Chris Grayling said putting a stop to Britain’s withdrawal from the EU could end centuries of “moderate” politics the UK has enjoyed since the English Civil War, as he urged his Conservative colleagues to back Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

Just days before the critical Commons vote, the Transport Secretary told the Daily Mail: “People have to think long and hard about how they are going to vote. This is too important for political game-playing and I urge Conservative MPs who back Brexit and others to back the deal.

“If not, we risk a break with the British tradition of moderate, mainstream politics that goes back to the Restoration in 1660.

“MPs need to remember that Britain, its people and its traditions are the mother of Parliaments. We ignore that and the will of the people at our peril.”

He said there would be a “different tone” in British politics if Britain failed to leave the EU, and predicted a “less tolerant society” and a “more nationalistic nation”.

“It will open the door to extremist populist political forces in this country of the kind we see in other countries in Europe,” Mr Grayling told the paper.

“If MPs who represent seats that voted 70% to leave say ‘sorry guys, we’re still going to have freedom of movement’, they will turn against the political mainstream.”

His comments came after Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley warned a no-deal exit would create a “feeling of unrest”. [...]

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