EU referendum: Prime Minister David Cameron says no second vote
Prime Minister David Cameron has dismissed suggestions that a “leave” vote in the European Union referendum could lead to a second vote, with Downing Street aides saying that another referendum is not in the cards.
One senior aide was quoted over the weekend saying: “The Prime Minister is clear that is simply not going to happen. This will be a straightforward in out choice.”
The aide added: “It is not credible to suggest that the majority of the British public could vote to leave and then the UK government would ignore the voters and negotiate to remain. That option of ‘let’s have another go’ is not on the ballot paper.”
Cameron has promised an in/out referendum by the end of 2017, following a period of renegotiation.
London mayor Boris Johnson has reportedly considered pushing for a second vote, with the idea that an initial vote for the UK to leave the EU would force Brussels to make more concessions to British demands.
Dominic Cummings, a former Number 10 adviser who is director of the Eurosceptic “Vote Leave” campaign, has also suggested the possibility of two referendums.
But Cummings hit back at Cameron today, saying the Prime Minister is "panicking because he's losing control of his party".
"It's not his decision whether there's another referendum, it'll be up to his successor," Cummings added. "We will win because people will conclude it's safer to take back control than to trust Cameron's promises."
Meanwhile, Arron Banks, a Ukip donor and founder of a rival Eurosceptic campaign, Leave.EU, backed the Prime Minister, saying: "Suggesting two referendum is a cheap political trick and as a non-political campaign we support one referendum in or out."