Best for Britain campaign aims second Brexit referendum

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) - A new campaign for a second referendum on the U.K.’s exit from the EU, which is allegedly partly sponsored by U.S. billionaire George Soros, has been launched in London on Friday.

The campaign, Best For Britain, is urging British lawmakers to force a referendum on the deal -- which is still to be secured by Prime Minister Theresa May with the EU officials -- before the country formally leaves the bloc.

The Best For Britain group plans to secure a second referendum via an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill, which will be discussed and voted in the House of Commons in autumn.

"A people's vote will be held before the end of March 2019. We believe this is the right thing to do so that everyone's voice can be heard,” Eloise Todd, the chief executive of the campaign, said in the launch ceremony.

"But this cannot be a debate fought out solely within the walls of Westminster. We will be talking to people on the doorstep about how Brexit is affecting them."

If the majority of MPs vote for the amendment, the government will have to give a green light for a referendum on the deal with the EU before March 29, 2019, the formal date of Britain’s exit from the EU.

"After March 29, 2019, our option to stay in will disappear,” the group said.

"It is only right that the people get to decide whether to forfeit our current deal after having the opportunity to compare it to the Brexit deal.

"It's simple: may the best deal win.”

According to an article by The Telegraph, George Soros is “one of the three senior figures linked to the Remain-supporting campaign group Best for Britain”.

The article also said that Soros met some senior Tory donors in January in his house in Chelsea and that he has donated £400,000 ($556,000) through his Open Society Foundation.

The campaign has jot down a roadmap to a people’s vote during the launch.

The roadmap says the prime minister needs to lay out her proposals for leaving, the deal must be clear about Britain’s relationship with Europe and it must have the backing of the EU and the U.K. must still have a choice.

It also says the parliament must vote on the deal and agree to a referendum, a different kind of people’s vote campaign must be fought without the past mistakes in 2019 and it must be held before March 29, 2019 to decide the country’s future.