Tony Blair: Britain will need Article 50 extension for more Brexit negotiations or a second referendum

Europe should prepare itself for the “probability” that Britain will need an extension to Article 50 – either for more negotiations or to allow for a second referendum, Tony Blair is set to urge.

Mr Blair will make the comments in a speech in central London on Friday – as current Prime Minister Theresa May is in Brussels meeting EU leaders.

He will say: “Europe should prepare for the possibility now morphing into the near probability that Britain will require an extension of time to the Article 50 process, either to negotiate further or more likely to conduct a new referendum.

“We are now entering a new phase of Brexit. Government has lost the initiative. Parliament has taken it. We know the options for Brexit. Parliament will have to decide on one of them. If Parliament can’t then it should decide to go back to the people.

Mr Blair will say: “Now should be the time of preparation – Parliament to make sure it can canvas the options in sensible manner, one by one, to reach agreement on an option or a referendum; Europe to ensure that if Britain is ready to think again, Europe is ready also to think again.

“All that is necessary is for leadership: in Parliament if not in Government, and in Europe where despite all the myriad of challenges European leaders have, they should understand that changing Brexit would be the greatest boost to Europe’s economy and politics and that therefore, they need to focus on the part they can play and play it.”

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The former Labour leader will also say it is “bizarre” that EU leaders feel obliged to deliver Brexit despite not believing in it.

“Not one believes this course is better than Britain staying in Europe. All of them recognise that in years to come this decision will be regretted by future generations.

“Yet all feel a strange compulsion to carry on… Things do not need to be like this. We have free will. It is past time to exercise it. Brexit is not some form of natural disaster, Brexit is man-made.”

Mr Blair’s latest intervention on Brexit comes a week after he warned Theresa May she faced the prospect of “hitting a brick wall at speed” with a vote on her Brexit plan, which was later pulled.