Tony Blair urges Britons to 'rise up' against Brexit

Addressing voters and businesses, former Labour PM backs effort to temper terms of, or even halt, Britain's EU's exit.

Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, has called
 on voters, businesses and campaigners in the UK to 
"rise up" and back a coordinated effort to temper the terms
 of, or even halt, Britain's EU exit .

Blair said on Friday that the Conservative government's
 drive to leave the European Union "at any cost" would hurt future generations and damage the unity of the country itself.

Last year's vote to leave the 28-nation bloc was "based on
imperfect knowledge" and Britons made their decision
 without knowing the true terms of Brexit, he said in a
 speech in London.

"As these terms become clear, it is their right to change their
mind," said Blair, the former Labour leader. "Our mission is to persuade them to do so."

Blair spoke on behalf of Open Britain, which is campaigning
for the government's Brexit legislation to be amended to
ensure that parliament has "proper scrutiny" over any deal
 that Theresa May, UK prime minister, negotiates with EU leaders.

Among the group's goals is for Britain to remain part of 
the bloc's single market , guaranteeing unfettered access 
to 500 million people.

While supporters oppose any attempt to slow the drive
toward Brexit, calling that undemocratic, Blair argued that 
the people have a right to change their minds.

The leave campaign benefited from a mood of revolt
stemming in part from changes in the global economy, 
but such opinions are not set in stone, he said.

"The Brexiteers were the beneficiaries of this wave. Now, they
want to freeze it to a day in June 2016," he said.

"They will say the will of the people can't alter. It can. They
will say leaving is inevitable. It isn't."

It was not immediately clear how much support Blair may
have in creating a wave of sentiment against May's plans.

The once-popular Labour Party leader suffered a fall from
grace after he supported the US in its intervention in Iraq.

'Turn off the TV'

Dismissing Blair's speech, Boris Johnson, the UK foreign
minister, told the BBC that people should "rise up and turn
 off the TV" when Blair comes on.

Blair's intervention reflects the bitter divide that has gripped
Britain since the June 23 referendum.

While 51.9 percent voted to leave the EU, the terms were
 not specified and May has been reluctant to discuss her plans, fearing it will hurt the UK's bargaining position.

Many in this country of 64 million have expressed disquiet at
the potential consequences.