Tony Blair: We can't rule out another EU referendum

A second referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union should not be ruled out, Tony Blair has said.

Tony Blair warn of the need to strike a good deal. Picture: AFP/Getty

However, the former prime minister admitted another referendum seems unlikely.

Meanwhile, Mr Blair warned that the country is “deeply divided” in the wake of the nation voting for Brexit.

When asked on the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme about the possibility of another vote, he said: “As I’m looking at it here, I can’t see how we can do that. But, you know, the point is, why rule anything out right now? As I say, you are going to have a reality to test yourself against.”

Mr Blair said the nation needs to “see the consequences” of Brexit as they play out in the coming weeks and months.

“I can’t see how you would go through all of the mechanics of another referendum now,” he continued. “I just can’t see it. But on the other hand I also think there will be a lot of people in the country who will say ‘well, let’s have a look at this and see what we are going to do’ and parliament will want to look at it.”

Mr Blair also warned that negotiating the UK’s new relationship with the EU will be an “agonising and highly complicated process”. He said that failure to strike a good deal with the EU would have severe consequences for the UK economy.