Jacob Rees-Mogg is hounding the prime minister to push Brexit through as quickly as possible. The Brextremist ringleader is behind a letter, signed by 62 Tory backbenchers, laying down the law with several unworkable demands on the transition deal.
Rees-Mogg’s strategy unapologetically rejects letting the people vote on whether they want Theresa May’s Brexit deal – assuming she ever strikes one. However, this is the same Rees-Mogg who once said a double referendum to settle our relationship with the EU would “make more sense”.
During a parliamentary debate on David Cameron’s idea to renegotiate our membership with the EU in 2011, Rees-Mogg said: “We could have two referendums. As it happens, it might make more sense to have the second referendum after the renegotiation is completed.”
Ditto… Jacob Rees-Mogg back in 2011. Also in favour of a referendum on the final deal. pic.twitter.com/YNw4mOJ93d
— paulusthewoodgnome (@woodgnomology) February 14, 2018
When challenged on this last month by Labour’s Andrew Adonis on the BBC, Rees-Mogg argued that the context was different: the proposal of a referendum to begin Cameron’s renegotiation, followed by another referendum on the terms achieved. “That was short-circuited,” Rees-Mogg argued, “when it was decided to have a straightforward in-or-out referendum.”
But the principle is just the same. We had a referendum on whether to start the Brexit process and we are now in a negotiation over our future relationship with the EU. It makes sense to have a referendum once those talks are completed, so voters can compare two concrete proposals of In and Out. In 2016, they were comparing a real proposal for In with a fantasy Out.
It’s not just that we should know more about the Brexit deal at the end of the talks, though it’s still possible Theresa May will hide in meaningless waffle. More facts about what Brexit means have emerged: on the hit to our economy, on intractable problems like the Irish border, on how such a mammoth undertaking is pushing issues people really care about to one side.
An ICM opinion poll last month suggested voters favour by a 16-point margin the idea that the people should have the final decision on whether or not to leave the EU once the terms of the UK’s departure are known. Rees-Mogg was right to back a referendum after a negotiation back in 2011. He should stick to his principles.
Rees-Mogg didn’t respond to requests for comment.