Tony Blair says second Brexit referendum could be held on the same day as election

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair makes a speech on Brexit. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA. - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images

Tony Blair has suggested that a second Brexit referendum should be held on the same day as the general election.

The former prime minister said that he would prefer the issue of Brexit to be resolved by putting it to the people in another referendum.

Speaking to the BBC’s Westminster Hour, he said: “You can deal with them both on the same day if you want. But you should deal with them separately.”

Blair added that Remain supporters have to accept that a no-deal Brexit had to be on the ballot paper too, arguing it was the “the sensible thing to do”.

The former Labour leader added it would not be “undemocratic” to ask the people again.

“This is a terrible mistake and it’s not undemocratic before we do it and we take this irrevocable step of destiny that we think again about it.”

Asked if he thought Jeremy Corbyn could win a general election, Blair said it was impossible to predict.

“Well it’s possible isn’t it? In today’s world anything is possible.

He added: “Who can predict anything about British politics?”

In a separate interview with Gavin Esler on talkRADIO, Blair said that Farage was “right” in his criticisms of Boris Johnson’s deal.

“Bizarrely, though I profoundly disagree with him on whether Brexit is a good idea, actually Nigel Farage has actually produced one of the better analyses of what the problem is with Boris Johnson’s deal,” he said.

“The problem in the end is if you really want to diverge on tax and regulation and go your own way on issues to do with trade, if you really want that the only way you’re going to get that is by doing no-deal.

“If you do a deal with Europe they’re going to bolt you down as we’ve just seen in relation to Northern Ireland.”