New proposal from Nigel Farage would open the doors to a second referendum on Brexit

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage during the party's policy launch in Westminster. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire. - Credit: PA

Nigel Farage would be most likely forced to back a second Brexit referendum if his organisation won an election – because of his latest proposal in his manifesto.

In his manifesto, promoted as a “contract with the people, Farage made a commitment to hold a referendum on any issue if five million people call for a vote.

He has branded the proposals a “Citizens’ Initiatives”.

It means that a variety of topics could be put to the British public, which given more than 16 million backed Remain, could allow for a second referendum.

Moreover, recently more than six million people signed a petition calling for the revocation of Article 50.

“Does a commitment to referendums if more than 5 million want one mean that Nigel Farage is inadvertently opening the way to a second in/out EU referendum?” asked the Telegraph’s Christopher Hope.

“Hold on, so Farage & The Brexit Party are saying citizens should be able to call a referendum if 5million people agree with it. That’s just 7.5% of the UK population. So he DOES want a 2nd EU referendum then?” enquired @MartinOnABike.

“Question for you lot. If Farage has this new policy where we can have a referendum if 5 million people support it, does that mean he supports a second Brexit referendum? We’ve had petitions with over 6 million responses to revoke.”

Another claimed it was ironic that the proposal “paves the way for hundreds more referendums in anything and everything” when he has protested so much on holding a second vote on Brexit.

But after his speech the Brexiteer clarified he would not allow a second referendum on the same issue to be ran within ten years of the first.

It has, however, left others coming up with their own creative solutions for a public vote.

“Can we have a Citizens Referendum on whether to send Farage on a one way ticket to the moon?” asked one Twitter user.

Harry Hayfield tweeted: “In that case Nigel Farage can we have a referendum on lies in British politics with the question “Should lying in a political campaign be deemed a criminal offence akin to extreme financial fraud?”