This week Eddie Izzard has embarked on a a 31-city tour to try and persuade young people to vote in the EU referendum. While this is just one of the genius strategies put forward by Britain Stronger in Europe as they notch up their campaign efforts, Mr S can’t help but notice that one of their most authoritative figures is nowhere to be seen of late.
Step forward Stuart Rose. When the campaign group launched last year, its chairman was heralded as the man who could show that Remain-ers are practical people with good judgment rather than die-hard Europhiles. Yet, in recent months the retail supremo has cut down his media appearances significantly.
Mr S understands that there have been murmurs of discontent from his Remain comrades over his poor media performances. As well as forgetting the name of his own campaign group four times, Rose boosted the Brexit camp when he claimed that wages would go up if Britain left the EU, when he appeared before the Treasury Select Committee. Then last month, Rose made yet another gaffe when he confused Sweden for Switzerland at a BAFTA event.
Since then Steerpike is yet to hear of any reporting sightings and understands that he is taking on a behind-the-scene’s role. While this will come as a relief to many Remain-ers, given that a spokesman for BSE assures Mr S he will be back on the campaign trail ahead of the vote, they ought not to breathe a sigh of relief just yet.
Update 1: It has come to Mr S’s attention that Rose has broken his media hiatus to pen an article for www.foodmanufacture.co.uk on 25 May, claiming EU membership is ‘vital for the success’ of the UK food and drink manufacturing sector.
Update 2: As Farage pointed out in last night’s EU debate, there are still no physical sightings of Rose — perhaps he has gone into hibernation?
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