Former Tory PM John Major has branded Brexit a ‘colossal misjudgement’

Major said Brexiteers have “persuaded a deceived population to vote to be weaker and poorer”

Former Conservative Prime Minister John Major branded Brexit "a colossal misjudgement" during a speech on Tuesday evening, before going on to state that Brexiteers "will never be forgotten - or forgiven". Major, who held office between 1990 and 1997, delivered an impassioned speech in which he explained that leaving frontline politics had enabled him to analyse Brexit from an unbiased standpoint, free from any party loyalty or influence from his constituents. Delivering the Michael Quinlan Memorial Lecture in Central London, Major said:

“I have made no false promises about Brexit that I must pretend can still be honoured, even though – in my heart – I know they cannot. “I am free to say absolutely and precisely what I believe about Brexit. And it is this: “I understand the motives of those who voted to leave the European Union: it can – as I well know – be very frustrating. “Nonetheless, after weighing its frustrations and opportunities, there is no doubt in my own mind that our decision is a colossal misjudgement that will diminish both the UK and the EU. “It will damage our national and personal wealth, and may seriously hamper our future security. It may even, over time, break up our United Kingdom. It will most definitely limit the prospects of our young. “And – once this becomes clear – I believe those who promised what will never be delivered will have much to answer for. They persuaded a deceived population to vote to be weaker and poorer. “That will never be forgotten – nor forgiven.”

The sentiment appears to be slowly growing with members of the general public, too. The most recent YouGov poll has shown that 47% of the public questioned believe that, in hindsight, it was wrong to vote for Brexit, compared to 40% who believe it was right to vote to withdraw from the EU. The 7 point gap is over double the average difference in the same poll that has been conducted several times going back to mid-June, which was 3.4% Prime Minister Theresa May heads to Brussels today to address the EU27 as negotiations continue.