‘Bitter & backwards’ Iain Duncan Smith ROASTS Sir John Major for ‘sad’ anti-Brexit speech

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IDS blasted Sir John Major for his anti-Brexit speech which was ‘sad’

The former Tory leader felt his predecessor – who previously promised to stay out of political debates – sounded “strangely bitter” as he made a series of “unrealistic and angry threats” opposing Brexit during a “rather sad” speech.

Speaking to Emily Maitlis on BBC’s Newsnight, a bewildered IDS said: “What I thought when I looked at the speech, was that this was a peculiar speech, in the sense that it looked backwards the whole time the time.

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“It was almost like a re-fight of the referendum, all the same threats and issues during project fear were all in here.

“Strangely bitter really and it was almost the speech of someone that refuses to accept that the British people should have made a decision such as they did and wants almost to re-run it again until they get it right, which is rather sad really.”

Remain-backing Sir John claimed Britain’s vote to leave the EU was “a historic mistake” during the speech at Chatham House.

The 73-year-old former Prime Minister also personally criticised Theresa May, as she needed to use “a little more charm and a lot less cheap rhetoric” during her forthcoming Brexit talks.

Although he admitted Brexit will not be a “walk in the park”, IDS praised May for taking a realistic approach to Brexit.

The Tory urged the prominent Remoaner to avoid revoking project fear and running around scaring people shouting, “oh its all going to be terrible, its a disaster its going to go horribly wrong, you’re being too optimistic”.

IDS added: “You can be optimistic going forward because you believe the British people are capable of remarkable things. To be pessimistic about them I think is the wrong attitude.”

BBC

IDS urged Britain to maintain an optimistic outlook on Brexit

The former Work and Pensions Secretary has previously denied that people were misinformed during the debate and said that his Government was working to deliver Brexit.

Speaking on Sky News last week, Smith said: “The British people made a decision only a matter of months ago after a robust and fairly long debate, asked the question, do you want to stay or do you want to leave the European Union.”