Remoaner Labour MP Chris Leslie claims Brexit is still REVERSIBLE despite 'symbolic' move
LABOUR MP Chris Leslie suggested it is not too late for Article 50 to be reversed after it was officially triggered earlier today.
Labour MP insists Brexit is REVERSIBLE
The Remainer claimed the Brexit “phoney war” was over as the UK moves into negotiations with the European Union (EU) in order to leave the bloc.
But the shadow treasury minister from 2013 to 2015 said two years - the time that talks with the EU are scheduled to take - was a "very long time" and there was nothing concrete that stated Brexit could not be stopped.
Speaking on Daily Politics, he said: “I’m very sad about it. I mean obviously the public made their judgement in the referendum, we’re now seeing this letter go in which is obviously clearly symbolic.
Chris Leslie claimed Article 50 was reversible
It’s important that we don’t box ourselves into a circumstance which could really be quite catastrophic
“The phoney war, as it were, has sort of finished, so we’re moving into the negotiations. I want to hold those who were in the Leave campaign to account for all the promises that they made during the course of that Leave campaign.”
Asked by presenter Andrew Neil whether Brexit was “irreversible”, Mr Leslie said options should be kept “open”.
He added: “Well I don’t think it is. By the sounds of it, I think the Justice Secretary Liz Truss was saying she thought it wasn’t reversible but then, of course, David Davis said he didn’t know and in fact there are many others who say actually there’s nothing in the provision of Article 50 that says it can’t be withdrawn.
“Two years in politics is a very long time but I think it’s important that we don’t box ourselves into a circumstance which could really be quite catastrophic, I think we should keep our options open.”
The Prime Minister signed the momentous Article 50 letter in Downing Street just after 4.30pm on Tuersday.
It was then handed to European Council president Donald Tusk in Brussels this afternoon by the UK’s ambassador to the EU, Sir Tim Barrow.