Tony Blair must be allowed a voice in Brexit debate, says Nick Clegg

'Though I disagreed passionately with what Blair did on Iraq, the guy is a formidable politician who has a huge amount of insight on what’s going on around the world'

Chuka Umunna, Nick Clegg, and Anna Soubry at an Open Britain event in central London today (Rex)

Remain campaigners, including Nick Clegg, have said Tony Blair should be allowed a voice in the Brexit debate and revealed they are willing to work with the former Prime Minister in the rally against a hard Brexit.

Speaking at a cross-party Open Britain event to urge the Government to maintain access to the single market after Brexit, the former deputy Prime Minister appeared alongside Labour MP Chuka Umunna and the Conservative former business minister Anna Soubry.

His comments came after the former Labour Prime Minister between 1997 and 2007 revealed that he would launch a new organisation aimed at creating a new space for political debate “where western democracies go and where progressive forces particularly find their place”.

Asked whether he would be willing to work with Mr Blair at the event in central London, Mr Clegg replied: “Personally I think it’s great people like Blair and Major are having their voice heard.

“You can agree or disagree with someone on what they did in the past but if they’re actually saying something that is valuable and insightful now, why on earth would you seek to silence them? It’s a free country for heavens sake.”

Mr Clegg, who also revealed he has met with Mr Blair since the referendum, added: “And much though I disagreed passionately with what Blair did on Iraq, the guy is a formidable politician who has a huge amount of insight on what’s going on around the world. I’ve talked to him and many other people across parties about the choices we face as a country. I think the more we can make those connections without losing our identities or our respective opinions about each other over what happened in the past the better.

“We’ve got to release ourselves from the prejudices and blinkers of the past if we’re going to try and get the best deal for our country in the future.”

Ms Soubry simply added that Open Britain would “work with anyone” – including those who had supported Remain during the referendum campaign. “That’s what we’re really saying today – it’s time for everyone to come together”.

Mr Umunna was more apprehensive in his response. “Everybody should bring their view to the table. I think most of the public would want to hear what they’ve got to say about these things,” he said.

“I wouldn’t go near any project which had as its endeavour the prosecution of a second referendum.

“I believe the people have spoken and for us to now to seek to ignore that or hold another referendum because we don’t like the answer would reinforce all the false stereotypical characteristics people put forward to describe pro-Europeans. Remain lost – we clearly lost. We need to listen and do so with humility.”