The mayor of London says a follow-up vote ‘would not be necessary’ and that Britain would be stronger and happier outside the union

Boris Johnson has rejected the idea that a vote to leave the EU could trigger a better deal from Brussels and a second referendum – insisting he believes “out is out”.



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The mayor of London was criticised by David Cameron after appearing to publicly endorse a fresh national ballot when he declared his intention to break ranks and campaign for a leave vote. The prime minister returned to the offensive on Friday, calling the idea of a second vote a “complete fiction” when it was floated by former Tory leader Michael Howard. It is seen by some pushing for a Brexit as a powerful weapon to win over voters leaning towards wanting to take Britain out of the EU but unsure of the long-term consequences.

In his announcement last week, Johnson wrote in his Telegraph column that “EU history shows that they only really listen to a population when it says ‘no’”.

But he told the Times (paywall) on Saturday that he was not in favour of using a popular rejection of EU membership as leverage to secure further reforms and concessions from Brussels. “Out is out,” he said. “What I want is to get out and then negotiate a series of trade arrangements around the world.” Asked if he was ruling out a second vote, he said: “I don’t think it would be necessary.”

The clarification will be welcomed by Cameron, who will take the case for continued membership to voters in Northern Ireland as part of a UK tour. He insists he would respond to a leave vote by immediately triggering article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets out a two-year process for negotiating terms for withdrawal.

But the prime minister has endured a succession of hostile interventions from senior figures within his own party. In the latest blow, Lord Howard said the prime minister’s renegotiation of the UK’s membership had “met with failure” and urged voters to back withdrawal.

Chancellor George Osborne, in Shanghai for a summit of G20 finance ministers, said global economic instability meant it was “the very worst time for Britain to take the enormous economic gamble of leaving”.

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“You’ve seen the value of the pound fall and it reminds us all this isn’t some political parlour game – it’s about people’s jobs and livelihoods and their living standards,” he told the BBC. “In my judgment as chancellor, leaving the EU would represent a profound economic shock for our country, for all of us, and I’m going to do everything I can to prevent that happening.”

The world’s most powerful economies are set to signal their concern over the prospect of Brexit with a statement in the official communique issued at the end of the G20 meeting on Saturday, Osborne said.

“Here at the G20, finance leaders and central bank governors of the world’s biggest economies have raised serious concerns about the risks posed by a UK exit from the EU,” Osborne said in a statement from Shanghai. “They have concluded unanimously today that what they call the shock of a potential UK vote to leave is among the biggest economic dangers this year.”

In his interview, Johnson conceded that leaving the EU would prompt “an initial period of dislocation and uncertainty” but insisted it would be “followed by very rapid improvement” – comparing it to the tick logo of sportswear manufacturer Nike.



He rejected the pro-EU camp’s warnings of significant disadvantages for the UK outside the bloc. “I will do my absolute best to dismiss Project Fear, which I think is nonsense. Britain could have a really great future, with a more dynamic economy and a happier population,” he told the newspaper.

He said he would be “shelving everything else” to focus on the referendum but would not be drawn on suggestions he was backing the out campaign to further his own career. “People will say all sorts of things. I don’t care. I want people to concentrate on what I’m saying. Being mayor of London has been the most fantastic privilege. I’ve often said it might be the last big job I do in British politics.”

Labour MP Alan Johnson, who is leading the remain campaign for his party, said: “This is a major admission from Boris Johnson that there would be a downturn following Britain pulling out of Europe. He is playing fast and loose with people’s jobs, with no clue over what he actually wants for Britain. Last week he was out to stay in, now he’s out to be out, admitting this would be a major blow to our economy. When he’s finished doing the hokey-cokey, perhaps he’d come clean with people about how bad it would be.”

Nigel Farage praised the London mayor for clarifying that “leave means leave”. The Ukip leader urged supporters at the party’s conference in Llandudno on Saturday to give the Johnson a “big cheer”.

He said: “Last Sunday we saw Boris Johnson emerging from his house in north London and I thought ‘this is wonderful news - Boris, one of the best known political faces in the country joining the leave side, this must be good news’.

“But I was worried because he started to talk about a double referendum. But clearly Boris has thought about this over the course of the last week and in today’s Times newspaper he now totally disowns the concept of a double referendum, so he is in this for the proper fight.”