There are many uncertainties facing Labour at the moment, but we now know that one of them will not be the party’s position on the European Union referendum. At the Labour Movement for Europe rally in Brighton, there was a sense of elated relief that Labour will definitely be campaigning to remain in the EU and that Alan Johnson will be heading that campaign. At the moment, Johnson is probably the only living Labour member who is still liked by everyone in the party, and who also remains widely respected outside it.

Opening the rally, Johnson argued firmly against the idea that Labour is giving David Cameron a blank cheque by opposing Brexit, whatever the outcome of his ‘renegotiations’. The fear that Cameron will jettison the social chapter is probably unfounded as its terms are now embedded into European law, and would most likely require treaty change to undo. General secretary of the Trades Union Congress Frances O’Grady later pointed out that if David Cameron is serious about wanting to stay in, then alienating millions of workers by creating a ‘bonfire of rights’ would be unbearably reckless. However, in the unlikely event that workers’ rights were compromised by renegotiation, Johnson told the rally (to inevitable loud applause) that ‘we shouldn’t get rid of Europe, we should get rid of the Tories’ and immediately restore those rights in government.

Glenis Willmott, Labour’s leader in the European parliament, described pro-Europeans as ‘the beautiful people’. This was the most striking expression of an idea that many speakers embraced – staying in the EU is the positive, outward-looking, ‘big picture’ side of the argument. Chuka Ummuna and others stressed the need to portray a vote to remain in the EU as an act of patriotism, as the act of someone who believes in Britain and its capacity to shape events in Europe. This is in contrast to the view of the United Kingdom Independence party and its co-religionists whose portrayal of Britain as the victim of a flawed system that cannot be changed, shows a depressing lack of faith in our country.

To win a referendum requires an appeal to the head, but more importantly to the heart. Wilmott told us that we can rely on business to provide the ‘head’ argument – the loss of jobs, exports, political influence and so on. But it is up to Labour to give the campaign its heart. The consequences of a vote where an electorate feels rationality is pulling them in a different direction to their emotions are evident in the legacy of the Scottish referendum. It is becoming hard to remember that the unionists actually won that vote given the acrimony which followed.

Therefore insights from Grainne Healey, who led the Yes campaign in the altogether more joyful gay marriage referendum in Ireland were highly relevant. She described a campaign built almost entirely from the grassroots, and a strategy of changing minds through individuals having conversations with each other rather than politicians telling people what to think and do. With a movement behind it that Emma Reynolds assured us was the envy of at least one Tory MP she has spoken to, Labour is brilliantly placed to carry out a similar campaign. It means that all of us have an individual responsibility to be advocates for remaining in the EU – within our constituency Labour parties, campaigning door to door, talking to friends, family and colleagues. Pat McFadden, the irrepressible shadow minister for Europe, told us that, with the Tories so divided over Europe, the referendum is also an opportunity for the Labour to demonstrate leadership, something that is usually very hard to do in opposition.

Johnson said that the EU referendum is the most important vote that any of us will take part in. In the 40 years since we joined the EEC as was, the world has become far more interconnected, we are much more dependent on each other than we were, and the consequences of leaving are therefore so much greater.

As Progress director Richard Angell said, we do not want to be desperately trying to explain to our grandchildren why Britain left the EU just because we did not want to give tax credits to Poles. The message was clear from the rally that every one of us has a part to play in avoiding that.

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Christabel Cooper is a member of the Labour party