Anti-Brexit People’s Vote campaign group dominated by Alastair Campbell and Lord Mandelson ‘is being ripped apart by bitter infighting’

  • Anti-Brexit People’s Vote campaign ‘is being ripped apart by bitter infighting’
  • Emails leaked to The Mail on Sunday reveal a deep split in the campaign
  • One faction organised yesterday’s March For Change in Central London
  • But the other camp want to concentrate on setting up another EU referendum 

The anti-Brexit People’s Vote campaign, which is calling for a second referendum on Europe, is being ripped apart by bitter infighting, it was claimed last night.

One faction, including those who organised yesterday’s March For Change in Central London, are openly Remainers.

But the other camp – dominated by former Labour spin doctors Alastair Campbell and Tom Baldwin, along with former Cabinet Minister Lord Mandelson – want to concentrate on securing a second referendum, the original reason for setting up the campaign.

The anti-Brexit People’s Vote campaign, which is calling for a second referendum on Europe, is being ripped apart by bitter infighting, it was claimed last night. One faction, including those who organised yesterday’s March For Change in Central London, above, are openly Remainers

Emails leaked to The Mail on Sunday reveal a deep split. 

One source inside the coalition-style campaign claimed that regular meetings were being held behind the scenes by Baldwin and another official with Tony Blair and that the former Prime Minister had helped to raise between £2 million and £3 million.

In an angry email on April 25 sent by six leading campaigners, including journalist Baroness Wheatcroft, to the leadership of the People’s Vote, they expressed extreme concern that separate camps had emerged at its Millbank HQ. 

The other camp – dominated by former Labour spin doctors Alastair Campbell (above) and Tom Baldwin, along with former Cabinet Minister Lord Mandelson – want to concentrate on securing a second referendum, the original reason for setting up the campaign

They said: ‘There is almost no sign of the co-operation and unity that have made the People’s Vote campaign one of the most successful efforts in recent British political history.’

Writing before the European elections in May, they described the campaign as ‘not fit for purpose’.

The email chain, shared to about a dozen key figures, then led to a hostile exchange on April 28 between former FT journalist Hugo Dixon and Mr Campbell.

Mr Dixon, a vice-chairman of the campaign, was clearly angry that neither he nor chairman, PR guru Roland Rudd, were consulted about the appointment of Campbell’s protege Tom Baldwin as director of communications. 

In typically blunt style, Campbell fired back: ‘Hugo – forgive me if I put your email into the “seeking to destroy others’ will to live” department.’

One source inside the coalition-style campaign claimed that regular meetings were being held behind the scenes by Baldwin and another official with Tony Blair and that the former Prime Minister had helped to raise between £2 million and £3 million

A People’s Vote spokesman said: ‘Mr Blair and senior figures from different parties have attended fundraising events for Open Britain, one of the organisations in the People’s Vote campaign. But the vast majority of our income comes from small donations online.’

A spokesman for Mr Blair said: ‘He has attended fundraising events but has not helped raise the amounts you suggest.’

Thousands joined yesterday’s march, compared to 700,000 for a People’s Vote last October.

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