Mayor warns a second Brexit vote could cause ‘unrest on streets’
MAYOR Andy Burnham has warned that a second vote on Brexit could cause ‘real unrest on the streets of Greater Manchester’ – but said he would back it if all other options exhausted.
Speaking ahead of an event in Westminster, Mr Burnham called for the Brexit process to be postponed because of the risk of ‘crashing out’ of the EU without a deal.
He said that if postponing it wasn’t possible, we should ‘consider were holding a second vote’, despite his ‘real concerns’ about it.
“I have real concerns about a second vote”, he said.
“It would cause real unrest on the streets of Greater Manchester. But there is something worse than having another vote and that is crashing out of the European Union without a deal.
“So, as a last resort, when everything else has failed, when we have tried to extend Article 50 to get more time, then and only then should we consider holding a second vote.”
Mr Burnham said at his Westminster address that a no-deal Brexit ‘would be a disaster’ for Greater Manchester.
“The shock to our economy and public services would be huge,” he said. “We are looking at double-digit damage to our economy and disruption to essential services.
“I believe we need to build in Greater Manchester a broad, crossparty campaign against no deal with the aim of stopping it at all costs.
“As soon as it becomes clear that the MPs against a no deal outcome cannot unite around a plan, I would urge all Greater Manchester MPs to support a call on the EU for an extension of Article 50 beyond the March deadline as the next way of stopping no deal.
“If that fails and we are left on the cliff edge of no deal with no other options, then, and only then, would I endorse the call for a people’s vote on the proposed no deal departure and encourage our MPs to do the same.”
On Sunday, John Leech, the leader of the Lib Dem opposition on Manchester council and the former MP for Withington, said Brexit would be devastating and called for a ‘People’s Vote’ that would give the public a ‘final say’ on Brexit.