Tony Blair says Britain's EU exit can be stopped

Tony Blair has suggested the public could stop the process of leaving the European Union if they disagree with the terms.

Sir John Major has also backed the idea of a second referendum before Britain leaves, in order to give the public a say on the deal struck by the Government and EU countries.

Both former prime ministers campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU, and fear Theresa May's Government will withdraw Britain from much of the single market in a so-called "hard Brexit".

In a magazine interview, Mr Blair said: "It can be stopped if the British people decide that, having seen what it means, the pain-gain cost-benefit analysis doesn't stack up...

But he claimed voters - including those who backed Leave on 23 June - may opt for that if "the economic pain may be very great" for up to a decade.

Voting to leave was "like agreeing to a house swap without having seen the other house", he said.

"In the end for a larger number of the people, even those who voted Leave, they will look at this in a practical way, not an ideological way … I think, in the end, it's going to be about Parliament and the country scrutinising the deal."

Sir John, who was speaking at an event at the National Liberal Club on Wednesday night, risked a backlash from eurosceptic Tories by expressing concerns that Brexit terms were being dictated by the "tyranny of the majority" - and that the 48% of people who voted to stay were getting "no say".

The former Conservative leader said he accepted the UK would no longer remain a full member of the EU, but hoped the Brexit deal would enable the country to stay as close as possible to the other 27 members and the single market, The Times reported.

He also said Parliament must have a say on the final deal and decide whether the public will have a second referendum, but said he thought there was a "perfectly credible case" for holding one.

Ministers are hoping to overturn a High Court decision that MPs must vote before Britain can trigger the process for leaving the EU, which Mrs May hopes to do at the end of March.

The Government's appeal will be heard at the Supreme Court in two weeks.

Mr Blair and Sir John joined forces during the referendum campaign, visiting Belfast to warn that a vote to leave the EU would "jeopardise the unity" of the UK by reopening the Scottish independence question and undermining stability in Northern Ireland.

The former Labour prime minister is winding up his private companies and is reported to be looking to set up an institute in Westminster.

He suggested in the interview that he was looking to re-enter public life to mobilise "millions of politically homeless people" in the "progressive centre" not supporting the Conservatives or Labour.

Leave.EU spokesman Tom Brooke said: "It was undeniably clear to voters at the time of the referendum that a vote to leave was a vote to leave the single market and for greater control over immigration.

"This is what the people voted for and must be a red line in any negotiation.

"Major talks about the tyranny of the majority, but we cannot envisage anything more tyrannical than our out-of-touch political elite delaying and blocking Brexit before eventually watering down the deal to look nothing like the deal Britain voted for."