TORY turncoats including former attorney-general Dominic Grieve and party grandee Michael Heseltine betrayed Brexit voters by pleading with Leo Varadkar to push for a longer extension to allow for a second referendum, it has been revealed.
The group penned a letter to the Taoiseach on the eve of the general election being called urging him to take note of the “growing momentum for a final say by the Births public on Brexit”. The Conservative Group for Europe stressed in their letter the the only way out of the crisis was a so-called People’s Vote, the Irish Independent reports. They said the only solution to the deadlock would be “a confirmatory vote by the public with an option for Britain to remain in the EU on the ballot paper.”
They added: “With this in mind, we are writing to you to request that European leaders please consider allowing a longer, flexible extension of the Article 50 process.”
They cited the central London People’s Vote march held on October 19 which they claimed attracted between one and two million people.
Organisers of the rally put the number at around one million.
Police described the march as “very busy”.
The group said: “There is growing momentum for a final say by the British public on Brexit.”
And in light of this they claimed the Brexit deadline of January 31, which Boris Johnson has vowed to honour, should be pushed back even further.
The extra three months, they argued, would not be sufficient time to hold a second EU referendum.
The group suggested an extension of six to eight months be granted to allow for a second Brexit vote.
They wrote: “We, therefor, urgently request the EU and governments throughout Europe to allow UK citizens, who still remain EU citizens, the right to confirm their views on our future relationship with the EU.”
Mr Varadkar’s office declined to say if he had responded to the letter or not.
Mr Grieve was one of the 21 Tory rebels expelled from the party by the prime minister in September for voting to rule out a no-deal exit from the bloc.
The lifelong Conservative is running as an independent candidate in the Beaconsfield constituency he formerly held as a Tory.
This week former Tory Prime Minister Sir John Major refused to back the Conservatives in the election.
Instead he called on voters to support independents including Mr Grieve and former Tory justice secretary David Gauke.
Mr Grieve tweeted: “I am pleased and privileged to have the support of Sir John Major, who says he would vote for me if he were in Beaconsfield.
“He was an outstanding PM and Conservative whose moderation and common sense put Mr Johnson to shame.”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1214832/brexit-news-brexit-extension-tory-rebels-heseltine-grieve-varadkar-brexit-ireland
