He believes that voters should be given a second opportunity to reject Brexit
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called for a second referendum on whether Britain should exit the European Union.
The pro-Remain Labour politician has said that the British public should be given a “fresh say on our future” through a People’s Vote on whatever deal Theresa May strikes with Brussels.
“I’ve become increasingly alarmed as the chaotic approach to the negotiations has become mired in confusion and deadlock, leading us down a path that could be hugely damaging – not only to London, but the whole country,” said Khan wrote in The Observer today.
He added that he believes the government has failed to put national interest ahead of party politics and that only a bad deal or a no-deal were now possible, with both scenarios “a million miles away from what was promised during the EU referendum campaign”.
Khan said: “The need for another public vote on Brexit was never inevitable, or something I ever thought I’d have to call for.
“But the reality is that the abject failure of the government – and the huge risk we now face of either a bad deal or a ‘no deal’ Brexit – means that giving people a fresh say on our future is now the right, and only, approach left for the good of our country.”
Despite this, the official position of both the Conservatives and Labour is to negotiate Britain’s exit of the EU without a second vote.
Theresa May has previously ruled out holding another referendum saying to do so would be a “gross betrayal of our democracy.” However, Khan’s call for another referendum continues the pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to change his party’s position on the matter, following similar support from Unions the GMB and the Royal College of Nursing.
Research earlier this month suggested that over two and a half million people have changed their mind and no longer want to leave the European Union. If true this would mean that in the event of a People’s Vote being held, the country would opt to stay inside the EU by a margin of around 300,000 votes
