LONDON, Sept 13: David Cameron, former British prime minister finally broke his silence Friday and admitted that the 2016 Brexit referendum result made him depressed.
The former Conservative Party leader walked away from 10 Downing Street less than a month after British people voted in June that year to leave the European Union (EU) by a 52-48 margin.
More than three years later, nobody knows how the Brexit saga will end, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson remaining convinced that a deal with Brussels will be struck by the Oct. 31 deadline when Britain is scheduled to leave the bloc, despite a multitude of hurdles to navigate.
In an in-depth interview on Friday with British newspaper The Times, Cameron said he recognized some people will never forgive him for holding a referendum, but he thinks a referendum was “inevitable.”
“This issue needed to be addressed and I thought a referendum was coming, so better to try to get some reforms we needed and have a referendum,” the Eton-educated politician said.
“But I accept that effort failed. I do understand some people are very angry because they didn’t want to leave the EU. Neither did I,” he said.
Cameron admitted that he thinks every single day about the referendum and the fact that he lost.
“I worry desperately about what is going to happen next. I think we can get to a situation where we leave but we are friends, neighbors and partners. We can get there, but I would love to fast-forward to that moment because it’s painful for the country and it’s painful to watch,” he added.
Cameron, in his interview, also accused Johnson and Cabinet Minister Michael Gove of behaving appallingly during the 2016 EU referendum campaign, saying they had left the truth at home.
He also said Johnson had expected Britain to vote to remain in the EU, adding that he hopes Johnson will manage to secure a deal with Brussels.
Cameron also said he believes a second referendum might be the way forward.
The interview came ahead of the upcoming publication of his memoir “For The Record,” which details the Brexit debate before, during and after the referendum.
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