The former adviser to Tony Blair claimed he “hates referendums” despite arguing a People’s Vote would be the only solution to the Brexit impasse. Mr Campbell blamed former Tory Prime Minister David Cameron for forcing the 2016 vote on British people for his own party’s political survival. He said: “We are in this mess because David Cameron called the referendum not because the country needed or wanted it but to sort the problems in his own party and because of the rise of Nigel Farage’s Ukip at the time.
“I hate referendums, I hope this is the last one ever.
“But what’s been exposed – and I don’t agree with the Lib Dems coming over and saying ‘let’s just revoke it’ – I think the vote took place, now people have had three and a half years, the country has done nothing else and they should say to the people ‘do you want us to proceed on this basis?’.
“And I think they’re going to say no.”
But the arch-Remainer was promptly challenged by Brexit Party MEP Lucy Harris who argued the Brexit “mess” – as he himself calls it – is the result of Remainers’ attempts to “frustrate the will of the people”.
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She said: “The reason why we’re in this mess is because it’s people like my good sir next to me who has been causing a lot of trouble behind the scenes advocating for a second referendum, frustrating the will of the people, undermining the will of the people.”
Interrupted by Mr Campbell claiming people have changed their minds on Brexit, Mr Harris hit back: “Actually, polls suggest that no one’s changing and we’re really static.
“Every single poll has suggested there has been no move.”
It comes as talks between the UK and the EU have once again come to a standstill after Brussels refused to accept Boris Johnson’s latest proposals.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk sent a warning on Twitter to Mr Johnson yesterday which said the UK is playing a “stupid blame game”.
He also said the future of the EU and the UK is currently at stake.
He wrote: “Boris Johnson, what’s at stake is not winning some stupid blame game.
“At stake is the future of Europe and the UK as well as the security and interests of our people.
“You don’t want a deal, you don’t want an extension, you don’t want to revoke, quo vadis?”
With reaching a deal by October 31 looking more and more unlikely, Mr Johnson and the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have said they hope to meet again later in the week.
