Chris Grayling’s claim that blocking Brexit could lead to a rise in far-right extremism is dangerous scaremongering and a desperate attempt to shore up the prime minister’s Brexit deal, campaigners and MPs have said.
The transport secretary told the Daily Mail that Britain would become a less tolerant and more nationalistic society if it failed to leave the EU. He said reversing the referendum result would result in the 17mn people who voted to leave feeling cheated and urged colleagues to support Theresa May’s deal.
“People should not underestimate this,” he said. “We would see a different tone in our politics. A less tolerant society, a more nationalistic nation. It will open the door to extremist populist political forces in this country of the kind we see in other countries in Europe.
“If MPs who represent seats that voted 70% to leave say, ‘Sorry guys, we’re still going to have freedom of movement’, they will turn against the political mainstream.
Labour MP David Lammy described Grayling’s comments as “a desperate attempt by a government minister to use a tiny far-right minority to hold our democracy to ransom. It is gutter politics.
“History shows us appeasement only emboldens the far right and impoverishing the country through Brexit will only increase resentment. To heal our nation, we need to provide a positive narrative that actually addresses the inequalities that have been allowed to ferment over recent years, rather than follow through with bogus solutions that worsens them.”
The Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson, Tom Brake, said: “Grayling has lost the plot. This kind of scaremongering is not only dangerous, but it is embarrassing. Politicians should be focused on healing the divisions in our country, not shamefully stoking the fire in order to secure support for May’s botched deal.”
Grayling: accused of scaremongering
