Second Brexit referendum gaining traction as way to end gridlock
In the corridors of the UK parliament, an idea that four months ago seemed laughable is now being seriously discussed. Is another referendum a way out of the Brexit deadlock? Speaking privately, some ministers raise it unprompted. At a press conference on Tuesday, leaders of the smaller opposition parties urged the government to consider it as a contingency worth preparing for. Most significantly, Prime Minister Theresa May has floated it as a possible outcome. She still says she opposes the idea and that it would reduce trust in the political process — but it’s still a shift for her to even mention it. It’s not the only previously unthinkable idea that May has talked about this week. Fighting off a challenge to her leadership from pro-Brexit Conservative members of Parliament, the premier warned that deposing her would mean delaying Britain’s departure from the European Union (EU). That’s not something she admitted was possible last month. The argument for a second referendum advan...
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