Campaign for a second Brexit referendum collapses as group bicker over whether to openly back Remain and furious staff walk out over the sacking of senior executives
- PR man Roland Rudd dismissed executives James McGrory and Tom Baldwin
- But Mr Baldwin turned up for work questioning Rudd’s right to fire him
- Accused Open Britain chairman of of putting a ‘wrecking ball’ through campaign
Roland Rudd, a millionaire public relations executive and senior figure in the campaign for a new referendum, dismissed director James McGrory,and Tom Baldwin, the group’s head of communications.
The campaign to force a second Brexit referendum descended into utter chaos today amid a schism at the heart of the main organisation behind it.
Staff at the People’s Vote staged a walk out this morning over an attempt to fire two senior figures in the movement in a power struggle.
Roland Rudd, a millionaire public relations executive and senior figure in the campaign for a new referendum, dismissed director James McGrory and Tom Baldwin, the group’s head of communications and a former spokesman for Ed Miliband.
But Mr Baldwin said that he still planned to turn up for work and accused Rudd of putting a ‘wrecking ball’ through the campaign.
The organisation is said to be split over whether to openly campaign to stay in the EU or simply seek a new vote.
Staff said they went on strike after Mr Rudd – the brother of former Cabinet minister Amber Rudd – appeared on television this morning instead of attending a meeting with them to discuss the crisis.
Asked if he has been sacked by Mr Rudd, Mr Baldwin said there was a ‘curious situation’, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘Roland Rudd has chosen this time to put a wrecking ball really through the campaign.
Asked if he has been sacked by Mr Rudd, Mr Baldwin said there was a ‘curious situation’, adding: ‘Roland Rudd has chosen this time to put a wrecking ball really through the campaign’
Despite large-scale protests, many opposition MPs seem to accept that a second referendum cannot happen under the current Parliamentary arithmetic
‘It’s not about me, and it’s certainly not about him. I mean the People’s Vote campaign is five different organisations.
‘He is non-executive chairman of one, I think the outgoing executive chairman of one.
‘And he’s making a mistake that I think a lot of businessmen do when they dabble in politics, which is to think that because they had a certain title on a board that they then own the campaign.’
Presser further on whether Mr Rudd sacked him, Mr Baldwin said: ‘He technically controls my contract but he didn’t appoint me. He doesn’t pay me.’
Mr Baldwin said he planned to go into work on Monday morning.
Mr Rudd later told the programme: ‘Listen, there’s no row about where we stand. We all want another vote.’
Asked if Mr Baldwin is still welcome within the campaign, Mr Rudd – the brother of former Tory cabinet minister Amber Rudd – said he has ‘an opportunity for a different type of role’.
Mr Rudd added: ‘I want to make clear, there’s no row about the remain side and PV. Everyone knows where we stand on this.’
Mr Baldwin said: ‘It doesn’t seem to be the best week to be putting a wrecking ball through the campaign, demoralising staff, and demoralising all the activists, the thousands and thousands of activists who paid for our campaign, the millions of people who support us out there in the country.’
He said the People’s Vote campaign ‘belongs to the people, not just one businessman’, adding: ‘It’s really not for him to tell the campaign what to do I’m afraid today, particularly in a week as crucial as this one.’