Led By Donkeys is crowdfunding £50,000 for “honest” No Deal Brexit ad campaign

Following reports that Boris Johnson is putting £100 million of public money behind a marketing campaign promoting the advantages of a No Deal Brexit, protest group Led By Donkeys is crowdfunding an alternative campaign. The group, which is behind a number of other guerrilla campaigns, is raising money to put up billboard posters around the country featuring statements previously made by members of the current parliament discrediting a No Deal Brexit in various ways, and therefore contradicting the pro-No Deal party line.

Posters include comments from health secretary Matt Hancock – “We cannot guarantee that people will not die as a result of a No Deal Brexit” – and business minister (the prime minister’s brother), Jo Johnson – “There are real questions about how we will be able to guarantee access to fresh food and medicine”.

Led By Donkeys, founded by Ben Stewart, James Sadri, Oliver Knowles and Will Rose, says on its Crowdfunder page that Boris Johnson and Michael Gove “can’t be trusted to tell the truth” in their advertising, therefore “we’ve launched the campaign that an honest government would run.”

“The last time Johnson and Gove ran an advertising campaign it was littered with lies,” the group continues, “like their NHS red bus nonsense. Now they’re planning to spend tens of millions of pounds of our money on another propaganda push. Ministers fear a crash out No Deal Brexit could cause job losses, shortages of fresh food and medicine, an increase in organised crime and even death. We’re letting the public know because Johnson and Gove won’t.”

The posters are brandished with the HM Government crest and word marque, made to look like official government posters, with the footnote that it’s “actually Led By Donkeys”. At the time of publication, the campaign had reached almost £30,000 of the £50,000 target with seven days left until its 21 August deadline.

Find out more and back the campaign here.