The Remain campaign... I've never seen a more miserable offering. All they are saying is stay in and we'll do our best to make sure that Britain's Parliamentary independence isn't eroded faster than we can possibly imagine.

In this quote, Boris Johnson critiques the Remain campaign during the Brexit referendum, describing it as a miserable offering. He suggests that the campaign's message was weak and lacked a compelling vision for the future. According to Johnson, the central argument of the Remain side was simply to stay in the European Union and promise to do their best to preserve Britain's Parliamentary independence, though he believed that independence was already at risk. Johnson’s words reflect his dissatisfaction with the lack of a strong, positive case for remaining in the EU.

Johnson emphasizes the idea that, under the EU, Britain's Parliamentary independence was being steadily eroded. He suggests that the Remain campaign failed to address the broader issue of how Britain’s ability to govern itself was being compromised by EU membership. This critique focuses on the notion that the EU was undermining the sovereignty and autonomy of Britain’s political institutions, which he believed was an essential part of the country’s identity.

The origin of this quote comes from Boris Johnson, a British politician and former Mayor of London who became one of the leading figures in the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum. Johnson was a strong advocate for the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU, arguing that leaving would restore Britain’s independence and allow it to make decisions free from European influence. His view of the Remain campaign reflects his broader political stance on national sovereignty and self-governance.

In this context, Johnson’s words express his belief that the Remain campaign lacked a clear or positive vision and was primarily focused on avoiding further loss of independence. He portrays the Remain argument as insufficient, highlighting his own commitment to regaining control over Britain’s laws and policies. His criticism points to the tension between the desire to stay in the EU for economic and practical reasons and the longing for a return to full parliamentary sovereignty.