Blair calls for UK, EU to prepare for second Brexit referendum
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called for the United Kingdom and the European Union to prepare for a second Brexit referendum amid speculation that the UK parliament may fail to agree on a Brexit deal.
Planning to speak in London on Friday, Blair's office released extracts of the speech in advance.
“Now should be the time of preparation – parliament to make sure it can canvass the options in [a] sensible manner, one by one, to reach agreement on an option or a referendum; Europe to ensure that if Britain is ready to think again, Europe is ready also to think again.”
The extracts stressed that an offer of a possible second Brexit referendum would show "the political leadership of Europe and Britain had listened to the underlying concerns of those who voted [for] Brexit, not disrespecting the concerns but meeting them in a way which is not damaging."
Blair expressed his disapproval of going through a potentially damaging no-deal Brexit without holding another referendum.
“We know the options for Brexit. Parliament will have to decide on one of them. If Parliament can’t then it should decide to go back to the people.”
May's political maneuvers
Earlier this week, incumbent Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal, fearing a heavy defeat.
The premier defended the move, saying she would try to address domestic concerns about the current deal's so-called "backstop" clause by negotiating with EU partners.
Opponents believe the clause would enable the EU to include the UK in its customs union indefinitely if the two sides fail to agree on a comprehensive trade mechanism two years after Brexit.
UK membership in the customs union currently prevents it from independently negotiating trade deals with other countries.
Withstanding a battered Brexit initiative, May, however, survived a Conservative party confidence vote on Wednesday.
The Conservative MPs’ support for May came after the prime minister indicated that she may step down before the 2022 election.
Reports on Thursday also showed that May had no intention of submitting the Brexit deal to the parliament before Christmas, meaning that the House of Commons would have only a couple of weeks before a January 21 deadline to give its final opinion on the agreement.
Britain is expected to leave the EU on March 29, 2019.
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