THE council voted down calls for another Brexit referendum following claims it would disrespect the people of Bolton.

This came after a long debate on a motion to support the “People’s Vote”, submitted by Liberal Democrat leader Roger Hayes.

Campaigners stood outside the town hall waving EU flags and seeking support before the full council meeting last night.

John Falch, from the Best for Bolton group, said: “We’re standing outside the council, waiting for councillors to come in and petitioning them to vote the People’s Vote motion.”

READ MORE: How did your councillor vote in the People's Vote motion?

Cllr Hayes told councillors that the Prime Minister’s deal does not have enough support in parliament, a general election is unlikely and other Conservative leaders would be in no better position if Theresa May is axed by her party.

He said: “It’s very unlikely that there will be a change to the deal. The way out, therefore, is to argue a no deal Brexit or drop the whole idea. I think to save people on the streets with real anger, I think the only answer for both sides is to have a people’s vote.”

Conservative councillors lambasted his claims, starting with Cllr Bob Allen who called the motion “desperate”.

He said: “What Cllr Hayes is arguing for now is a losers’ vote. They want to try again and try again and if they won’t then perhaps it might go to best of three. Who knows? Despite what many people say, voters are not stupid. Leave voters are not thick.”

His views were echoed by Cllr Martyn Cox who called concerns about economic performance were overblown.

He said the 2016 referendum was a people’s vote and reminded councillors that many residents in their wards voted to leave.

Two years ago, Bolton voted to leave the EU with a majority of 58.3 per cent, higher than the national result of 51.9 per cent.

UKIP councillor Mark Cunningham said: “These people are expecting you to represent them.”

With a copy of the Withdrawal Agreement in hand, Cllr Zoe Kirk -Robinson said the motion was out of date, having been submitted before the deal was agreed.

She said: “It flies in the face of the majority of Bolton’s citizens who voted to leave the European Union when they took part in the referendum.”

Although all Conservative, UKIP and Farnworth and Kearsley First councillors voted against the motion, the Labour vote was split by one vote.

Cllr Kevin McKeon argued that referenda are no way to make decisions on complex issues but said that now “the genie is out of the bottle”.

He said: “We now seem to have accepted that referenda are the way to make these big decisions. And that’s why, reluctantly given my view of referenda, I am supporting this motion.”

However, his Labour colleague Cllr Anna-Marie Watters declared herself a “proud” Brexiteer when speaking against the motion.

The motion was lost, with 37 councillors voting against the motion which was only supported by 17 councillors.