Former prime minister David Cameron has emerged from hiding to say MPs should not “rule out” making the British people vote on Brexit again — but in 2015 he promised the first vote would be “final”, and that “There will not be another renegotiation and another referendum.”

Speaking ahead of the EU referendum, Cameron told the British people that whether their country remained in the European Union or reclaimed full independence was “Your decision. Nobody else’s.”

“Not politicians’. Not Parliament’s. Not lobby groups’. Not mine. Just you. You, the British people, will decide,” he promised.

“At that moment you will hold this country’s destiny in your hands. This is a huge decision for our country – perhaps the biggest we will make in our lifetimes. “And it will be the final decision. “So, to those who suggest that a decision in the referendum to Leave would merely produce another stronger negotiation and then a second referendum in which Britain could stay. I say, think again. “The renegotiation is happening right now. And the referendum that follows will be a once in a generation choice.: an In or Out referendum. “When the British people speak, their voice will be respected – not ignored. “If we vote to Leave, then we will Leave. “There will not be another renegotiation and another referendum.”

WATCH | "Your decision. Not politicians. Not Parliament. Just you." This is what we were told by the leader of our country when casting our vote. Now our Remain Parliament wants to take back control from the people because we "got it wrong". Remember MPs, you work for us! 👊 pic.twitter.com/mYwWPNsNdr — Leave.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) December 7, 2018

Similar promises were made before the referendum and before the 2017 snap election which followed it by many leading Remainers, including Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Change UK (CUK) leader Anna Soubry, and former members of the Hard Remain faction within the Tory Party such as Philip Hammond and Dominic Grieve — who have since been expelled for voting for a bill forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ask the EU for another Brexit delay and accept any extension offered.

The Tory leader may offer the europhile rebels a way back into the fold, however, in order to help him pass an amended version of the Brexit-in-name-only withdrawal treaty negotiated by Theresa May in the face of potential opposition from dyed-in-the-wool Tory Leavers on his own backbenchers, led by European Research Group (ERG) chairman Steve Baker MP and known as “The Spartans”.

“An attack on the Brexit Party is easy to interpret as an attack on Brexit,” writes @mollygiles2015 “Very significant numbers of former Tory voters and members inhabit the Brexit Party” Time for the centre right to unite around renewal through Brexit.https://t.co/0Yp7xyT0r9 — Steve Baker MP (@SteveBakerHW) September 13, 2019

Follow Jack Montgomery on Twitter: @JackBMontgomery