Osborne admits errors during EU referendum

GEORGE OSBORNE has admitted he made “mistakes” during the EU referendum and failed to realise that millions of people were furious with the Government.

The former chancellor, who was sacked from Theresa May’s new government in July, said he now has to learn why the country voted for Brexit.

He told the BBC’s Sunday Politics North West that being a backbencher “is a complete change of life and tempo”, and he now has time to think about his “mistakes”.

He said: “I’ve got to go on learning, not least why the country voted the way it did in the referendum that led to me leaving Downing Street.

“I don’t think I properly understood the sense that people had in many communities, particularly in the north of England, that they were completely disconnected from the system, from the way our country was governed, they felt angry about things.

“I think many people used the EU referendum to express that anger.”

Shortly after the referendum Mr Oborne was urged to resign after being accused of adopting a “scorched earth” policy during the campaign.

Mr Osborne has already cast himself as the Tory opposition to a “hard Brexit”.