Brexit Secretary’s ex-aide calls for new ‘Democrats’ party to reverse the EU exit ‘catastrophe'
Brexit is a “catastrophe” that should be “reversed,” according to James Chapman, the former chief of staff to Brexit Secretary David Davis. He called on europhile MPs from across parliament to combine in a new pro-EU party.
Chapman, who was also director of communications to former Chancellor George Osborne, tweeted it is high time Tory MPs recognized Brexit is a “catastrophe.”
Past time for sensible MPs in all parties to admit Brexit is a catastrophe, come together In new party if need be, and reverse it #euref19
— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 8, 2017
He called on MPs to form a new party that could “reverse” the outcome of last year’s referendum, in which a majority (52 percent) of Britons voted to leave the European Union.
He singled out pro-EU MPs in the Labour Party, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats, such as Chuka Umunna, Sir Vince Cable, Anna Soubry, Nicky Morgan, and Nicholas Soames as potential candidates to spearhead the reversal.
Chapman also called on “sensible journos” writing for Brexit-supporting newspapers to admit that the impact of the UK exiting the 27-member-state bloc would “destroy lives of many of their readers.”
Also: well past time for sensible journos on papers that supported Brexit to admit it is going to destroy lives of many of their readers https://t.co/IqurZViyZc
— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 8, 2017
He suggest some newspapers only championed Brexit to take revenge on former Prime Minister David Cameron and his Leveson inquiry into press ethics and standards, in the wake of the 2011 phone-hacking scandal.
Finally (for now): time to admit many Brexit supporting editors would have done anything to destroy Cameron purely because of Leveson https://t.co/MMuLNDmQMp
— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 8, 2017
Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable responded to Chapman’s tweet, saying he supports his appeal, as the “public should have a chance to exit from Brexit.”
I agree with David Davis' ex chief of staff. The public should have a chance to exit from Brexit. https://t.co/jHpbEFNNle via @HuffPostUK
— Vince Cable (@vincecable) August 8, 2017
“Thanks Uncle @vincecable. You da man. Now about that new party…” Chapman replied.
Chapman’s remarks come after President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani said the UK would be welcome to stay if it decides to make a U-turn on its decision to leave the bloc.
While legal experts are still at loggerheads over whether the UK could unilaterally reverse Brexit, the EU official claimed the outcome could be overturned if all member states approve.
“If the UK, after the election, wants to withdraw [Article 50], then the procedure is very clear,” he said, according to the Guardian.
“If the UK wanted to stay, everybody would be in favor. I would be very happy.”
Tory Prime Minister Theresa May, however, has frequently said there is “no turning back” on Brexit.