Tory MP says new Brexit referendum could be held in 22 weeks

A leading Tory MP has declared a new Brexit referendum could be organised and held in about five months' time.
Former Tory education secretary Justine GreeningFormer Tory education secretary Justine Greening
Former Tory education secretary Justine Greening

Tory former education secretary Justine Greening has said that a ‘People’s Vote’ could be held in 22 weeks.

Ms Greening, who backs a second EU vote, told an event in London: “I’ve worked out that you could plan and hold a referendum in 22 weeks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We could do that in 22 weeks. We could actually, after this vote on 11 December, hold a referendum, potentially, on 30 May next year.

“We could, alongside that, choose to extend Article 50, I’ve suggested, by four months to 29 July.”

Theresa May received a boost ahead of next month’s Brexit vote in Parliament as another Tory MP who has previously rebelled against her came out in favour of the deal.

Antoinette Sandbach, one of a group of Conservatives labelled “Mutineers” for threatening to block the Prime Minister’s EU withdrawal plans last year, said the withdrawal agreement was “not perfect”, but added that voting against it would be “hugely destructive”.

Read More
Theresa May tells Nicola Sturgeon: Stop exploiting Brexit for Scottish independe...

The MP for Eddisbury said: “We should not allow the best to be the enemy of the good. This deal is not perfect, but the Prime Minister has done remarkable work putting together a compromise as good as this.

“The agreement does not give any one group everything they want, but it does have something for everyone.

“It puts in place controls on migration, protects jobs in the manufacturing industry and frees us from the political institutions of the EU.

“Most of all it gets us out of the EU and it respects the referendum result.”