Nigel Farage’s call for a second referendum on Brexit has been praised by Remain campaigners who said they would relish the chance to hold a new vote.
In a surprise intervention, the former Ukip leader said he was confident holding a second referendum would "kill off" the debate about Britain's EU membership in the future.
"I'm reaching the point of thinking that we should have a second referendum on EU membership," he told Channel 5's The Wright Stuff.
"I think if we had a second referendum on EU membership, we'd kill it off for a generation. The percentage that would vote to leave next time would be very much bigger than it was last time, and we may just finish the whole thing off."
His comments came despite him launching a strongly-worded attack on Remain-backing Labour peer Lord Adonis during a debate on a second referendum, branding him a "twisted little weasal".
Responding to Mr Farage's apparent U-turn on Thursday, the peer tweeted: "So Nigel Farage wants a referendum on Mrs May’s Brexit deal. I agree. Bring it on!"
Before the referendum in June 2016, Mr Farage said there could be unstoppable demand for a second vote in the event of a narrow win for the Remain campaign.
His latest comments were also welcomed by Labour MP Chuka Umunna, who has campaigned for a close ongoing relationship with the EU.
“For perhaps the first time in his life, Nigel Farage is making a valid point,” he said.
"In a democracy like ours, the British people have every right to keep an open mind about Brexit.
"If the Brexit that is delivered does not match up to the promises of Leave campaigners - with no sign of £350 million extra per week for the NHS but a whopping great divorce bill of £39 billion - then everyone is entitled to ask if this is the right choice for our country."
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Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake added: "Tony Blair and Nigel Farage aren't two people I'd normally like to be put in a group with, but on this issue they are speaking sense.
"But Farage shouldn't be so confident of winning. People are now far more aware of the costs of Brexit and the fabrications of the Leave campaign."
His intervention came after a survey of more than 4,000 people by Queen Mary University and YouGov found that the vast majority of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Scottish Nationalist Party voters backed a second EU referendum.
Of Labour voters, more than three-quarters backed a second vote, while 87 per cent of SNP voters and 91 per cent of Lib Dems also wanted a new referendum.
But the Prime Minister's official spokesman insisted today: "We will not be having a second referendum."
Senior Ukip figures said they would not back a re-run of the referendum.
Deputy leader Peter Whittle told The Times: "By doing this we would be giving the anti-democratic remoaners such as Blair, Clegg, Adonis a moral victory. Rest assured they would never give up, even after 3, 4, 5 referenda.”
