Opinion
11 Jan 18

Nigel Farage opens the door to second EU referendum

Nigel Farage has today shockingly suggested that he would back a second EU referendum, to "kill off" remain campaign for good.

Speaking on The Wright Stuff this morning, the former UKIP leader and chief campaign for Brexit said that a second referendum would put to be calls from high-profile figures, including Nick Clegg, Tony Blair and Lord Adonis, to remain within the EU.

"What is for certain," said Farage, "is that the Cleggs, the Blairs, the Adonis', will never ever ever give up, they will go on whinging and whining and moaning al the way through this porcess. So maybe, just maybe, I'm thinking we should have a second referendum...I think if we had a second EU referendum, we'd kill it off for a whole generation. The percentage that would vote to leave next time would be very much bigger than last time, and we may just finish the whole thing off and Blair could disappear into total obscurity."

Maybe, just maybe, we should have a second referendum on EU membership. It would kill off the issue for a generation once and for all. https://t.co/FQxniMi5MA

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 11, 2018

This is not the first time that Farage has suggested that one referendum alone wouldn't be enough to secure a national position on the EU. Even before the 2016 referendum, Farage told the Daily Mirror that: “In a 52-48 referendum this would be unfinished business by a long way." He qualified by saying: "If the remain campaign win two-thirds to one-third that ends it.”

The news comes as Nigel Farage gears up to take part in Irexit: Free to Prosper, an event taking place in Dublin aimed at agitating for an Irish exit from the EU.

Politicians and politicial commentators from across the spectrum have been quick to react to the news, but there's a notable silence coming from the corner of Theresa May's beleaguered Conversatives.

So Nigel Farage wants a referendum on Mrs May’s Brexit deal. I agree. Bring it on!

— Andrew Adonis (@Andrew_Adonis) January 11, 2018

Nigel Farage calls for a second referendum. Brenda from Bristol responds: pic.twitter.com/6X62gRlDw6

— George Aylett (@GeorgeAylett) January 11, 2018

I agree. Let’s have a final referendum on FULLY leaving the EU, it’s neo-liberal austerity, it’s control of our borders, our trade, our foreign policy, our courts, our economy, our fiscal policy, our destiny. I agree with you on only one thing; all these must be decided by us.

— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) January 11, 2018