TONY BLAIR believes a no-deal Brexit would have “devastating consequences” for the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sky News, the former prime minister warned that leaving without a deal “would be economically very, very dangerous for Britain”.
He also suggested it could “potentially be devastating” for the peace process in Northern Ireland.
“We would have a hard border, a very hard border, no-deal Brexit means a really hard border between the north and south of Ireland, contrary to the Good Friday Agreement and it would cause an enormous fissure within the United Kingdom”
The former Labour leader also criticised pro-Brexit politicians of “playing fast and loose from the beginning” over the border issue.
Politicians are "playing fast and loose" with the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Former prime minister Tony Blair tells #Ridge a no-deal #Brexit would be devastating for NI.
He says no one could "responsibly" propose a no-deal Brexit: https://t.co/LAn85tyQGL pic.twitter.com/VD2K0rfPFs— Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) February 10, 2019
“There's people who cheerfully say you can put the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland in a completely different relationship with Europe, in trading terms, and it makes no difference to the economy of Northern Ireland - I don't know on what basis they would possibly say that.”
Blair reiterated his desire for a second referendum to help the UK public decide between a hard or a soft Brexit.
"You can have the soft Brexit, which is really what Jeremy Corbyn is suggesting, or you could have the hard Brexit that Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and other people want.
"And what I've really been saying all the way through this process is you've got to decide which of those Brexits you want before we leave - otherwise, we're going to leave without clarity."
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