Leave campaign told lies – Bettel
ANY Brexit deal should be put to a second referendum, Luxembourg’s prime minister has suggested.
Xavier Bettel said he hoped the House of Commons could “think twice” about leaving the European Union, or the decision could be put to a second public vote.
He said some of the promises made by the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum were “lies” and voters should be given the chance to decide on the reality of life outside the EU.
“The fact is that the divorce was triggered by Theresa May last week, the procedure is going on, so it’s a two-year procedure. Maybe during this procedure you can still have strong feelings on Europe and maybe you decide in the House of Commons you think twice, again, before leaving your family,” he said.
On BBC Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar’s Politics, Mr Bettel also raised Scotland’s demand for independence as a sign of the difficulties that the Government was facing.
“For the moment I’m looking how you will stay still the United Kingdom,” he said.
“So it is important for me that there will be discussions, and that in fact at the end maybe the deal that the UK got should be on the vote and a discussion to see if this is really what they want or not because it’s a loselose situation.”
He said “when the bill is there with all the things you might lose” politicians may be “courageous” enough to ask the public “do you accept this deal or not”.
“This would be another possibility,” he said. “And I insist on that point, some promises have been said by the Leave camp which are lies.
“This is very, very, very difficult to accept for some people who trusted those people.”
Mr Bettel said: “What is important if you do referendums is that you say the truth and that people are able to vote knowing everything, all the conditions.”