Treachery of bitter Major
Former prime minister attacks Theresa May over her Brexit tactics but his Tory colleagues brand him pompous has-been
‘Refighting old battles’
SIR John Major launched a bitter attack on Theresa May’s handling of Brexit last night.
In an extraordinary intervention that sparked anger, the former prime minister urged Mrs May to inject ‘a little more charm and a lot less cheap rhetoric’ into her dealings with Brussels.
Sir John, whose premiership was wrecked by Britain’s disastrous exit from the forerunner of the euro, branded the referendum result an ‘historic mistake’ and accused Mrs May’s Government of making ‘unreal and over-optimistic’ promises that will lead to ‘later recriminations’.
In a bleak assessment, he warned Brexit could break up the Union, wreck the economy, reduce Britain to a ‘pygmy’ on the world stage and bring about the end of the welfare state. Sir John said: ‘In Scotland, I believe a hard Brexit will encourage a second referendum on independence. This may seem improbable at the moment but it would be reckless to ignore the risk.
‘As we saw last June, emotion and national pride can overcome economic self-interest.
‘If Scotland were to become independent, both she and the UK would be diminished. That cannot be ignored as Brexit evolves.’
Sir John said he was not calling for a second EU referendum ‘at this stage’. But he said people had backed Brexit because of an ‘accumulation of griev‘This ances’. And, like Tony Blair this month, he suggested public opinion could change, making another referendum necessary.
His speech followed similar dire warnings from Mr Blair, Peter Mandelson and Lord Heseltine in recent weeks, in what appears to be a determined effort by diehard Remainers to thwart Brexit in the runup to the triggering of Article 50 by Mrs May next month.
His comments sparked an angry response from senior Tories last night. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: is a bitter speech from someone who seems unable to accept that the British people are intelligent enough to make a decision for themselves.
‘He, like Tony Blair and other members of the elite, simply refuse to accept the referendum result – it is profoundly anti-democratic.
‘This speech will, sadly, damage his reputation far more than it will have any effect on the Prime Minister, the Government or the British people.’
Former Tory Cabinet minister John Redwood called Sir John’s intervention ‘very sad’, adding: ‘It is nice, occasionally, to hear from people who have held great office in the past but I wish they would make statements that would help bring people together, rather than refighting old battles.’
Senior Tory MP Jacob ReesMogg described Sir John as ‘yesterday’s man with yesterday’s opinions’, while fellow Tory Nadine Dorries said: ‘He’s such a dull, irrelevant, sad, adulterous, hypocritical, pompous has-been!’
Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who is campaigning for a second EU referendum, hailed Sir John’s intervention as a ‘superb speech’, saying: ‘A moderate, realistic Conservative voice re Brexit at last.’
Speaking at the Chatham House think-tank last night, Sir John admitted the economy had been ‘more tranquil than expected since the decision to leave was taken’. But he said it was time for a ‘reality check’ on Britain’s post-Brexit outlook.
He warned there was a ‘real risk’ of the exit deal falling ‘well below the hopes and expectations’ that have been raised.
Sir John said: ‘The British people have been led to expect a future that seems to be unreal and over-optimistic. Obstacles are brushed aside as of no consequence, while opportunities are inflated beyond any reasonable expectation of delivery.’
He said there was ‘little chance’ of getting an exit deal that matched the advantages of EU membership. And he warned that Britain would have to pay billions to Brussels in return for any kind of settlement at all.
An Ipsos-Mori poll yesterday found there has been no change in public attitudes towards Brexit since the referendum.
The survey found only 4 per cent of people would change their vote, with the switchers evenly balanced on either side.
THE Mediterranean’s escalating migration crisis could see 20million people fleeing from Africa to Europe in the coming years, European Parliament president Antonio Tajani warned yesterday. He called for urgent action to tackle the record numbers of migrants making the perilous journey.
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