesperson for March For Change said: “It’s important to send the new Prime Minister an early message. A show of force to make our voices heard and our presence felt in London long before the clock runs down towards no deal again. Especially in light of Parliament’s latest failed attempt to prevent a no deal scenario which would harm everyone across the leave/remain divide.”
“But change isn’t the status quo. It’s not things remaining as they are. Change is taking the power of this show of force out into our local communities and supporting the grassroots groups across the country in every way possible, to win hearts and minds and to build something which has been missing for three years: a way we can all move forward together.”
March For Change is running an interactive dashboard to keep people up to date with the campaign as it grows.
