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No Second Chances: The Inside Story of the Campaign for a Second EU Referendum
Between 2016 and 2019, a unique coalition assembled within British politics. Combining Corbynite campaigners and Conservative Cabinet ministers, celebrities and grassroots activists, seasoned political veterans and novice political amateurs, this disparate assemblage of forces was brought together by one stopping Brexit. What began as the unfocused, often deeply emotional belief that Britain must not leave the EU morphed, fleetingly, into a mass the People's Vote campaign, a mess of organisations united by the call for a second referendum on Europe.
From the stunts of youth campaigners and the online antics of new pro-EU influencers to the million-person marches of 2019 and the launch of new centrist parties, many people, serious and unserious alike, dedicated themselves to securing a new vote. A campaign premised on telling the nation that they had gotten it catastrophically wrong was always going to be hard, and it was only made more so by parliamentary maths that never seemed to quite add up. Based on interviews with the people who were there, No Second Chances tells the dramatic, bizarre, and (at times) embarrassing story of one of recent British history's most feted roads not taken.
From the stunts of youth campaigners and the online antics of new pro-EU influencers to the million-person marches of 2019 and the launch of new centrist parties, many people, serious and unserious alike, dedicated themselves to securing a new vote. A campaign premised on telling the nation that they had gotten it catastrophically wrong was always going to be hard, and it was only made more so by parliamentary maths that never seemed to quite add up. Based on interviews with the people who were there, No Second Chances tells the dramatic, bizarre, and (at times) embarrassing story of one of recent British history's most feted roads not taken.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 29, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy
[03 Jul 2026] [4-stars] A book that is slightly odd choice for me, but it was favourably reviewed in the Newspaper so I thought I'd give it a go. I was instantly disgruntled by the authors introduction. Born in Dublin and moved to London in 2015, but voted to Remain in the EU. An artefact of history but how arrogant to believe your view should count in determining the future direction of a country that is not your own. She has worked as a political aide and journalist but all for left-lending organisations or publications, so my expectation of a balanced and measured overview was low. She takes you through the aftermath of the EU referendum vote and presents a roller-coaster of a journey. The confused and indignant shocked middle-class who put up their stalls in the town centre and the woman who sewed yellow stars on blue berets.
To summarise there were multiple groups run by mostly middle-class London residents, mostly men, mostly looking for a role and all with massive egos. They were set up and disbanded repeatedly and nearly all lacked focus. Some were aiming to prevent Brexit, to frustrate it, to avoid any deal that was not determined by the EU, to demand 'a soft Brexit,' to demand continuing membership of the single market, customs union and free movement. Each were linked by a visceral emotional attachment to the supra-national EU. A surprise to most people who were not aware that such an attachment existed, it had rarely been exhibited before.
The other issues was how much the Second Referendum support was self-fulfilling and within an echo-chamber with the same small group of people, middle-class, campaigners and holders of utter contempt for the working class who rightly or wrongly thought the EU was not good for them. You are left with no doubt that the Second referendum campaign ultimately failed because it failed to understand the reasons why 17m people held a different view and had a arrogant view that their view was the only acceptable view and those who didn't agree were thick or more charitably so gullible that lies made them vote the wrong way. A really interesting account of a momentous period in recent UK history, well worth reading.
To summarise there were multiple groups run by mostly middle-class London residents, mostly men, mostly looking for a role and all with massive egos. They were set up and disbanded repeatedly and nearly all lacked focus. Some were aiming to prevent Brexit, to frustrate it, to avoid any deal that was not determined by the EU, to demand 'a soft Brexit,' to demand continuing membership of the single market, customs union and free movement. Each were linked by a visceral emotional attachment to the supra-national EU. A surprise to most people who were not aware that such an attachment existed, it had rarely been exhibited before.
The other issues was how much the Second Referendum support was self-fulfilling and within an echo-chamber with the same small group of people, middle-class, campaigners and holders of utter contempt for the working class who rightly or wrongly thought the EU was not good for them. You are left with no doubt that the Second referendum campaign ultimately failed because it failed to understand the reasons why 17m people held a different view and had a arrogant view that their view was the only acceptable view and those who didn't agree were thick or more charitably so gullible that lies made them vote the wrong way. A really interesting account of a momentous period in recent UK history, well worth reading.
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March 19, 2026Very well-written and pretty accurate, apart from the bit where Mike Galsworthy said he ran his campaigns all on his own despite at one point having 4 members of staff (myself included)
May 4, 2026
No writer better indulges my desire to read kremlinology of seriously niche political actors.
July 13, 2026
Really excellent—informative and entertaining by turn!!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews