‘Hold firm’ to keep Britain in EU, Blair told Macron
TONY BLAIR has been accused of “unacceptable” behaviour after it emerged he has briefed Emmanuel Macron on how to force Britain to stay in the European Union.
The former Labour prime minister believes that if the EU stands its ground over the Brexit deal, Parliament will cave in and accept a customs union – which would keep Britain yoked to Brussels – or a second referendum that could cancel Brexit altogether. Sources in Paris confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that Mr Blair had been speaking to the French president about Brexit.
He is reported to have told Mr Macron to “hold firm” and wait for events to play out in London that end in Britain staying in the EU.
Peter Bone, a Eurosceptic Conservative MP, said: “It is totally unacceptable for a former prime minister to go around the heads of European coun- tries and undermine the Government’s position.
“I’m not sure we could find another time in modern history when this has happened.
“Tony Blair has to realise he has had his time as prime minister and I’m surprised and disappointed he has done this. I doubt he would have liked it if his predecessors had done this to him.
“Thankfully I don’t think it will have any effect other than to damage his legacy.”
Mr Blair is an outspoken advocate of a second referendum, and has admitted in the past that he has told European leaders it was now “probable” a second referendum would happen. He has previously met the European Commission president Jean-claude Juncker for private talks about negotiating with Britain over Brexit.
In a recent interview Mr Blair told Euronews: “I don’t disclose the people I speak to because that should remain private between me and the leaders I talk to.
“But I think it’s very obvious... I need to get the European leaders to the next stage which is to realise that the probability is it’s going to happen and they’ve got to prepare for it.”
The Sunday Times quoted a Conservative source saying of Mr Blair’s dealings with Mr Macron: “He’s saying, ‘You’ve got to hold firm and then we’ll end up staying’.
It suggests that Mr Blair believes that the EU should refuse to offer Theresa May any further concessions on her deal, which would result in it being voted down and pave the way for Parliament to insist on a customs union or a second referendum.
Sources in Paris said Mr Blair had been “lobbying” the French president, but drew a distinction between lobbying and briefing. They declined to comment on Mr Macron’s response to the approach from Mr Blair.
A spokesman for Mr Blair said: “We don’t comment on private meetings.”
A source close to Mr Blair denied that he had suggested Britain would stay in the EU.
The source said: “What he has said to any European leader is that if Britain decides to go back to the people – which is a decision for Parliament and no one else – then Europe should think again as well as Britain thinking again, for example, on issues around immigration and Freedom of Movement.”