Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister, Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United Kingdom should call a referendum to allow voters to choose between a no-deal Brexit and staying in a reformed European Union as British politics is deadlocked over the issue, former Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday.
Less than six months before the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, there is little clarity about how the world's fifth largest economy and its preeminent international financial centre will trade with the EU after Brexit.
If Prime Minister Theresa May can strike a deal with the EU, she has to get it approved by the British parliament, which is deeply divided over Brexit.
Some members of her ruling Conservative Party are unhappy about the Brexit proposals she has made, and the main opposition Labour Party has indicated it is likely to vote down any deal May brings back.
The European Union's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Wednesday called for "decisive progress" in negotiations with Britain in time for a summit of all 28 EU nation leaders next week.Brexit negotiators from both sides have been locked in intense discussions this week, trying to overcome differences on the biggest outstanding hurdle to a Brexit deal - how to keep the Ireland-UK border open after Britain leaves the bloc in March.Speaking after Barnier briefed the executive European Commission, spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a news conference: "He recalled that decisive progress must be made in time for the October European Council next week and negotiations at the technical level will continue this week."The 27 EU states will get an update at a meeting of national ambassadors, without Britain, on Friday evening. The sides will continue negotiations through the weekend with hopes for a breakthrough as early as Monday.EU's commissioner says 'we are not there yet' on BrexitThe 27 EU leaders meeting next Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels want to be able to announce decisive progress on the Brexit deal to agree to hold another summit in November. That would be to finalise work on a declaration of close future ties with Britain that would also be part of the Brexit package."Michel Barnier and his team are working day and night to reach a deal, but we are not there yet," EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told the news conference.In a sign of progress, diplomats in Brussels told Reuters the European Union no longer expected a new proposal from Britain for the Ireland-UK border fix after Brexit as negotiators from both sides were seeking to agree on it in direct talks.Previously, the 27 states who will remain in the bloc insisted that London present formal new proposals for the border in writing.EU, Britain narrowing differences on Irish border in Brexit talksThe issue of how to avoid extensive checks at the border between EU state Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland - Britain's only land frontier - after Brexit is the last remaining hurdle, with nearly everything else in the withdrawal agreement agreed before Britain leaves next March.NO-DEALBoth the EU and Britain have signalled progress in recent days, boosting the sentiment in markets, which fear the most damaging no-deal Brexit."My feeling is that there is a smaller probability for lack of deal now than we have had for some time," Danuta Hubner, a European Parliament lawmaker dealing with Brexit, told a committee.But the Commission has also looked at preparations among the 27 states for a no-deal scenario on Wednesday, discussing a document laying out the multiple disruptions that would ensue, including customs checks and duties kicking in immediately on all imports and exports between the EU and Britain.UK PM May's possible Brexit deal could be backed by 30-40 Labour lawmakersWhile some in the Commission wanted to publish the document, the Brexit negotiators feared it would upset Britain and could hurt the negotiations."We are working hard for the Brexit negotiations to succeed. But since we can't guarantee the result right now, we have to prepare for all possible outcomes," one diplomat said."There is a growing sense among the EU27 that outstanding preparedness questions have to be addressed very quickly and in a detailed way... The EU27 need to be ready on day one to address issues like citizen's rights, transport or customs coherently."Avramopoulos also said the bloc's no-deal contingency plans on security were driven by "goodwill", stressing the bloc would want to continue cooperating with Britain closely, including on sharing intelligence. 
EU's Barnier calls for 'decisive progress' on Brexit for summit next week
Blair, a former Labour prime minister, said he did not expect May to be able to get a deal through parliament so the country should be offered a new vote.
"It really is difficult... The alternatives are all worse because if you do get to a blockage in parliament that is what opens up the possibility of going back to the people," Blair, who was premier from 1997 to 2007, told a Reuters newsmaker in London.
"My view is this only happens if there is blockage in parliament. But if there is blockage in parliament it is a very simple argument. You say, look we have been two and a bit years trying to reach an agreement that works, parliament is blocked."
The European Union's top migration official said on Wednesday that Brexit negotiators were holding intense talks but they have not yet concluded a deal."Michel Barnier and his team are working day and night to reach a deal, but we are not there yet," Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told a news conference, referring to the bloc's chief Brexit negotiator.EU, Britain narrowing differences on Irish border in Brexit talksUK PM May's possible Brexit deal could be backed by 30-40 Labour lawmakers
EU's commissioner says 'we are not there yet' on Brexit
Both opponents and supporters of Brexit agree that the divorce is Britain’s most significant geopolitical move since World War Two, though they cast vastly different futures for the $2.9 trillion UK economy and the world’s biggest trading bloc.
Blair has repeatedly called for reversing Brexit, echoing other critics such as French President Emmanuel Macron and billionaire investor George Soros, who have suggested that Britain could still change its mind.
Blair said that if Brexit did happen, the economic dislocation would be such that the United Kingdom would have to pitch to investors that it would be the best place in the world to do business.