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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/jun/07/eu-referendum-live-farage-cameron-itv-debate-foreign-criminals
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| EU referendum live: Cameron accuses Leave of telling six 'complete untruths' | EU referendum live: Cameron accuses Leave of telling six 'complete untruths' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 1.11pm BST | |
| 13:11 | |
| Vote Leave says Remain campaign is 'in a blind panic' | |
| Vote Leave says David Cameron’s decision to hold a press conference this morning shows Remain is panicking. It has put out this statement from the Ukip MP Douglas Carswell. | |
| The In campaign is in a blind panic. David Cameron’s renegotiation was a failure - no-one believes he got a deal worth the paper it was written on. Now people are rejecting his campaign of fear. The prime minister says we need a proper debate about the facts but he is too chicken to take on anyone from the Vote Leave campaign head-to-head. | |
| David Cameron and George Osborne have both admitted that they have given up our right to veto future EU treaties, that the EU has ignored us in the past over bailouts and they know their guarantees on the renegotiation are about as trustworthy as their mate Nick Clegg’s pledges on tuition fees. On 23 June, the public have a choice: if they trust David Cameron and other EU politicians they should vote “in”. If not, they should Vote Leave to take back control. | |
| 12.55pm BST | 12.55pm BST |
| 12:55 | 12:55 |
| Peter Walker | Peter Walker |
| The Remain campaign have wheeled out Lord Mandelson, the business secretary Sajid Javid and CBI head Carolyn Fairbairn for the latest pro-business case against Brexit. And it’s fair to say that Project Fear is alive and well. | The Remain campaign have wheeled out Lord Mandelson, the business secretary Sajid Javid and CBI head Carolyn Fairbairn for the latest pro-business case against Brexit. And it’s fair to say that Project Fear is alive and well. |
| The slogan of the day was “We just don’t know,” explained by Mandelson as the Leave camp’s only answer to how the UK could continue to trade easily and profitably on leaving the EU. A glossy brochure listing Leave’s various models for post-Brexit trade has the slogan on its cover, and a photo of a blindfolded man in a suit about to step off a precipice. It’s not subtle stuff. | The slogan of the day was “We just don’t know,” explained by Mandelson as the Leave camp’s only answer to how the UK could continue to trade easily and profitably on leaving the EU. A glossy brochure listing Leave’s various models for post-Brexit trade has the slogan on its cover, and a photo of a blindfolded man in a suit about to step off a precipice. It’s not subtle stuff. |
| Research done for Britain Stronger in Europe claims Brexit would cost UK businesses that export to the EU an average of £79,000 a year extra in non-tariff barriers, totalling £34bn or so. This is, of course, a figure that is hard to verify. | Research done for Britain Stronger in Europe claims Brexit would cost UK businesses that export to the EU an average of £79,000 a year extra in non-tariff barriers, totalling £34bn or so. This is, of course, a figure that is hard to verify. |
| Mandelson was on scathing form about the Leave campaign, saying he and Javid had written to the group asking to outline what their post-Brexit trade plan actually was. “Michael Gove’s favourite Albanian model?” he asked rhetorically at one point, adding: “No thanks.” Javid, meanwhile, said Leave were “rolling the dice with people’s livelihoods.” | Mandelson was on scathing form about the Leave campaign, saying he and Javid had written to the group asking to outline what their post-Brexit trade plan actually was. “Michael Gove’s favourite Albanian model?” he asked rhetorically at one point, adding: “No thanks.” Javid, meanwhile, said Leave were “rolling the dice with people’s livelihoods.” |
| A Q&A with reporters brought up little of real interest. Mandelson, asked if he was scaremongering, argued the risks were so high he could actually be more alarmist. Questioned on Jeremy Corbyn’s campaiging he praised him for eschewing the big events and “taking the Labour message around the country.” | A Q&A with reporters brought up little of real interest. Mandelson, asked if he was scaremongering, argued the risks were so high he could actually be more alarmist. Questioned on Jeremy Corbyn’s campaiging he praised him for eschewing the big events and “taking the Labour message around the country.” |
| The Remain campaign's latest, entirely non-fear based and positive message to voters about Brexit pic.twitter.com/f4ucFmYNKl | The Remain campaign's latest, entirely non-fear based and positive message to voters about Brexit pic.twitter.com/f4ucFmYNKl |
| 12.49pm BST | 12.49pm BST |
| 12:49 | 12:49 |
| Cameron on the 6 'total untruths' being told by Vote Leave | Cameron on the 6 'total untruths' being told by Vote Leave |
| Here is the key extract from David Cameron’s statement accusing Vote Leave of spreading six “total untruths” | Here is the key extract from David Cameron’s statement accusing Vote Leave of spreading six “total untruths” |
| And because they don’t have any credible experts on their side, what are [Vote Leave] reduced to? Telling complete untruths to the British people. | And because they don’t have any credible experts on their side, what are [Vote Leave] reduced to? Telling complete untruths to the British people. |
| Now in the space of the past few days, here are 6 of them: | Now in the space of the past few days, here are 6 of them: |
| 1 - They said we are liable to bail out Eurozone countries. Not true. My renegotiation means we are categorically not liable for Eurozone bailouts. It is there in black and white in the legally binding and irreversible negotiation deal. | 1 - They said we are liable to bail out Eurozone countries. Not true. My renegotiation means we are categorically not liable for Eurozone bailouts. It is there in black and white in the legally binding and irreversible negotiation deal. |
| 2 - They said that our rebate, the money that we get back from the EU, is at risk. Again, not true. The British prime minister has a veto on changes to our rebate. Only a British Prime Minister could decide to give it up. | 2 - They said that our rebate, the money that we get back from the EU, is at risk. Again, not true. The British prime minister has a veto on changes to our rebate. Only a British Prime Minister could decide to give it up. |
| 3 - They said we’ve given up our ability to veto EU treaties. Again, not true. There’s absolutely nothing in the renegotiation that gives up our veto as a full member of the European Union. | 3 - They said we’ve given up our ability to veto EU treaties. Again, not true. There’s absolutely nothing in the renegotiation that gives up our veto as a full member of the European Union. |
| 4 - They said we had no ability to stop overall EU spending from going up. Again, not true. The budget for the current period, 2014 to 2020, is set in stone and can only be changed with the consent of all countries, including the British Prime Minister. Again, it’s wrong to claim anything different, and by the way, the spending for this period is lower than in the last period because I negotiated a cut in the EU budget. | 4 - They said we had no ability to stop overall EU spending from going up. Again, not true. The budget for the current period, 2014 to 2020, is set in stone and can only be changed with the consent of all countries, including the British Prime Minister. Again, it’s wrong to claim anything different, and by the way, the spending for this period is lower than in the last period because I negotiated a cut in the EU budget. |
| 5 - They said we were powerless to stop Britain being forced in to an EU army. Again, not true. We have a rock solid veto on EU foreign and defence policy initiatives. Even if it was proposed, we would veto it. Just like William Hague did when he vetoed the idea of a European HQ on defence policy. | 5 - They said we were powerless to stop Britain being forced in to an EU army. Again, not true. We have a rock solid veto on EU foreign and defence policy initiatives. Even if it was proposed, we would veto it. Just like William Hague did when he vetoed the idea of a European HQ on defence policy. |
| 6 - They said we’d save £8bn if we left the EU. Again, not true – almost every credible economic organisation who’s looked at this has said that the economic shock of leaving Europe would cause a black hole in the public finances, and this would wipe out any saving that might be made. This black hole is estimated at between £20bn and £40bn. That is the scale of the damage that leaving would do to our ability to fund the NHS, our schools or our defences. Indeed, in an unprecedented intervention yesterday, the IFS – one of the most respected independent think tanks in our country – directly took on this falsehood from the Leave campaign. They said, and I quote: “leaving Europe would mean spending less on public services, or taxing more, or borrowing more”. | 6 - They said we’d save £8bn if we left the EU. Again, not true – almost every credible economic organisation who’s looked at this has said that the economic shock of leaving Europe would cause a black hole in the public finances, and this would wipe out any saving that might be made. This black hole is estimated at between £20bn and £40bn. That is the scale of the damage that leaving would do to our ability to fund the NHS, our schools or our defences. Indeed, in an unprecedented intervention yesterday, the IFS – one of the most respected independent think tanks in our country – directly took on this falsehood from the Leave campaign. They said, and I quote: “leaving Europe would mean spending less on public services, or taxing more, or borrowing more”. |
| So there you have it. Credible experts warning about risks to our economic security on the one side, and a series of assertions that turn out to be completely untrue on the other. The Leave campaign resorting to total untruths to con people in to taking a leap in the dark. | So there you have it. Credible experts warning about risks to our economic security on the one side, and a series of assertions that turn out to be completely untrue on the other. The Leave campaign resorting to total untruths to con people in to taking a leap in the dark. |
| It is irresponsible. It is wrong. It is time that the Leave campaign was called out on the nonsense that they are peddling. | It is irresponsible. It is wrong. It is time that the Leave campaign was called out on the nonsense that they are peddling. |
| 12.26pm BST | 12.26pm BST |
| 12:26 | 12:26 |
| Cameron's press conference - Verdict | Cameron's press conference - Verdict |
| Cameron’s press conference - Verdict: Proper prime ministerial press conferences are as rare as solar eclipses (as I said earlier) and a flurry of excitement went through the Westminster village this morning when a press notice went out summoning journalists to one at very short notice. In the event, it did not live up to expectations. | Cameron’s press conference - Verdict: Proper prime ministerial press conferences are as rare as solar eclipses (as I said earlier) and a flurry of excitement went through the Westminster village this morning when a press notice went out summoning journalists to one at very short notice. In the event, it did not live up to expectations. |
| It was not just that the event barely lasted longer than a solar eclipse, and that David Cameron only took one question from a newspaper journalist (meaning that the press conference description hardly applies anyway). It was that reporters were expecting a solid intervention, and instead got little more than a reheat of what Cameron told the Jeremy Vine show yesterday. | It was not just that the event barely lasted longer than a solar eclipse, and that David Cameron only took one question from a newspaper journalist (meaning that the press conference description hardly applies anyway). It was that reporters were expecting a solid intervention, and instead got little more than a reheat of what Cameron told the Jeremy Vine show yesterday. |
| Cameron’s point was that he wanted to “call out” (dreadful phrase, but it’s the one he used) Vote Leave for telling six “complete untruths” about the EU choice facing voters. (See 11.25am.) His points were all strong ones. But there were at least three drawbacks with what he was up to. | Cameron’s point was that he wanted to “call out” (dreadful phrase, but it’s the one he used) Vote Leave for telling six “complete untruths” about the EU choice facing voters. (See 11.25am.) His points were all strong ones. But there were at least three drawbacks with what he was up to. |
| First, only six? Anyone who draws up a good list knows that you need at last 10 points and, given Vote Leave’s record as a purveyor of dodgy claims, it would not have taken much work to get into double figures easily. Cameron seemed to be understating his case. | First, only six? Anyone who draws up a good list knows that you need at last 10 points and, given Vote Leave’s record as a purveyor of dodgy claims, it would not have taken much work to get into double figures easily. Cameron seemed to be understating his case. |
| Second, he sounded as if he wanted to accuse Boris Johnson and Michael Gove of lying but could not quite bring himself to do so. This is understandable; “lying” (which means saying something knowing it to untrue, not just saying something in error) is a strong word which gets used to readily about politicians, most of whom are quite careful not to cross the line that separates the wilfully misleading from the outright fib. This explains why Cameron gave the answer he did about how Gove and Johnson were perhaps making false statements about EU budget matters because they did not understand the detail because they had not been involved in the discussions. (See 11.36am.) ... No, I don’t buy it either. Cameron ended up sounding just a tad naive. If he thinks they’re lying, perhaps it would be best to say so. But, of course, he can’t do that either, because at that point that the whole “how can you have a liar in your cabinet?” argument comes into play, and the post-referendum reconciliation reshuffle goes down the Swanee. | Second, he sounded as if he wanted to accuse Boris Johnson and Michael Gove of lying but could not quite bring himself to do so. This is understandable; “lying” (which means saying something knowing it to untrue, not just saying something in error) is a strong word which gets used to readily about politicians, most of whom are quite careful not to cross the line that separates the wilfully misleading from the outright fib. This explains why Cameron gave the answer he did about how Gove and Johnson were perhaps making false statements about EU budget matters because they did not understand the detail because they had not been involved in the discussions. (See 11.36am.) ... No, I don’t buy it either. Cameron ended up sounding just a tad naive. If he thinks they’re lying, perhaps it would be best to say so. But, of course, he can’t do that either, because at that point that the whole “how can you have a liar in your cabinet?” argument comes into play, and the post-referendum reconciliation reshuffle goes down the Swanee. |
| And, third, it it probably too late now for Cameron to win the trust argument. Yesterday polling figures came out confirming that Johnson is far more trusted on EU matters than Cameron. As I wrote yesterday, this is not easy to understand, to put it politely. New YouGov polling out today (pdf) highlights the problem in more detail. Asked about the Leave campaign, 22% said it had been mostly honest, and 42% said it had been mostly dishonest, giving it a net honesty score of -20. Asked about the Remain campaign, 19% said it has been mostly honest, and 46% said it has been mostly dishonest, giving it a net honesty score of -27. This is in spite of the fact that the Leave campaign battlebus highlights a flagship claim about the cost of the EU that has been denounced as plain wrong by every expert body that has looked at it. Politicians sometimes take the view that the voters are always right, but in this case that argument is hard to sustain. | And, third, it it probably too late now for Cameron to win the trust argument. Yesterday polling figures came out confirming that Johnson is far more trusted on EU matters than Cameron. As I wrote yesterday, this is not easy to understand, to put it politely. New YouGov polling out today (pdf) highlights the problem in more detail. Asked about the Leave campaign, 22% said it had been mostly honest, and 42% said it had been mostly dishonest, giving it a net honesty score of -20. Asked about the Remain campaign, 19% said it has been mostly honest, and 46% said it has been mostly dishonest, giving it a net honesty score of -27. This is in spite of the fact that the Leave campaign battlebus highlights a flagship claim about the cost of the EU that has been denounced as plain wrong by every expert body that has looked at it. Politicians sometimes take the view that the voters are always right, but in this case that argument is hard to sustain. |
| Cameron’s problem is that a large chunk of his credibility has been washed away by the angry, popular anti-elitism that is churning through not just Britain but the rest of the Western world. | Cameron’s problem is that a large chunk of his credibility has been washed away by the angry, popular anti-elitism that is churning through not just Britain but the rest of the Western world. |
| If he wants to persuade people that his campaign is more honest than Leave, he’s going to have to find someone else to make the case. Someone of impeccable integrity. Perhaps the archbishop of Canterbury is free one morning over the next fortnight? | If he wants to persuade people that his campaign is more honest than Leave, he’s going to have to find someone else to make the case. Someone of impeccable integrity. Perhaps the archbishop of Canterbury is free one morning over the next fortnight? |
| Still, Cameron did leave journalists with the impression that the Remain camp is in a bit a panic. With Remain needing to mobilise its supporters (because Leave’s are already more motivated), there is an advantage in getting that message out. | Still, Cameron did leave journalists with the impression that the Remain camp is in a bit a panic. With Remain needing to mobilise its supporters (because Leave’s are already more motivated), there is an advantage in getting that message out. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.50pm BST | at 12.50pm BST |
| 11.36am BST | 11.36am BST |
| 11:36 | 11:36 |
| Cameron declines to say that his opponents are deliberately lying | Cameron declines to say that his opponents are deliberately lying |
| Q: [From Sky’s Faisal Islam] If your colleagues are lying, how can they be fit to be in your cabinet? | Q: [From Sky’s Faisal Islam] If your colleagues are lying, how can they be fit to be in your cabinet? |
| Cameron says they are making points about EU policy. They have not been as involved in EU policy as he has been. He knows the reality, because he has been taking these decisions. | Cameron says they are making points about EU policy. They have not been as involved in EU policy as he has been. He knows the reality, because he has been taking these decisions. |
| He says at times the EU drives him crazy. | He says at times the EU drives him crazy. |
| He says it is not for him to say why his opponents are making these errors. | He says it is not for him to say why his opponents are making these errors. |
| And that’s it. | And that’s it. |
| The press conference is over. | The press conference is over. |
| 11.31am BST | 11.31am BST |
| 11:31 | 11:31 |
| Q: You are accusing your colleagues of lying to the public. Are you worried you are losing? | Q: You are accusing your colleagues of lying to the public. Are you worried you are losing? |
| Cameron says people are being told things that are not correct. He has called a press conference to correct that. | Cameron says people are being told things that are not correct. He has called a press conference to correct that. |
| We must make a decision based on facts, he says. | We must make a decision based on facts, he says. |
| He says he would not want people to go to the polling station without knowing the facts. | He says he would not want people to go to the polling station without knowing the facts. |
| 11.30am BST | 11.30am BST |
| 11:30 | 11:30 |
| Q: The momentum seems to be with Leave. | Q: The momentum seems to be with Leave. |
| Cameron says he is looking forward to his ITV appearance tonight. He was watching the news last night and was struck by the contrast between the weight of expert opinion, and the series of assertion from the Leave campaign “that simply aren’t right”. | Cameron says he is looking forward to his ITV appearance tonight. He was watching the news last night and was struck by the contrast between the weight of expert opinion, and the series of assertion from the Leave campaign “that simply aren’t right”. |
| He says he felt it was important to say to people they should not leave the EU on the basis of false information. | He says he felt it was important to say to people they should not leave the EU on the basis of false information. |
| He says he wanted to call out the Leave campaign. They are making assertions that are not correct. | He says he wanted to call out the Leave campaign. They are making assertions that are not correct. |
| If it was just one body warning about the impact of the economy, people might say, ‘Let’s take a risk”. | If it was just one body warning about the impact of the economy, people might say, ‘Let’s take a risk”. |
| But there are so many bodies warning of the risks that they cannot be ignored. | But there are so many bodies warning of the risks that they cannot be ignored. |
| 11.25am BST | 11.25am BST |
| 11:25 | 11:25 |
| Cameron accuses Vote Leave of telling six 'complete untruths' | Cameron accuses Vote Leave of telling six 'complete untruths' |
| Cameron says, from those who want us to lead, we have just heard “complacency and nonchalance”. | Cameron says, from those who want us to lead, we have just heard “complacency and nonchalance”. |
| He says they have said we have had enough of experts. (He is referring to what Michael Gove said yesterday.) Would you build a bridge without advice from an expert. | He says they have said we have had enough of experts. (He is referring to what Michael Gove said yesterday.) Would you build a bridge without advice from an expert. |
| He says Leave have told six “complete untruths” recently. | He says Leave have told six “complete untruths” recently. |
| First, they said the UK would be liable for future eurozone bailouts. Not true, he says. | First, they said the UK would be liable for future eurozone bailouts. Not true, he says. |
| Second, they said the UK rebate was at risk. Not true, he says. | Second, they said the UK rebate was at risk. Not true, he says. |
| Third, they said the UK would lose its ability to veto future EU treaties. Not true, he says. | Third, they said the UK would lose its ability to veto future EU treaties. Not true, he says. |
| Fourth, they said the UK could not stop the EU budget going up. Not true, he says. | Fourth, they said the UK could not stop the EU budget going up. Not true, he says. |
| Fifth, they said the UK could not veto an EU army. Not true, he says. | Fifth, they said the UK could not veto an EU army. Not true, he says. |
| And, sixth, they said leaving the EU would free up £8bn for spending on other things. Not true, he says. He says the IFS said that yesterday. | And, sixth, they said leaving the EU would free up £8bn for spending on other things. Not true, he says. He says the IFS said that yesterday. |
| He says the Leave campaign need to be called out on the “nonsense they are peddling”. | He says the Leave campaign need to be called out on the “nonsense they are peddling”. |
| 11.19am BST | 11.19am BST |
| 11:19 | 11:19 |
| David Cameron's press conference | David Cameron's press conference |
| David Cameron is starting with a statement. | David Cameron is starting with a statement. |
| He mentions the intervention from the Hitachi boss. (See 8.42am.) He quotes from Hiroaki Nakanishi’s article and he says jobs would be at risk. | He mentions the intervention from the Hitachi boss. (See 8.42am.) He quotes from Hiroaki Nakanishi’s article and he says jobs would be at risk. |
| And he quotes from what the head of the WTO said in a Reuters inteview yesterday about how leaving the EU would be a “high risk bet”. | And he quotes from what the head of the WTO said in a Reuters inteview yesterday about how leaving the EU would be a “high risk bet”. |
| Cameron says these interventions are “an economic reality check”. | Cameron says these interventions are “an economic reality check”. |
| 11.15am BST | 11.15am BST |
| 11:15 | 11:15 |
| David Cameron is keeping the journalists waiting in the sunshine - which is not a good idea. | David Cameron is keeping the journalists waiting in the sunshine - which is not a good idea. |
| Press corps beginning to wilt waiting for PM in blazing sunshine #factor500 #swelter #redfaces pic.twitter.com/zMvbXgvmKV | Press corps beginning to wilt waiting for PM in blazing sunshine #factor500 #swelter #redfaces pic.twitter.com/zMvbXgvmKV |