MAJOR BULLY
Tory Brexiteers round on Sir John Major for ‘bullying’ Britain into closer ties with the EU in the first place after he calls for second referendum
FUMING Tory Brexiteers have torn into Sir John Major for trying to force Theresa May into holding ANOTHER EU referendum.
In an explosive intervention today, the former Prime Minister infuriated Leave-voters by saying 2016's vote was just "advisory" and that the people should have the chance to change their minds.
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In a speech this afternoon to the Creative Industries Federation, Sir John said that the promises made in the referendum "cannot be met" and electors "know they were misled". And he told Theresa May not to deliver Brexit if it makes Britain worse off.
The ex-premier claimed that he believed gloomy economic forecasts made by pessimistic officials and experts, which say we will be worse off after we leave.
"I know of no precedent for any Government enacting a policy that will make both our country and our people poorer," he said.
"Once that is apparent, the Government must change course."
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"No-one voted for higher prices and poorer public services, but that is what they may get," he added.
"The emerging evidence suggests Brexit will hurt most those who have least."
But Brexiteers were quick to fight back against his barnstorming speech - where he said the electorate had "every right to reconsider their decision".
Backbencher Jacob Rees Mogg told BBC News that Sir John had got it wrong in the past, and was getting it wrong again now.
He said that he was a "complete humbug" because of his "aggressive whipping" campaign to pass the Maastericht Treaty in 1992 - which got us even more integrated into the EU.
"For that PM to then say 'oh it should be a free vote', is either forgetting how he behaved himself, ignoring how he behaved himself, or just straight forward hypocrisy," Mr Rees-Mogg said.
"This isn't a statesman like speech, this one of someone grubbing around reeds for weak arguments."
John Major is trying to overturn the result of the referendum, Jacob Rees Mogg says
He accused him of peddling "cheap comments and propaganda" and dubbed the speech "weak and tendentious".
And Tory MP Micheal Fabricant fumed: "I remember the bullying, physical abuse, and the shouting by whips over the Maastricht votes. And John Major when PM, ordered the whips to use all means to get the Government vote through.
"This long-winded whine of a speech, this denunciation of the Brexit vote by the people, this rehash of project-fear, is for one purpose only... a non-whipped vote in the Commons and yet another EU referendum."
Change Britain Chair Gisela Stuart said: "John Major rejected calls for a referendum before signing the Maastricht Treaty which surrendered extensive powers to the EU.
"Now that 17.4 million people have voted to take back control, he again wants to ignore the voice of the public."
Ex-Ukip MP Douglas Carswell said that it was a "full blown establishment plan to stop Brexit".
The Remain-backing former Prime Minister today joined calls from arch-moaner Tony Blair to commit to a second referendum that could totally reverse our decision to leave. Sir John also said:
- Theresa May should let her MPs vote freely on the final deal she gets with the EU, and not be tied to party lines. If they wanted to, they should order another referendum - and could even bring down the Government
- Brexit is a "unique decision" and MPs must be able to vote with their own consciences
- It will be time for a fresh vote on the EU in 2021 - just five years after the last one
- Brexiteers are "deceiving themselves", "misleading the British people", and "every one of the Brexit promises" is "not true"
- Britain should stay in a Customs Union - the plan endorsed by Jeremy Corbyn earlier this week, but would mean we can't sign our own trade deals with other countries
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In a stinging attack on Mrs May's Brexit strategy, he accused her of "bad politics" and of listening to Brexit supporters who are "profoundly wrong".
Sir John stormed: "The ultra Brexiteers have been mistaken – wrong – in nearly all they have said or promised to the British people."
And he urged the PM to give up her red lines, saying getting everything we wanted was "not credible".
By the time we're out of the transition period in 2021 it will be five years since the referendum and time for a fresh vote, he argued.
"The electorate will have changed. Some voters will have left us. Many new voters will be enfranchised. Others may have changed their mind.
"No-one can truly know what “the will of the people” may then be. So, let Parliament decide. Or put the issue back to the people."
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As the EU today demanded they annex Northern Ireland from the UK after Brexit, Sir John also said that it was our responsibility to come up with fresh plans.
He said: "We need a policy to protect the Good Friday Agreement urgently – and we need one without delay."
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