British Prime Minister David Cameron may have shot down the possibility of a second referendum to remain in the European Union—but Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson says consider it anyway.
In a blog post on Virgin’s website, the billionaire businessman called for the U.K. Parliament to “take a second look at the E.U. referendum” in light of a petition to hold a second vote on the topic which has amassed over 3.7 million signatures since Friday. Over 30 million voted on the referendum Thursday.
“Based on the misrepresentation made by the Leave campaign, Parliament needs to take the petition of more than three million people to call for a new referendum seriously,” Branson wrote, arguing that the Leave campaign had told voters that a Brexit would give the U.K. full control of immigration, but that’s not true. “The alternative is to watch a rapid decline of Britain’s health and wellbeing.”
On the same day, Cameron, speaking before the House of Commons, shot down the possibility of a second referendum.
“I am clear, and the cabinet agreed this morning, that the decision must be accepted and the process of implementing the decision in the best possible way must begin,” Cameron said Monday.
The online petition with over 3 million signatures itself is troubling. The document is under investigation for fraudulent signees. The House of Commons Petitions Committee has already removed about 77,000 signatures from the site.
But even if the “Regrexit” camp continues to grow, the question remains: Can the U.K. change its mind? According to Derrick Wyatt, an emeritus professor of law at Oxford University, it will be difficult—but not impossible.
“In law, the UK could change its mind before withdrawal from the EU and decide to stay in after all,” Wyatt told Reuters.
52% of the U.K. voted to leave to E.U. on June 24.
