Brexit: Tory grandee and Remainer Ken Clarke says there is no way of stopping Britain leaving the EU

Conservative former chancellor Ken Clarke has said he believes there is now no way to prevent the UK leaving the EU.

The staunch Remainer said there was “little doubt” that Brexit would take place and argued a second referendum on any deal would be “folly”.

Mr Clarke told an audience at the Scottish Parliament's Festival of Politics that a “no deal” scenario with the UK crashing out of the EU was “very unlikely”.

His comments came after an exclusive poll for The Independent revealed that three quarters of the British public believe negotiations with Brussels are going badly, while other surveys have shown the majority of voters would now oppose Brexit.

Asked if he thought there was any way Brexit could be averted, Mr Clarke said: “I'm more pessimistic than most people who were Remainers. I don't think there is.

“The political class as a whole, leaving aside eccentrics like me, and as I say I think I was mainstream until a couple of months ago, they've all decided that this referendum was a kind of instruction from on high. It is the voice of the people and it can't be challenged.

“Whether that will change, it won't change in a hurry and I don't think Parliament could bring itself to, they're all terrified of the right-wing newspapers.

“They'd be accused of being saboteurs and enemies of the people if they stick to the opinions they had before the referendum.

“They did all say during the referendum they were going to be bound by it so they do regard themselves as bound by it.

“So I think there is little doubt that we're going to leave. It would require an extraordinary turn of events I think to stop. Minimising the damage, getting as normal a relationship as possible is the best we can really do.”

On the prospect of another referendum on any deal agreed with the EU, the veteran MP said: “I don't want ever to see another referendum in my lifetime.

“The idea that having put a very complicated question about 'should Britain be a member of the European Union' you now put a question saying 'have a look at this long list of terms that we've now negotiated with 27 other states, do you approve of this or not?' would be folly, it would be bizarre.”

He added: “I do think that no deal is very unlikely.

“There's nobody on either side of the channel, no sensible person engaged in government or politics or business who thinks that no deal is somehow desirable. It would be totally disruptive.”

Press Association