A second EU referendum could be legally justifiable, according to a former attorney general.
Conservative MP Dominic Grieve, who served as chief legal advisor to the Government until 2014, said a second vote could be justified if there was clear evidence that public opinion had shifted against Brexit.
In correspondence seen by the Independent and verified by Mr Grieve, he tells a constituent that the first referendum result is not set in stone.
He wrote: “We have to accept that the referendum result represents, at the time it was held, a clear statement of a majority view that we should leave the EU.
He added: “It is of course possible that it will become apparent with the passage of time that public opinion has shifted on the matter. If so, a second referendum may be justified.”
Mr Grieve also supported anti-Brexit campaigners, stating that people in a free society should be able to dispute the views of the majority, and that the result had ‘deeply troubled’ him.
He wrote: “I have no doubt that the petition in which you are participating and other forms of campaigning which are now taking place may contribute to further debate in a positive way and I would encourage you not to give up.
“There is in a free society no requirement on us to change our opinions just because a current majority disagrees with them. Mine remain the same and I will continue to argue for what I believe to be right and in our best interests.”
Anti-Brexit 'March for Europe' protest
Prime Minister David Cameron said a second vote was “not remotely on the cards” after a petition to hold a second referendum was signed by more than 4 million people.
Tens of thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday to protest against Britain leaving the European Union.
