No second Brexit referendum, says Theresa May

Theresa May has ruled out the possibility of a second Brexit referendum should she succeed in her bid to succeed David Cameron as prime minister.

Mrs May has presented herself as the candidate of unity and experience who will “make a success” of Brexit, as she launched her national campaign to become Conservative leader and prime minister.

Mrs May, who serves as home secretary, was a low-key supporter of Remain during last month’s EU referendum.

In a speech in Birmingham on Monday she sought to reassure Eurosceptics that she will not attempt to overturn the Brexit result, repeating her declaration that “Brexit is Brexit”.

She presented herself as the candidate of unity and experience who will “make a success” of Brexit.

In her speech Mrs May made clear her intention to reach out beyond the comfortable middle-classes who make up the traditional bedrock of Tory support, saying she wanted to create “a country that works not for the privileged few, but for every one of us”.

Mrs May made a point of the fact that she had won the “overwhelming” support of Tory MPs in last week’s election at Westminster, taking nearly two-thirds of votes including “left and right, Leavers and Remainers, MPs from the length and breadth of Britain”.

“The results showed that, after the referendum, the Conservative Party can come together and under my leadership it will,” she said.

She set out the three key messages of her leadership campaign: “First, our country needs strong, proven leadership to steer us through this time of economic and political uncertainty and to negotiate the best deal for Britain as we leave the EU and forge a new role for ourselves in the world.

“Because Brexit means Brexit, and we’re going to make a success of it.

“Second, we need to unite our party and our country.

“And third, we need a bold new positive vision for the future of our country — a vision of a country that works not for the privileged few, but for every one of us.”

PA