LONDON (Sputnik) — The UK Conservative party is deeply split on the issue of Brexit, and the process of its re-unification after the vote will be extremely difficult, Peter Lilley, a Conservative member of parliament and former trade minister and social security minister, told Sputnik.
"There are quite a lot of those in the Conservative party who support ‘remain’ out of party loyalty and loyalty to Prime Minister. So if we do leave, many Conservatives will be pleased in their heart of hearts. It will be a difficult process trying to re-unite the party, whatever the results would be," Lilley said.
He added that certain changes in the Cabinet will follow.
"I hope Cameron will continue as prime minister. The last thing we would need in case of Brexit vote is to have also the new leadership election. Cameron will stay, he is a flexible person. However, he will have to change some members of his Cabinet, like George Osborne, who promised a 'punishment budget’,'" Lilley said.
UK nationals are set to vote on June 23 in a referendum on the country's EU membership, after Prime Minister David Cameron and the leaders of the 27 EU member states agreed in February to grant the United Kingdom a special status within the bloc.
