Laurence Dollimore
DAVID CAMERON has confirmed there will be no second referendum on Britain’s EU membership.
There were hopes for a second chance among Remainers after a petition calling for another vote garnered almost four million signatures.
Asked about the possibility of a round-two, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said:
“That’s not remotely on the cards. There was a decisive result [in the EU referendum]. The focus of the Cabinet discussion was how we get on and deliver that.”
Cameron chaired the first post-Brexit cabinet meeting on Monday, where ministers agreed to create a government unit focused on drawing up options for the UK’s renegotiation with the EU.
Negotiations, however, will not take place until Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is enacted, which Cameron has said is a job for the next PM.
It was announced today that that position will not be filled until September 2.
Once a new PM is chosen and Article 50 is triggered, a two-year process will see the UK renegotiate its relationship with the EU as it gradually withdraws.
The British Sterling has continued to decline since the Brexit victory, posting a 31-year low against the dollar on Monday morning.
Invoking article 50 may never occur. The government of the day may find that leaving the EU is just far too complex and risky, and in the months leading up to Cameron’s replacement a number of events with the economy may delay or even put off the invocation. As reality sets in, the UK will find that it cannot access the single market until it also allows free movement, so (ironically) they will almost be back to the point where they left. What goes around comes around…