Unease haunts the Tories as minister admits another poll ‘just possible’
BORIS Johnson’s deputy at the UK’s foreign office has admitted there could be a second referendum on Britain exiting the EU, plunging Theresa May’s government deeper into chaos.
Alan Duncan, a minister of state at the foreign office, said it would be “just possible” for there to be a second referendum on the terms of the exit deal. However, he added that there would be no second vote on whether to leave.
“It would, I suppose, just be possible to ask the people in a referendum if they liked the exit deal or not,” Mr Duncan told the WDR Europa-forum conference.
“But that would mean the choice would be between the exit deal on offer or having no deal at all.
“It would not in reality offer people the option of reversing the original decision to leave the EU and so remain inside it.”
The comments are likely to spark further unease after days of chaos in the Tories with Mrs May facing revolt from both wings of her party
She met twice with Brexit Secretary David Davis, amid reports he was considering resigning unless there was a clear time limit on the temporary customs arrangement.
The latest document represents the UK’s proposals for Brussels, but was also designed to appease Conservative Brexiteers. In a letter to Tory MPs, Mrs May described the UK proposal as “unpalatable but at worst temporary”.
A source close to Mr Davis said there had been “a back and forth” on the wording of the paper, which “now expresses, in much more detail, the time-limited nature of our proposal”.
Mrs May also held separate face-to-face discussions with leading Brexiteers Mr Johnson and Liam Fox.
But John Longworth, of the Leave Means Leave campaign, said Mrs May appeared “obsessed with the damage-limitation mantra of the remainers” and was leading the country into a Brussels trap.
Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer described Mrs May’s concession as “embarrassing”.
And the Tories were warned by the SNP that they would be “haunted for generations” if they force through the EU Withdrawal Bill against the will of the Scottish Parliament.
Ian Blackford MP will use his speech to the SNP conference in Aberdeen to condemn the latest plan.