british expm blair joins fight to keep britain in eu
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

British ex-PM Blair joins fight to keep Britain in EU

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice British ex-PM Blair joins fight to keep Britain in EU

British prime minister Tony Blair
London - ArabToday

Former British prime minister Tony Blair said Friday that the British people have a right to change their mind about leaving the European Union.

"Our mission is to persuade them to do so," Blair told a pro-stay organization in his first major speech on the topic.

His call flies in the face of British Prime Minister Theresa May's determination to carry out the will of the people in last June's referendum by taking Britain out of the EU. She is set to trigger the exit process by the end of March.

Addressing a meeting of the pro-European campaign group Open Britain, Blair said he recognized the British people voted to leave Europe, and he agreed the will of the people should prevail.

"But the people voted without knowledge of the true terms of Brexit. As these terms become clear, it is their right to change their mind. Our mission is to persuade them to do so," he said.

"The road we're going down is not simply hard Brexit. It is Brexit at any cost. Our challenge is to expose relentlessly what this cost is, to show how the decision was based on imperfect knowledge which will now become informed knowledge," Blair added.

Questioned at the meeting on whether he thought there should be a second referendum in Britain, Blair responded: "All I'm saying is that if a significant part of that 52 percent (who voted leave) show real change of mind, however you measure it, we should have the opportunity to reconsider this decision."

"Whether you do it through another referendum or another method -- that's a second order question. But this issue is the single most important decision this country has taken since World War II and debate can't now be shut down about it," Blair said.

His intervention was quickly condemned by leading leave supporters, including former UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage and Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative MP. But former leader of the minority Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg said he agreed with what Blair had said.

Referring to Theresa May and Philip Hammond, Blair said: "Nine months ago both she and the chancellor were telling us that leaving would be bad for the country, its economy, its security and its place in the world. Today it is apparently a 'once in a generation opportunity' for greatness."

Blair added: "Britain can and would survive out of the EU. This is a great country, with resilient and creative people. No one is going to write us off, nor should they.

"But making the best of a bad job doesn't alter the fact that it isn't smart to put yourself in that position unless you have to," he added.

Source: Xinhua 

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

british expm blair joins fight to keep britain in eu british expm blair joins fight to keep britain in eu

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

british expm blair joins fight to keep britain in eu british expm blair joins fight to keep britain in eu

 



GMT 10:08 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Microsoft to open 4 data centres

GMT 19:57 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Farm-fresh from Kerala to the UAE, in just one day

GMT 10:31 2014 Tuesday ,23 December

Mirages of failure: Lebanon cannot wait

GMT 00:54 2011 Saturday ,24 December

Super Barca crush Hospitalet in Copa Del Rey

GMT 17:44 2017 Sunday ,12 November

QSTec and Philippines Discuss Solar Power Cooperation

GMT 17:25 2016 Tuesday ,29 November

Philippine troops drop bombs on rebels

GMT 21:05 2017 Wednesday ,18 October

IOF fires at a 20-year-old Palestinian boy

GMT 23:38 2011 Thursday ,06 October

Rare albino alligator goes on show in US

GMT 04:40 2015 Tuesday ,22 September

Car bomb blast in Somali capital

GMT 19:50 2016 Thursday ,01 September

Car Bomb Explosion Rocks Afghan Logar

GMT 07:52 2011 Monday ,01 August

BS Yeddyurappa has resigned

GMT 11:23 2016 Thursday ,29 December

Colombia lawmakers pass FARC amnesty law

GMT 13:22 2011 Wednesday ,22 June

Michelle Obama urges AIDS fight

GMT 20:00 2018 Thursday ,18 January

Trump 'desperate' to undermine nuclear

GMT 12:27 2017 Wednesday ,06 September

Texas flood toll mounts as Harvey pummels Louisiana

GMT 07:49 2017 Saturday ,30 December

Celtics erase 26-point deficit to shock Rockets

GMT 20:24 2017 Saturday ,25 November

Macron vows to combat violence against women

GMT 17:07 2014 Tuesday ,09 September

UAE vice president meets with 6 west African presidents
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice