A fuller report of the CIB annual rally at the Emmanuel Centre will appear in due course, along with a video, but for those of us who attended, it was an encouraging day.
The polls have been pretty static, suggesting that the barrage of fear fired at us by Mr Cameron had his allies both home and abroad has failed so far to make the same impact as in the 1975 referendum when an initial majority for leaving turned into a substantial majority for remaining.
On the other hand, we have yet to see the tide turn in our direction. However, our speakers gave us reason to hope that such a shift is possible.
For instance, Kate Hoey MP mentioned that in parts of London, some supporters of Brexit will not own up to so doing in public. There may be therefore more support than opinion polls suggest, at least in the Capital.
Helle Hagenau, for the Norwegian Nei til EU movement said that she believed that we would vote to leave on June 23rd. She pointed out that her movement was very much a grassroots group and said that in her experience, the key to winning was one-to-one contact.
Stuart Agnew MEP gave an interesting and witty presentation demolishing the fears of some in the agricultural community that Brexit would mean the end of farming subsidies.
Two Labour veterans of the 1972 vote which took us into what has become the EU also made short speeches. Lord Stoddart, one of this distinguished pair, was also presented with a gift to mark his 90th birthday and also to thank him for his sterling service in the noble cause of withdrawal. His colleague Eric Deakins expressed his disappointment in Jeremy Corbyn, pointing out that until he became leader of the Labour Party, his track record as an opponent of the EU had been pretty solid. We can expect to hear more from Mr Deakins in the coming weeks.
A brief clip of the presentation to Lord Stoddart can be seen here.
One last minute addition to the programme was Will Carver of the recently-formed Veterans for Britain group, who demolished any suggestion that the UK was safer inside the EU. The group has produced an excellent leaflet which is ideal for use in any areas where there are members of the Armed Forces. Although the officers are split. most ordinary servicemen are solid supporters of withdrawal.
The meeting closed with a screening of Brexit the Movie, only its second public showing.
As our Chairman pointed out, this could be the last CIB annual rally before we regain our freedom!
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