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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics

Brexit vote latest: Leave backers who pumped millions into campaign think UK will ditch Brexit

Jubilant: Vote Leave supporters on College Green, Westminster in London, after Britain voted to leave the European Union (Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)

Two Brexiteers who pumped millions of pounds in to leave campaigns between them believe plans to depart the EU will be abandoned by the Government.

Billionaire Peter Hargreaves, one of the biggest donors to the 2016 leave campaign, and veteran hedge fund manager Crispin Odey both stated they think there will be no Brexit.

"I have totally given up. I am totally in despair, I don't think Brexit will happen at all," said Mr Hargreaves, 72.

The Brexiteer is one of Britain's wealthiest men and donated £3.2 million to the Leave campaign.

Major donor: Peter Hargreaves (PA)

"They (pro-Europeans) are banking on the fact that people are so fed up with it that will just say 'sod it we will stay'. I do see that attitude. The problem is when something doesn't happen for so long you feel less angry about it."

Mr Odey, who donated more than £870,000 pounds to pro-Leave groups, said that while he did not believe a second referendum will take place, he does not think Brexit happen either.

"My view is that it ain't going to happen," he said. "I just can't see how it happens with that configuration of parliament."

Mr Odey, who runs his hedge fund Odey Asset Management, said is now positioning for the pound to strengthen, after his flagship fund previously reaped the benefit of betting against UK assets amid wider market fears about the impact of Brexit.

The pair's comments come amid deadlock in Parliament over the exit deal that Prime Minister Theresa May has struck with the EU.

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