Call for public vote on final Brexit deal

Sir, The launch of the ‘People’s vote’ campaign group, which brings together MPs, celebrities and business leaders, calling for a public vote on the final Brexit deal between the UK and the EU, is to be welcomed.

The vote held almost two years ago was very much a vote in the dark and no one had any idea of what the consequences were going to be.

Indeed, the terms and conditions of Brexit are quite unlike how they were presented during the run up to the 2016 referendum.

Some Brexit campaigners deceived the British people with their misleading slogans and speeches – £350 million a week promised to the NHS being just one example.

However, the fallout from Brexit is becoming increasingly clear, especially around issues such as the implications of Brexit for the Irish border as well as the cold reality that it is hurting our economy, our public services and the life chances of future generations.

The government has already admitted that in all of the possible outcomes of the current negotiations, the country will be worse off.

We are ultimately about to embark on a course that will make both ourselves and our children less prosperous than they are now.

Brexit is such a huge and momentous time in our history, one which will affect future generations for many years to come, and is an issue that should not be left to the politicians.

Now we are learning the real cost of Brexit, the only way to resolve the huge challenge we now face as a country is through a people’s vote on the final Brexit deal. Alex Orr, Edinburgh.