Foreign Office minister admits second referendum “possible”

Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan has suggested British voters be given a say on the final terms of the Brexit deal.

Speaking today in Berlin, Boris Johnson's deputy said while the government would not consider holding another vote on whether to leave the EU, people could be granted an opportunity to give their verdict on what had been negotiated.

According to Bloomberg the minister said: "It would, I suppose, just be possible to ask the people in a referendum if they liked the exit deal or not. It would not in reality offer people the option of reversing the original decision to leave the EU.”

Although some Remain-supporting MPs have campaigned for a so-called People's Vote, so far the government has rejected all such suggestions.

Even the opposition is against a second vote: Labour's former Northern Ireland shadow secretary Owen Smith was sacked by Jeremy Corbyn for backing the idea.

A Number 10 spokesman was not immediately able to respond to a request for comment.

Tweeting some hours after the event, Duncan attempted to clarify his remarks.

"I gave a clear message to WDREuropaforum in Berlin that we will definitely be leaving the EU but want the best possible economic and security partnership after we have done so," he said.

It adds to another chaotic day for Theresa May, who narrowly avoided the resignation of Brexit secretary David Davis by agreeing to include a date in her backstop proposal – albeit one with so many conditions that officials and MPs on both sides of the debate blasted it as meaningless.

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CityAM

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