England legend Gary Lineker believes blocking Brexit is “more important than football”, and has backed a campaign calling for a second referendum.
The Match of the Day host, whose national hero status is bolstered by 329 career goals and a visceral hatred for Piers Morgan, threw his support behind the People’s Vote “summer of action” movement yesterday after labelling Brexit negotiations “more bewildering and worrying than ever."
His decision follows the disconcerting news that the government is stockpiling food and medicines in preparation for a 'no-deal Brexit'.
Lineker said: “I spent most of the last few weeks totally focused on a fantastic World Cup.
“But it was impossible to avoid what was happening in the Brexit debate back home. Now I’m back I find the whole thing more bewildering and worrying than ever.
“Whether you voted Leave or Remain, did anyone really vote for the mess we seem to be in, let alone the prospect of no deal with all the terrible consequences attached to that?
“There are some things in life that, even for someone like me, are more important than football. This is one of them. I am not a politician but I know when something is going wrong and right now Brexit feels like it is going very wrong indeed.
“The politicians seem unable to resolve the problem the people gave them in voting to Leave. That is why I think there should be a People’s Vote on the final deal, and why I am sending best wishes and good luck to the campaigners who will be stepping up the pressure over the summer.”
The People’s Vote will campaign for 2 weeks in Scotland, Wales and five English regions, followed by a national march through central London on 20 October which they are calling the "biggest Brexit protest yet". More than 100,000 turned out for their previous march last month.
Femi Oluwole, chief spokesman for Our Future Our Choice, said: “Whether people voted Remain or Leave two years ago, no one voted for this mess.
“The People’s Vote campaign’s summer heat will scorch those who still support this botched Brexit or are even planning to force a no-deal Brexit on the British people.
“This is a people’s movement holding the elite to account. We the people – from all walks of life and every region and nation in our country – are taking back control of the Brexit process from the politicians like Jacob Rees-Mogg who have failed us, and we demand a People’s Vote.”
