Sir Tony Blair said he believed that the United Kingdom will go back into the European Union in the future as a new poll showed support for rejoining the bloc was at a five-year high.
The former Labour prime minister told the New Statesman magazine that a future generation would take Britain back into Europe. The comments came as Deltapoll published a survey that showed an uptick in support for rejoining the EU.
The company’s latest tracker poll, conducted between July 21-24, found that 56 per cent of people would vote to rejoin the EU if a second referendum on membership was held.
That number was up by four points when compared to the previous poll conducted between July 14-17. Some 38 per cent of people, down by three points, said they would vote to stay out of the bloc.
Deltapoll said it was the highest level of support for rejoining the bloc recorded since it started its tracker poll on the subject back in September 2018.
Sir Tony was asked during an interview with Andrew Marr if he saw any realistic prospect of the UK going back into the EU or joining the customs union or Single Market.
He replied: Well, I believe at some point a future generation will take Britain back into Europe, and, you know, you just have to look at what’s happened.
Sir Tony, a prominent Remain campaigner, described Brexit as a constant sadness to me. Peter Bone, a leading Tory Brexiteer, said more than 17 million people had disagreed with Sir Tony at the EU referendum in 2016 and the comments showed the former premier was out of touch.
Since then we have ended the free movement of people, we are not paying billions of pounds to the EU and we are making our own laws, Mr Bone said.
On what possible basis does Tony Blair believe we would want to sign up to less control of our laws and to return to a system where anyone can come to this country from the EU?
I think he is out of touch with the British people. Sir Tony’s comments will be viewed as unhelpful for Sir Keir Starmer who has repeatedly said a Labour government would not reverse Brexit.
Sir Keir said, in May this year, Britain’s future is outside the EU as he ruled out Single Market or customs union membership. He said such arguments are in the past, where they belong.
Sir Keir has said a Labour government would seek to improve the current divorce deal between Britain and Brussels in a bid to make Brexit work.
However, Tory MPs claimed that the plan to renegotiate with Brussels showed that Sir Keir cannot be trusted on Brexit and planned to take the UK back into the bloc by stealth.