Anna Soubry Confesses Cabinet Never Considered 'Leave' Winning
| Updated: 10 Feb 2026
The former Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise told LBC presenter Matt Frei that the Cabinet assumed 'Remain' would win the referendum.
Soubry sat in the Cabinet that took the decision to hold the referendum.
She said: "There was never any assessment or consideration of what we would do in the event of 'Leave' winning."
Matt Frei then asks: "So, Cameron just assumed that he would win?"
She replied: "I think we all did."
Soubry then apologised to the listeners for the "hugely arrogant" decision.
She added: "Even we didn't appreciate the extraordinarily difficult process of decoupling from an institution that we've been a part of for 40 years."
Soubry told Matt: "I put my hands up and I do feel the need to apologise."