Goldman Sachs boss calls for second Brexit referendum

Lloyd Blankfein warns of 'tough and risky road ahead' if UK leaves the EU

Lloyd Blankfein has previously said Brexit vote was primarily an anti-immigration vote (Reuters)

The CEO of Goldman Sachs has appeared to call for a second Brexit referendum as he warned of the “tough and risky road ahead”.

Lloyd Blankfein made the “reluctant” suggestion on Twitter as he noted the fears of other business leaders about the UK’s exit from the European Union.

He said: “Here in UK, lots of hand-wringing from CEOs over #Brexit. Better sense of the tough and risky road ahead.

“Reluctant to say, but many wish for a confirming vote on a decision so monumental and irreversible. So much at stake, why not make sure consensus still there?”

It was not immediately clear whether “confirming vote” meant a second referendum or a vote in Parliament on any exit deal, however. A Goldman Sachs spokesman in London declined to comment or elaborate further.

A spokesman for the Department for Exiting the European Union said there would be no second referendum.

Mr Blankfein has already strongly hinted he is considering expanding Goldman Sachs’ presence in Frankfurt as a direct result of Brexit – taking jobs abroad.

In October he said: “Just left Frankfurt. Great meetings, great weather, really enjoyed it. Good, because I’ll be spending a lot more time there. #Brexit.”

His Thursday tweet came as Mark Carney, the head of the Bank of England, said the UK economy had slipped to the bottom of the pile within the G7 since the Brexit referendum.

Before the vote it had been at the top, he said, expanding faster than those of Germany, France, Italy, the US and Canada.

He added: “We can provide support by keeping prices low and stable and by making sure banks can withstand whatever shock that might come whatever deal we have.

“People shouldn’t have to worry about inflation and financial stability. We’ll make sure inflation stays low and the banks stay strong.”