THE MP for Kemptown insisted Britain should remain a member of the EU at a rally on Hove Lawns yesterday afternoon.

A crowd of a few hundred cheered Caroline Lucas, Peter Kyle, and Alastair Campbell as they outlined their opposition to the government’s handling of Brexit and demanded the country stay in the single market.

But Lloyd Russell-Moyle went further, saying: “We need to make sure [Britain] stays in the EU.”

He said: “We cannot have a progressive Britain without a progressive EU that we are a full part of with full rights.”

It marks a rare split between Mr Russell-Moyle and his party’s leadership, which has adopted a position of accepting the result of the June 2016 referendum but arguing for extended membership of the customs union and single market.

Mr Russell-Moyle MP said: “I’m a friend of Jeremy Corbyn and I voted for him but when you’re friends with people and they’re going in the wrong direction on something you stand up and say something.”

He added that the government would have to prise his passport, emblazoned with the European Union insignia, “out of his cold dead hands.”

Prior to heading down to Hove Lawns the rally began at The Level, which two hours previously had been the starting point of another of the day’s marches - organised by Sussex Defend the NHS.

The anti-Brexit march, which was organised by a coalition of pro-EU groups both from the city and wider afield, brought its participants together at around 1pm before marching south to the seafront, past the Brighton Centre where the Labour conference is being held, and west to a stage set up on Hove Lawns.

Hove MP Peter Kyle took to the stage to mock the Conservative attempts to make a success of Brexit. He said: “They’ve told ten countries around the world that they are front of the queue for trade deals.

“These people are in charge of our prosperity, our economy, our society - and they don’t even know what a queue is.”

He said: “Brexit is going wrong and we must stop it. All options must remain on the table, and that includes a second referendum.”

He backed permanent membership of the single market and the customs union, and insisted there was “no answer” to the question: “What is better about Britain being poorer?”

Brighton Pavilion MP and Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas took to the stage to huge cheers. She said: Our vision is not the mean little vision of Theresa May.”

She added: “It’s more important than ever that people have an opportunity to change their minds, and that’s why the Green Party is absolutely committed to a referendum on the final deal - so people can decide of they like it. And, as I imagine they will not, on that ballot paper should be the option to remain in the EU.”

But Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle went further than either of them, saying Brexit was a disaster for Britain and insisting “we must make sure it stays in the EU.”

Former Labour communications chief Alastair Campbell told the crowd he was himself a “Remainer, remoaner, remainiac” who would not stop talking about the issue.

He said: “Democracy is not a moment, it’s a process. People can change their minds, and the country can change its mind.”

He took aim at those who have claimed that by voting for either major party, both of which had a pro-Brexit manifesto, 80 per cent of the electorate had endorsed the referendum result.

He said: “I voted Labour. I did not vote for Brexit. I voted Labour to stop Theresa May getting a Brexit mandate.”

The crowd, many of whom held Eu flags and most of whom were wearing neon yellow stickers saying “B*ll*cks to Brexit” seemed impressed with the rally, held under warm September sunshine.

Caroline Matthews, from Brighton said it had been “fantastic”.

She added: “I’m here because I don’t want Brexit to happen. I think it will be bad for Britain, bad for the majority.”