New European celebrates third birthday with letter dubbing doubters ‘foolish’ and ‘treacherous’

The New European has celebrated its third birthday with an editorial calling its doubters and detractors “foolish” and “treacherous”.

New European editor Matt Kelly also claimed in a letter to readers that the pro-Remain paper had “won the argument” over Brexit as other outlets had moved towards its position.

The Archant-owned publication was launched shortly after the Brexit vote in June 2016 and was originally supposed to run for just four weeks.

In a statement to Press Gazette Kelly said: “Some four weeks it’s turned out to be.

“We’ve got the smallest editorial team in national newspapers with just one full time member of staff and a handful of others part time, myself included.

“It was my great fortune that everyone of them has been brilliant throughout the project and keeping it all going has been a true team effort.

“We’ve been profitable for some time now. I have no idea what the future holds, but The New European will certainly be around for a while yet.”

Since the title’s release former Blair Government spin doctor Alastair Campbell has joined the team as editor-at-large.

Last year it celebrated the publication of its 100th issue and announced a partial micro-paywall partnership with digital solutions firm Agate.

Kelly went also praised the New European’s online performance, but added: “I still feel there are other areas the New European could develop, so the journey isn’t over yet.”

In a letter to readers in the latest edition of The New European, the editor wrote: “Those who labelled The New European (and by extension you, our readers) foolish, deluded and treacherous are today the ones who seem foolish, deluded, and, yes, I’ll say it, treacherous.

“Foolish in their belief that the British public is not wise to their self-interested lies. Deluded in their belief that they can negotiate anything better than Theresa May’s miserable and pointless Brexit deal.

“And treacherous for so obviously putting the interests of their party, or their personal ambitions, ahead of the national interest…”

He also said The New European “was only meant to last for a month”, later arguing that when it came to pushing for a “confirmatory vote” on Brexit, the title “had the field to itself”.

“Practically every news publication in the country has accepted our argument that Brexit is not the simple question of being in or out, but is instead the most complex and insoluble political problem in history,” wrote Kelly.

Britain is currently set to leave the European Union on 31 October. The Tory party voting for a new leader and Prime Minister to replace Theresa May, with the ballot closing on 22 July.

Picture: The New European