Open Britain

Open Britain
Name	Open Britain
Formation	2015
Type	Campaign group
Headquarters	London, England
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Director

Open Britain is a British political advocacy group formed in the aftermath of the 2016 referendum on the 2016 referendum to promote close ties between the United Kingdom and the European Union. It engaged in public campaigning, lobbying, and coalition-building with parties, trade unions, think tanks, and civil society organizations to influence debates around Brexit, trade agreements, and citizens' rights. The group operated amid competing campaigns such as Britain Stronger in Europe and later interacted with networks including Best for Britain and The Independent Group for Change.

History

Open Britain emerged from activists and former staff associated with Britain Stronger in Europe after the referendum defeat by the Vote Leave campaign and Leave.EU. Early activity involved participation in demonstrations alongside groups like People's Vote and The 3 Million and efforts to challenge the timetable set by then-Prime Minister Theresa May for invoking Article 50. The organisation linked with members of parliamentary groups including the European Research Group critics, pro-European members of Labour Party, dissident MPs from the Conservative Party, and centrists from Liberal Democrats. Open Britain also collaborated with international actors such as European Council interlocutors and policy institutes like Chatham House and Institute for Government. Throughout the late 2010s, Open Britain shifted tactics in response to developments like the 2017 United Kingdom general election, the 2019 United Kingdom general election, and the appointment of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Organisation and Leadership

The group was governed by a board and advisory panel that included former campaign directors, communications specialists, and policy advisers drawn from institutions such as London School of Economics, King's College London, and the University of Oxford. Leadership figures included campaign directors with prior roles at Britain Stronger in Europe and staff who had worked for MPs including Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve, and Chuka Umunna. Open Britain's staffing and structure interacted with grassroots networks like Momentum and establishment organizations such as Trade Union Congress branches. The organisation maintained relationships with policy units at Policy Exchange-adjacent actors and progressive groups linked to Equality and Human Rights Commission debates.

Political Campaigns and Activities

Open Britain ran campaigns targeting parliamentary votes on withdrawal agreements, engaging in coordinated efforts with groups such as European Movement UK, Britain for Europe, and Scientists for EU. It mounted advertising campaigns in media outlets including The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, and broadcast platforms such as BBC News and Sky News. Actions included street rallies in locations like Trafalgar Square, petition drives aimed at MPs in constituencies including Battersea, Sleaford and North Hykeham, and Strangford, and legal coordination with firms experienced in judicial review, referencing precedent from cases such as the Miller case. Open Britain also campaigned on cross-cutting issues including citizens' rights for nationals in Republic of Ireland, Spain, and France, and on trade arrangements with partners like United States, China, and Australia.

Policy Positions

The organisation advocated for maintaining close regulatory alignment with the European Union single market and customs arrangements resembling the customs union. It called for protections for EU citizens living in the United Kingdom and for safeguards for sectors such as automotive industry, pharmaceutical industry, and agriculture connected to markets in Germany, Netherlands, and Ireland. Open Britain supported parliamentary sovereignty arguments often cited by MPs from crossbench alignments and invoked legal frameworks like the European Convention on Human Rights in policy briefs. The group published analyses drawing on research from think tanks such as Institute for Public Policy Research and Resolution Foundation comparing economic scenarios similar to models from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and International Monetary Fund reports.

Funding and Support

Funding sources reported included donations from private individuals, contributions associated with public figures from business community networks, and grants connected to philanthropic foundations that have also supported organizations like Best for Britain and European Movement UK. Supporters encompassed politicians from Labour, Liberal Democrats, and pro-European Conservatives, trade unionists linked to unions such as Unison, and academics from University College London and University of Cambridge. Open Britain engaged external consultants who had worked on campaigns for institutions like Amnesty International and policy communications firms with prior contracts involving Department for Exiting the European Union-related stakeholders.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics from across the political spectrum, including figures aligned with Vote Leave and commentators at The Sun and Daily Mail, accused Open Britain of elitism and undermining referendum results. Some pro-Leave MPs such as Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nigel Farage criticized its tactics as partisan, while disputed links to other advocacy groups sparked debates in outlets like The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Legal challenges involving campaign financing and advertising compliance were reported in the context of rules overseen by the Electoral Commission. Internal disagreements over strategy paralleled splits seen in groups like Best for Britain and controversies around public endorsements involving figures from Fabian Society circles. In media scrutiny, commentators referenced comparisons to historical campaigns such as People's Vote protests and earlier movements around European Coal and Steel Community debates.

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom