Preston City Council calls for referendum on final Brexit deal

Boris Johnson makes his Vote Leave speech in Preston along with Michael Gove and Priti Patel as they bring their Brexit roadshow to Lancashire

They voted to write to the city’s MPs outlining why they want a say on the matter.

The authority’s interim chief executive will also be contacting Sajid Javid, secretary of state for communities and local government about the request and is calling on PM Theresa May to meet Mr Javid to discuss the issue.

It came as the council expressed its concerns over the final deal. Liberal Democrat coun Neil Darby put the motion forward at a council meeting at Town Hall.

Speaking afterwards he said: “The council is there to represent the people of Preston to try and get the best deal.

“With Brexit we were told this, that and the other back in 2016 and we now know that there were a whole lot of promises that weren’t true.

“There’s also a disparity between what we were told and what we weren’t told Brexit would mean and what we now know Brexit isn’t going to mean.

“As a result of that there’s been a change of opinion in the community.

“Latest polls show that Preston would now vote to remain instead of leave, for example.

“It’s not about re-running that 2016 referendum.

“We believe people should have a final say on the deal when we know what Brexit actually means.

“With a general election you can change your mind in five years but with Brexit, it impacts the next 40 or 50 years.”