Jacob Rees-Mogg admits a People’s Vote would ‘overturn the Brexit decision’

Jacob Rees-Mogg on LBC Radio. Photograph: LBC. - Credit: Archant

Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg says that the public cannot have another say on Brexit – because it would overturn the original decision to vote to Leave.

Damien from Maidenhead called Rees-Mogg on LBC to try to understand the Brexiteers’ hesitation in not giving the public another say.

He said: “I was undecided in 2016 so I didn’t actually vote, but I wondered now do you still think the referendum result is relevant given all the new information we’ve got now whether a public vote wouldn’t just clear the air? Now all the information is out there we can make an informed decision now?”

But in an admission that public opinion seems to have changed, the Brexiteer said that “the problem with that is that would overturn the result we’ve already had.”

He continued: “This has been decided, and if you have a second vote, say it goes the other way, do you have a third vote? When does it stop?

“On what basis should the second vote outweigh the first vote? What if the second vote were won by a smaller majority or a lower absolute number of voters by the other side? Would that one be authority or would the other one?

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“The 2016 vote has to be implemented, it was backed by a vote in 2015 to have the referendum, and a 2017 general election to say the result the vote would be implemented, it has had three votes.

“To overturn it would be to have cook a snook at democracy.”

As conversation turned to how Damien would vote this time, Rees-Mogg then said polling guru Sir John Curtice had found “no evidence of major change in opinion”, but then admitted there would be a change in voting intention.

He said a “shift in opinion polls come from people saying they will turn out differently from how they did in 2016”, before adding “not from actual changes of mind.”

Back in 2011 the Brexiteer made the case for a second referendum on Brexit in the House of Commons.

He said back then: “It might make more sense to have the second referendum after the renegotiation is completed”.