David Cameron's "Project Fear" plan to scare the British people into accepting European rule (and denying Brexit) is being exposed by more than just the usual realists (e.g. Nigel Farage). Despite dozens of self-serving military and business leaders siding with Cameron, The Telegraph reports, the head of one of the UK’s leading business groups dramatically resigned last night, accusing David Cameron of peddling "highly irresponsible" scare stories to keep Britain in the European Union.
John Longworth quit as director general of the British Chambers of Commerce after he was suspended by the board on Friday after he breached the BCC’s policy of neutrality on the June 23 referendum.
Setting out his personal view, he told members in his speech that "the very best place for the UK to be is in a reformed EU" but "I have come to the conclusion that the EU is incapable of meaningful reform, at least in the foreseeable future".
His supporters have claimed that Downing Street "bullied" the BCC to discipline him last week over his Eurosceptic stance – an allegation that Number 10 has denied.
Speaking exclusively to The Telegraph, he launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister’s campaign to keep Britain in the EU.
He accused the government of attempting to “scare” voters into staying in Europe in the June referendum with misleading claims about the risks of leaving.
“It is highly irresponsible of the government of the country to be peddling hyperbole,” he said. “It is alright for the campaign groups to do it because they are promoting a particular position.
“But the government has to be responsible. And the fact of the matter is that there is a chance that the country will vote to leave.
“If the government keeps peddling the line that it will be a disaster if we leave, which it actually won’t be, they are going to put the country in a position where it will be damaged if we do.”
He said ministers would not be able to stop stock markets and currency markets reacting badly to a Leave vote because they have spent so long warning of the dangers of Brexit.
"It may work that by scaring people that we don’t leave and they will succeed. But if we do leave, that will be very irresponsible of the government.”
Mr Longworth said the government should be neutral in the referendum.
Tory MP David Davis MP, the former shadow Home secretary, said: “John Longworth is the first Brexit martyr.
“It is frankly disgraceful that in the most important democratic decision in a generation that a man of his caliber should be forced to lose his career simply because he stood up for what he thought was a national interest.
“If it is proved that the Government has had any role in this whatsoever, this will be beyond scandalous.”