FORMER education secretary Justine Greening has become the first senior Tory to call for a second EU referendum, describing the Prime Minister’s Brexit plan a “fudge”.
In a newspaper article published yesterday, the former Cabinet member argued that Theresa May’s proposals were “the worst of both worlds”. She said with Conservative and Labour both divided over plans to leave the EU, a free vote in parliament on the final deal would not confer legitimacy on it.
READ MORE: May sees off Tory party Brexit rebellion... for now
“I wanted the Prime Minister’s Chequers agreement to be a workable compromise. It is clear it is not. Leavers are right. Having read the detail, this deal is a fudge I can’t support. It’s the worst of both worlds,” Greening wrote.
“The only solution is to take the final Brexit decision out of the hands of deadlocked politicians, away from the backroom deals, and give it back to the people.”
Greening said a new EU referendum should present three options: the future deal negotiated with Europe, staying in the EU, or a clean break with no deal, and that voters should be asked for their first and second preferences.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Greening, who resigned after the Cabinet reshuffle in January, said the Government’s proposals were a “genuine clever attempt at a compromise that could work” but “suit no-one”.
“The reality is Parliament is now stalemated. Whatever the proposal on the table, there will be MPs who vote it down. But Britain needs to find a route forward,” she said.
Greening, who supported Remain in the EU referendum, is regarded as a possible future leadership contender.
Writing in The Times, she hit out at May’s Brexit blueprint, saying: “We’ll be dragging Remain voters out of the EU for a deal that means still complying with many EU rules, but now with no say on shaping them.
“It’s not what they want, and on top of that when they hear that Leave voters are unhappy, they ask, ‘What’s the point?’
“For Leavers, this deal simply does not deliver the proper break from the European Union that they wanted.”
Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general and a Tory Remainer, also hinted he might support a second referendum. In an article in yesterday’s Evening Standard, he said: “In a deeply divided country we must either work together to get the best deal we can – and this needs compromise – or accept that Brexit cannot be implemented and think again about what we are doing.”
Adam Tomkins, the Scottish Conservatives’ constitution spokesman, said you “can’t demand a re-run of a referendum just because you don’t like the result”.
He added:”Just as it applies to the vote on Scottish independence so it applies to our decision to leave the EU too.
“Scotland’s decision to stay part of the UK must be respected. The UK’s decision to leave the EU should be respected too.”
Sammy Wilson, of the DUP, described Greening’s call for a second EU vote as “a hare-brained, divisive and duplicitous proposal” and said she join the LibDems.
Last month the SNP’s Ian Blackford said he has an “open ear” on the issue, but later said his preference was for a new vote on independence.
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