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| Slurs on David Cameron will backfire for Brexit camp, says Frank Field | Slurs on David Cameron will backfire for Brexit camp, says Frank Field |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| The highly personalised attacks on David Cameron by Brexit campaigners have been condemned by one of their number. | The highly personalised attacks on David Cameron by Brexit campaigners have been condemned by one of their number. |
| Labour former minister Frank Field warned that “putting sticky fingers into people’s souls” would backfire for those pushing for Britain to leave. | Labour former minister Frank Field warned that “putting sticky fingers into people’s souls” would backfire for those pushing for Britain to leave. |
| His intervention followed a weekend of Conservative party internecine warfare in which pro-Brexit Tory MPs branded Cameron “corrosive” and a “liar” as they openly plotted to try to oust him even if remain achieves a narrow win in the 23 June referendum. | His intervention followed a weekend of Conservative party internecine warfare in which pro-Brexit Tory MPs branded Cameron “corrosive” and a “liar” as they openly plotted to try to oust him even if remain achieves a narrow win in the 23 June referendum. |
| On Sunday evening Field told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour: “The first mistake I think our side has made has been to question the prime minister’s integrity. | On Sunday evening Field told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour: “The first mistake I think our side has made has been to question the prime minister’s integrity. |
| “I think it’s a mistake to put your sticky fingers into people’s souls and say they’re debasing public life. | “I think it’s a mistake to put your sticky fingers into people’s souls and say they’re debasing public life. |
| “I think it would be very good for our out campaign to actually concentrate on issues and not on the integrity of the other side.” | “I think it would be very good for our out campaign to actually concentrate on issues and not on the integrity of the other side.” |
| Tory peer Danny Finkelstein said that while claims by rebels in his party that they could muster the 50 signatures needed to force a no confidence vote in Cameron were probably true, it would be much harder to bring him down. | Tory peer Danny Finkelstein said that while claims by rebels in his party that they could muster the 50 signatures needed to force a no confidence vote in Cameron were probably true, it would be much harder to bring him down. |
| “I think it will not be difficult to find 50 people who are discontented with David Cameron at the end, probably more,” Lord Finkelstein told the BBC. | “I think it will not be difficult to find 50 people who are discontented with David Cameron at the end, probably more,” Lord Finkelstein told the BBC. |
| “But I think it would be very hard to produce a majority of the Conservative party that wanted to remove him. | “But I think it would be very hard to produce a majority of the Conservative party that wanted to remove him. |
| Related: Conservative rift over EU risks widening as attacks on David Cameron intensify | |
| “And that I think will make even those who are against him think twice before they start a letter campaign that might end up strengthening him, not weakening him.” | “And that I think will make even those who are against him think twice before they start a letter campaign that might end up strengthening him, not weakening him.” |
| The two interventions came after arch backbench critic Nadine Dorries predicted Cameron would be “toast” even if remain edged a win in the referendum. | The two interventions came after arch backbench critic Nadine Dorries predicted Cameron would be “toast” even if remain edged a win in the referendum. |
| The Mid-Bedfordshire MP said she had already sent a letter to the 1922 backbench committee, which she indicated called for a no confidence vote in Cameron. | The Mid-Bedfordshire MP said she had already sent a letter to the 1922 backbench committee, which she indicated called for a no confidence vote in Cameron. |
| Dorries told ITV: “If the remain campaign wins by a large majority – I’d say it would have to be 60-40 – then David Cameron might just survive, but if remain win by a narrow majority, or if leave, as I certainly hope, win, he’s toast within days. | Dorries told ITV: “If the remain campaign wins by a large majority – I’d say it would have to be 60-40 – then David Cameron might just survive, but if remain win by a narrow majority, or if leave, as I certainly hope, win, he’s toast within days. |
| “There are many issues about which David Cameron has told outright lies.” | “There are many issues about which David Cameron has told outright lies.” |
| Fellow MP Andrew Bridgen, another Brexiter, insisted that more than the 50 colleagues needed to trigger such a poll were ready to move against the prime minister, as Boris Johnson branded Cameron “corrosive”. | Fellow MP Andrew Bridgen, another Brexiter, insisted that more than the 50 colleagues needed to trigger such a poll were ready to move against the prime minister, as Boris Johnson branded Cameron “corrosive”. |
| Cameron will hope to try to brush off the Tory squall over his future as he attempts to shift the battle back on to the economic impact of Brexit. | Cameron will hope to try to brush off the Tory squall over his future as he attempts to shift the battle back on to the economic impact of Brexit. |
| Downing Street dismissed the personal attacks as a “distraction” intended to move attention away from the economic arguments for staying in the EU. | Downing Street dismissed the personal attacks as a “distraction” intended to move attention away from the economic arguments for staying in the EU. |
| Meanwhile, pro-Brexit cabinet minister Chris Grayling warned that green belt land will have to be sacrificed to housing estates in order to deal with continued mass immigration. | Meanwhile, pro-Brexit cabinet minister Chris Grayling warned that green belt land will have to be sacrificed to housing estates in order to deal with continued mass immigration. |
| Pressure on public services, and the move to build on previously protected countryside, will be the price of staying in the EU, said Grayling, the leader of the Commons. | Pressure on public services, and the move to build on previously protected countryside, will be the price of staying in the EU, said Grayling, the leader of the Commons. |
| He warned that immigration from the rest of the EU will “change the face” of the UK forever, according to the Daily Telegraph. | He warned that immigration from the rest of the EU will “change the face” of the UK forever, according to the Daily Telegraph. |
| The remain campaign fired a shot of its own when, on BBC1’s Countryfile programme, it accused Johnson of being unable to give clear answers when asked about the future of British farming and the level of agricultural subsidies post-Brexit. | The remain campaign fired a shot of its own when, on BBC1’s Countryfile programme, it accused Johnson of being unable to give clear answers when asked about the future of British farming and the level of agricultural subsidies post-Brexit. |