EU referendum: Tony Blair and John Major warn Brexit will ‘tear apart’ Britain

In a joint speech in Northern Ireland, the former PMs will warn that leaving the EU would be a ‘deeply damaging and reckless course’ that would put the region’s future at risk

The former Prime Ministers in 1997 (Getty Images)

Former Prime Ministers Sir John Major and Tony Blair will unite to warn that a vote for Brexit could “tear apart the United Kingdom” and plunge Northern Ireland into a new era of instability.

With only two weeks to go before the vote, the former rivals, both architects of the peace process, will warn that leaving the EU would be a “deeply damaging and reckless course” that would put Northern Ireland’s future at risk.

In a joint speech in Northern Ireland, they will also warn that if the UK votes for Brexit, but Scotland backs Remain, then pressure for a new independence referendum will become “irresistible”.

“I say to everyone who is undecided, everyone who is wavering: please understand the potential – even the likely consequence of a vote to leave the EU,” Sir John will say.

“Not just a shrunken economy, not just a diminished United Kingdom on the world stage, but a smaller country in a very real and literal sense. The most successful union in world history would be broken apart for good.”

Mr Blair, who as Prime Minister signed the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, will say that the Leave campaign has not answered fundamental questions about the consequences of Brexit for Northern Ireland, including the complex issue of the land border between the Republic of Ireland and the UK.

A mural marking unionist territory in Londonderry, which is situated on the border between the north and south of Ireland (Getty)

He will warn that the stability of Northern Ireland is “poised on carefully constructed foundations” and warn voters not to “take a punt” on Leave campaigners.

“Their ideological fixation with leaving Europe is more important to them than the clear disadvantage Northern Ireland would suffer if we left and the consequent damage to the UK as a whole,” he will say. “We should always distrust those who put ideology before practical considerations”.

Currently, the UK and the Republic of Ireland operate a Common Travel Area, in which citizens of the two states can move freely without passports and enjoy almost the same rights as citizens in each other’s countries – an arrangement that pre-dates the EU. However, a vote for Brexit would create a land border between an EU and a non-EU state. Remain campaigners have warned that it could lead to the return of a “hard border” between the two countries, putting trade and economic collaboration at risk.

Leave campaign figurehead Boris Johnson has said that the border arrangements would be “absolutely unchanged” in the event of Brexit. However, other Leave campaigners have suggested some border controls would be necessary to prevent opening up a “backdoor” to the UK for EU migrants.

The warnings from the two ex-Prime Ministers will prompt new allegations of scaremongering from Leave campaigners. But Sir John will claim that Brexit would risk the unity of the UK with implications for both Northern Ireland and Scotland.

“If Scotland votes to stay in the EU, but the UK as a whole chooses to leave, there is a serious risk of a new referendum,” he will say. “Not straightaway perhaps, but ultimately nationalist pressure for another shot at leaving the UK could prove to be uncontrollable and irresistible.”

David Cameron said this week that he was concerned about the prospect of a second referendum, while the SNP has repeatedly said that a vote for Brexit against the will of the Scottish people would lead to renewed calls for independence.

The EU referendum debate has so far been characterised by bias, distortion and exaggeration. So until 23 June we we’re running a series of question and answer features that explain the most important issues in a detailed, dispassionate way to help inform your decision.

What is Brexit and why are we having an EU referendum?

Will we gain or lose rights by leaving the European Union?

What will happen to immigration if there's Brexit?

Will Brexit make the UK more or less safe?

Will the UK benefit from being released from EU laws?

Will leaving the EU save taxpayers money and mean more money for the NHS?

What will Brexit do to UK trade?

How Brexit will affect British tourism

What will Brexit mean for British tourists booking holidays in the EU?

Will Brexit help or damage the environment?

Will Brexit mean that Europeans have to leave the UK?

What will Brexit mean for British expats?