Remain Day: Anti-Brexit activists celebrate UK's failure to leave EU

Remainers co-opt 29 March celebrations to poke fun at Brexiteers

Remain activists have spent the day crowing at Brexiteers over Britain's failure to leave the EU (Getty Images)

Remainers were jubilant Friday did not mark the last day of Britain’s membership of the EU and celebrated by dubbing it Remain Day.

Britain was due to formally end its 46-year membership on 29 March, when the Article 50 process was intended to be completed.

But Brexit day was delayed after Theresa May successfully sought an extension from other European leaders to give her more time to try and pass her unloved withdrawal deal.

Pro-EU activists have now reclaimed 29 March as Remain Day, an impromptu celebration of Britain’s failure to exit the bloc.

The hashtag #RemainDay began trending on Twitter and was picked up by the Liberal Democrats among others.

“We are closer than ever to giving the people, not the squabbling Tory and DUP politicians in Westminster, the final say on the Brexit deal,” the party tweeted.

“If you want to end this embarrassing mess, join our fight for a People’s Vote #RemainDay”

Other Remainers shared a mock introduction from the BBC’s Politics Live programme, where presenter Jo Coburn began the show by saying: “The wait is over. It’s Friday 29 March – Brexit day – and we’re leaving the European Union tonight…

“Except we’re not leaving today.”

Others continued to promote the petition to revoke Article 50, arguing backing the call to cancel Brexit was the most appropriate way to celebrate the day.

The famous petition is closing in on its six millionth signature.

Numerous pro-Brexit groups had planned events and parties for Friday evening to celebrate what they hoped would be Brexit day.

The organisers of the 200-mile March for Leave, which finally reached Westminster this morning will still culminate in a “Big Brexit Bash”, its organiser Richard Tice told the BBC.

But what was planned to be a party will now be a protest at the delay to Brexit, he admitted.

Even those preparing to mourn Brexit day have had to change their plans. The Swedish organisers of a viral Facebook event called “The UK’s Leaving Drinks” said they would reschedule it to 31 May.

More embarrassingly, the Treasury had planned to release a special 50 pence coin to mark Brexit day, etched with the date 29 March 2019 and scheduled to become available at 11pm tonight.

The government has confirmed it had not yet started minting the coin except a small number of trial pieces, so the commemorative coin can be re-designed with the new actual date for Brexit.