Second Brexit referendum 'would take a year to prepare' - minister

A second Brexit referendum would take up to twelve months to prepare, Brexit minister Stephen Barclay said on Wednesday.

He argued to MPs at a Brexit committee hearing that a second referendum could have a “chilling” effect on business.

Barclay added that it would take the UK back to “square one” and would not be a good idea, although he has clarified that these are his personal opinions.

This came a day after Prime Minister Theresa May reached out to opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to try and agree a compromise deal that will pass through parliament, flowing three defeats for her own Brexit in the House of Commons.

Barclay said meetings between the two party leaders would take place on Wednesday and that May planned to ask for an extension to Article 50 at next week's European council.

He noted that Labour's manifesto on Brexit aimed to respect the Leave votes, "so we need to test that because the numbers in the House of Commons dictate that that is the only way at present we can find a way forward".

One key to the talks between the PM and Corbyn could be whether the Labour leader demands a second referendum in order to back any deal proposed by the government.

Barclay suggested there may be binding indicative votes in parliament as a result of the cross-party talks and that the government would be open to enshrining any agreement with Corbyn in law to provide "comfort" that they are not abandoned later.

MPs are pushing for a longer extension to the original Brexit date passed the current default option of leaving the European Union on 12 April.

After a bill was put forward by Labour MP Yvette Cooper requiring the government request an Article 50 extension to avoid a no-deal Brexit, Barclay said: "The prime minister cannot ignore the law, and parliament will seek to pass a law on the issue of no deal. It has already voted to take no deal off the table. So that is the reality, and if that is the legal position reached by parliament, that is something ministers cannot ignore."

If there is a longer extension to Article 50 the EU insisted the UK would have to take part in this spring's European elections and May refuses to rule out the UK's participation.

Nigel Evans, a Tory Brexiter, askeds May in PMQs on Wednesday if she will say “no, no, no” if the EU insists on the elections.

May still claims the best option would be a deal that allows the UK to leave on 22 May so the country can avoid the mess the EU vote entails, but that will only happen if MPs finally pass a deal through parliament.