Tony Blair: Brexit can still be stopped
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Photograph: PA / Stefan Rousseau - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Tony Blair has said that he believes Brexit can still be stopped, and that a final deal could be blocked by the House of Commons.
The arch-Remainer and former Prime Minister also told Bloomberg News that he believes there should be a People's Vote at the end of negotiations.
He explained: 'What we have learned since the Referendum in 2016 is that this negotiation is much much tougher than people thought.
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'Essentially there is a central dilemma that is yet to be resolved, about our future trading relationship with Europe.
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'Either the Government goes with an arrangement that stays close to Europe, in which case we will be abiding by a lot of European rules or alternatively we will have a clean break and go our own way in which case the economic dislocation is going to be significant.'
Despite the EU Withdrawal Bill passing through the House of Commons with a big fight he believes that the final deal could be blocked by MPs.
He said: 'Once the Government resolves this dilemma they then have to put a vote to Parliament.
'In that vote, because the Government lost its election in June and governs as a minority Government, I think they are going to find it very tough to get a proposition through the House of Commons.'
In support of a People's Vote, he added: 'Frankly the simple thing is to say it should go back to the people for the final decision.
'This would not be a rerun of the last referendum, it would be a different vote, do you want this deal or do you want to stay?
'Part of the trouble is the Government itself is fundamentally divided as to whether it wants close to Europe or clean break from Europe.'
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