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David Cameron announcing his resignation after 2016's referendum. Daniel Leal-Olivas

David Cameron: Second Brexit referendum 'can't be ruled out'

In an interview with The Times, the former PM said he thinks about 2016′s referendum result “every day” .

FORMER BRITISH PRIME Minister David Cameron has said that a second Brexit referendum cannot be ruled out. 

In an interview with The Times, the former PM said he thinks about 2016′s referendum result “every day” and accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson and MP Michael Gove of behaving “appallingly” during the referendum campaign. 

“Every single day I think about it, the referendum and the fact that we lost and the consequences and the things that could have been done differently, and I worry desperately about what is going to happen next,” Cameron said. 

“I think we can get to a situation where we leave but we are friends, neighbours and partners. We can get there, but I would love to fast-forward to that moment because it’s painful for the country and it’s painful to watch.”

Cameron added in the that had no regrets about launching the Brexit referendum and accused current PM Boris Johnson of behaving “appallingly” during the pre-vote campaigning.

Cameron, who led the Remain campaign for Britain to stay in the European Union, told The Times that the tortuous negotiations were “painful to watch” and that losing office left him “hugely depressed”.

Cameron, who was PM for six years, has largely kept quiet since leaving office following the 2016 Brexit referendum.

His long-awaited memoir, ‘For The Record’, is due out on Thursday.

Cameron also said a no-deal Brexit would be a bad outcome and that he would have backed the withdrawal agreement rejected by MPs.

Britain is due to leave the EU on October 31.

Cameron told The Times that a referendum on Britain’s relationship with the EU had long been promised by politicians and that the EU issue needed to be addressed. 

“The country was divided whether we should be in the EU before the referendum,” Cameron said.

“This issue needed to be addressed and I thought a referendum was coming, so better to try to get some reforms we needed and have a referendum.

“But I accept that, you know, that effort failed. I do understand some people are very angry because they didn’t want to leave the EU. Neither did I.”

Cameron also said Boris Johnson’s recent move to expel anti-no-deal MPs from the governing Conservative Party and shutting down parliament for five weeks had rebounded.

“I didn’t support either of those things. Neither do I think a no-deal Brexit is a good idea,” he said.

Cameron said a second referendum might yet take place as a way to break the Brexit impasse.

“You can’t rule things out right now because you’ve got to find some way of unblocking the blockage,” he said.

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Cónal Thomas
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