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BREXIT-backing MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has hit back at a new billboard that has gone up in Bristol as part of a national campaign.

The campaign by pro-Remain group Led By Donkeys features past tweets and statements by prominent Brexiteers and politicians which have become gradually more ironic following recent political developments.

The quote from Mr Rees-Mogg, MP for North East Somerset, made in the House of Commons in 2011, has appeared on a billboard on the Old Market Roundabout.

(Image: Bristol Live)

Presented like a tweet, it reads: “We could have two referendums. As it happens, it might make more sense to have the second referendum after the renegotiation is completed.”

A caption by the campaigners reads: “He didn’t tweet it, he actually said it! In the House of Commons. What changed?”

But Mr Rees-Mogg claims the use of the quote is “fundamentally dishonest” and relates to two referendums that would have taken place while the UK was still part of the EU and before any decision to leave, and before the Government decided on the remain/leave vote.

A spokesperson for Led By Donkeys said: "The news cycle is so fast nowadays, we forget what our leaders once said.

"If they want us to trust their judgment as we enter the choppy waters of Brexit it's right that we remind ourselves of their record."

The group had asked people on Twitter to vote for the best tweets to emblazon on the billboards across the country, and the Jacob Rees-Mogg quote was the winner.

The spokesperson continued: "The idea - like most half-decent ideas - came in a chat down the pub.

"We were talking about whether Cameron would one day delete his 'chaos with Ed Miliband' tweet, and someone said: 'Let's turn it into a Tweet You Can't Delete.' It went from there."

(Image: Bristol Live)

Responding to the new billboard, Mr Rees-Mogg told Bristol Live: “I joined Twitter in 2017 so the billboard is fundamentally dishonest. It is designed as a tweet and is a highly selective quote.

"I have never supported a second referendum of the type proposed by the ‘People’s Vote’ campaign.

"In the House of Commons on October 24th 2011, I was discussing the idea of a mandate referendum for David Cameron to begin his negotiations on our terms of membership of the European Union followed by a decision on what he had achieved.

"Both these referendums would have taken place while we were still members of the EU and before any decision to leave. However, the Government decided on a simple in/out referendum after the negotiations, so this mandate option was not used."

(Image: PA)

Other ironic billboards have appeared in London, Essex and Dover, including former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab's tweet: "I hadn't quite understood the full extent of this but... we are particularly reliant on the Dover-Calais crossing."

Another from April 2016 by now Prime Minister Theresa May - who was pro-Remain before taking power - reads: "Remaining a member of the European Union means we will be more secure from crime and terrorism."

Led By Donkeys say they have spent about £400 on the project and admit they have not always asked for permission.