DAVID Cameron could stage another referendum if Britain votes to leave the European Union, a former Commons clerk has warned.
Lord Lisvane claimed that a low turnout and a close victory could be enough to go against the vote and trigger another referendum.
The crossbench peer argued a close call in the vote could be seen as “not sufficiently decisive” – snatching possible victory away from the campaign to leave the bloc with a second vote and a renegotiation of the terms of a Brexit.
Lord Lisvane said: “If the result on June 23 was, say, 51 to 49 in favour of Leave on a turnout of 55 per cent then that would move quite a lot of goal posts”
“The Prime Minister could say that such a result is not sufficiently decisive and so we will negotiate heads of agreements on withdrawal, and then have a second referendum to decide whether to trigger the exit process on that basis."
Initially Leave campaign figurehead Boris Johnson argued a vote to leave was a vote for a second referendum on a better deal from the eurocrats.
But the former Mayor of London has since backtracked, making clear “out is out”.
Meanwhile David Cameron has dismissed the idea as “for the birds”.
It comes after Samantha Cameron’s father claimed meddling MPs could overturn the vote and stop Britainleaving the EU
Tory peer Lord Astor, who is Samantha Cameron’s stepfather, forecast there would not be a House of Commons majority to revoke the European Communities Act 1972 supporting the UK’s membership.
“An exit from the EU is actually not deliverable”, he said, adding: “The referendum is merely advisory – it has no legal standing to force an exit. Parliament is still sovereign.”
Insisting either an Act or “paving Bill” would be vital to start Leave negotiations, he said: “the Government, whether still led by David Cameron or not, would probably not win”.
He added the Labour Party, the SNP and Lib Dems in the Commons could claim the referendum vote did not include a majority to leave in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.