UK minister raises possibility of fresh Brexit referendum

A senior British minister has raised the possibility of a second Brexit referendum if MPs cannot agree on the way forward when they vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal next month. Work and pensions minister Amber Rudd said there could be a “plausible argument” for holding another referendum if MPs reject the deal and cannot agree an alternative strategy.

“I don’t want a ‘people’s vote’, or a referendum in general,” she told ITV television on Wednesday evening. “But if parliament absolutely failed to reach a consensus, I could see there would be a plausible argument for it.” Her remarks were welcomed by pro-European campaigners, who have been pushing for a new vote with the goal of reversing Brexit. Labour MP Owen Smith, who supports the anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, said Rudd’s concession was a “massive moment”.

Rudd, who opposed Brexit in the 2016 referendum, conceded that having another vote would “distress many of my colleagues” in the governing Conservative party. May has repeatedly ruled out this option, saying it would only cause more division and may not resolve the question. Asked on Thursday if a second referendum was plausible, her spokesman said: “No.” He said May was “focused on winning the vote on the deal that has been agreed”.