Former Prime Minister Sir John Major has argued that there is a legitimate basis for a secondary referendum, to ensure that those who voted to remain are fairly represented.
During a private dinner, the former Conservative leader argued that the government should not impose its negotiations on the people without further consultation.
“I hear the argument that the 48 percent of people who voted to stay should have no say in what happens,” he said.
“I find that very difficult to accept. The tyranny of the majority has never applied in a democracy and it should not apply in this particular democracy.”
The decision to leave the European Union was narrowly provoked by the June referendum result, with a slim majority of 51.9 percent of people voting Leave, against 48.1 percent casting their vote to Remain.
During his time as Prime Minister, Sir Major faced dissent from the eurosceptic wing within his party, who condemned his moves to compound the UK further to Europe. The former leader previously claimed that his success in negotiating the Social Chapter, exclusion from the single currency and the Maastricht Treaty were “game, set and match for Britain”.
Nevertheless, he was later defeated in Parliament on the matter, which significantly affected his authority and leadership.
Theresa May has already announced her intended timeline for withdrawing from the EU, with the date for triggering the two year process of Article 50 said to occur in March 2017. However, the specifics regarding negotiations over single market access and passporting rights are yet to be clarified.
According to the Chancellor, the government anticipates borrowing to increase to £122 billion as a result of Brexit. This comes amidst claims that the government is finding itself overwhelmed by the process.
Reportedly, the civil service would have to see an increase of around 30,000 to accommodate the growing administration required to tackle ongoing negotiations regarding Europe.
This follows former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair’s announcement of his return to British Politics, as he calls for the people to mobilise against Brexit. Tony Blair remains Labour’s most electorally successful leader, having won three successive elections.
