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Sayeeda Warsi: leave tactics will create more divided and xenophobic UK Sayeeda Warsi: leave tactics will create more divided and xenophobic UK
(about 1 hour later)
Britain will be a more divided and xenophobic country in the wake of a vote for Brexit as a result of the leave campaign’s tactics, according to the Tory peer who has chosen the final week of the referendum campaign to defect to the remain camp. Britain will be a more divided and xenophobic country in the wake of a vote for Brexit as a result of the leave campaign’s tactics, according to the Conservative peer who has chosen the final week of the referendum campaign to defect to the remain camp.
Sayeeda Warsi told the Guardian she feared what kind of country was being created by the claims of senior leave campaigners, citing Ukip’s Nigel Farage and her Conservative colleague Michael Gove. Sayeeda Warsi told the Guardian she feared what kind of country was being created by the claims of senior leave campaigners, citing Ukip’s Nigel Farage and her Tory colleague Michael Gove.
Related: EU referendum live: Farage accuses Cameron of trying to exploit Jo Cox's death to help RemainRelated: EU referendum live: Farage accuses Cameron of trying to exploit Jo Cox's death to help Remain
“The vision that the Brexit campaign is presenting is not the vision that me and other Brexiters started off with a year ago. The ‘hello world’ approach to Brexit, which is open-minded, visionary, inclusive, has been lost. The moderate message has been lost,” she said.“The vision that the Brexit campaign is presenting is not the vision that me and other Brexiters started off with a year ago. The ‘hello world’ approach to Brexit, which is open-minded, visionary, inclusive, has been lost. The moderate message has been lost,” she said.
“And instead we have reverted to a campaign that says: ‘The Turks are coming, the Syrians are coming, the refugees are coming, the Muslims are coming, the terrorists are coming’. And that is both sides – Vote Leave and Leave.EU.”“And instead we have reverted to a campaign that says: ‘The Turks are coming, the Syrians are coming, the refugees are coming, the Muslims are coming, the terrorists are coming’. And that is both sides – Vote Leave and Leave.EU.”
Lady Warsi, said she hoped that the “pause” in the campaign after the killing of the MP Jo Cox would have shifted the debate to a “more measured tone”. Her comments came as a Conservative minister accused the Leave campaign of adopting a “Farage/BNP agenda” on immigration.
“But when I turned on the television on Sunday morning and saw Nigel Farage defending the indefensible and Michael Gove continue to peddle lies about Turkey’s accession to the EU, that for me was a step too far,” she said, arguing that the leave campaign had become “small minded, xenophobic and inward-looking”. Guto Bebb, a minister in the Wales Office, was responding to a tweet about Vote Leave’s decision to switch to core vote strategy on immigration. “The Farage/BNP agenda embraced by those who should have known better,” he replied.
He defended his allegation in a stream of further tweets, saying that claims that Turkey was on the verge of joining the EU were part of a “nudge, nudge strategy”.
Oh grow up. Turkey strategy was and is nudge, nudge politics. https://t.co/NDGIgIvavs
When challenged by another Twitter user that he had told 40% of the population that they were no better than the BNP, he replied:
No, I said that Leave campaign leaders were guilty of embracing such a strategy. You want to be offended I think. https://t.co/KKDOJ68KFt
Lady Warsi said she hoped that the “pause” in the campaign after the killing of the MP Jo Cox would have shifted the debate to a “more measured tone”.
“But when I turned on the television on Sunday morning and saw Nigel Farage defending the indefensible and Michael Gove continue to peddle lies about Turkey’s accession to the EU, that for me was a step too far,” she said, arguing that the leave campaign had become “small-minded, xenophobic and inward-looking”.
“If that is the message you run on then that is the Britain you create afterwards,” she said. Warsi cited a posted unveiled by Farage ahead of Cox’s death with the words “breaking point” over an image of hundreds of fleeing refugees, but said she was also alarmed by the rhetoric of Tory colleagues.“If that is the message you run on then that is the Britain you create afterwards,” she said. Warsi cited a posted unveiled by Farage ahead of Cox’s death with the words “breaking point” over an image of hundreds of fleeing refugees, but said she was also alarmed by the rhetoric of Tory colleagues.
The peer said that she had signed up a large number of minority voters to Brexit, but said dozens had called her in recent weeks to say: “What is this all about, what have we got ourselves into?” The peer said that she had signed up a large number of minority voters to Brexit, but said dozens of people had called her in recent weeks to say: “What is this all about, what have we got ourselves into?”
She herself had backed an “internationalist” view on Brexit, wanting serious EU reform, she said, but now “cannot bring myself to go into a polling booth and vote out”.She herself had backed an “internationalist” view on Brexit, wanting serious EU reform, she said, but now “cannot bring myself to go into a polling booth and vote out”.
Her comments come as Farage claimed she had long been a Ukip critic and accused David Cameron and the remain campaign of a “despicable” attempt to create a link between the EU referendum and the death of Cox. Warsi’s comments came as Farage claimed she had long been a Ukip critic and accused David Cameron and the remain campaign of a “despicable” attempt to create a link between the EU referendum and the death of Cox.
Farage said the remain campaign was “scared witless” at the chances of defeat, and was trying to boost its chances by conflating the motivations of the MP’s alleged killer with those campaigning for an out vote.Farage said the remain campaign was “scared witless” at the chances of defeat, and was trying to boost its chances by conflating the motivations of the MP’s alleged killer with those campaigning for an out vote.
And he claimed that Warsi’s decision was a “Number 10 put-up job”. And he claimed that Warsi’s decision was a “No 10 put-up job”.
The peer hit back, arguing that she had consistently called out campaigns that had been divisive, including Zac Goldsmith’s bid for London mayor, which “was run by the prime minister”.The peer hit back, arguing that she had consistently called out campaigns that had been divisive, including Zac Goldsmith’s bid for London mayor, which “was run by the prime minister”.
“There is no doubt that I was for Brexit … My views on Brexit are on the record. But this isn’t about what level of card-holding member of the out campaign I was, this is about why people who are deeply Eurosceptic are finding themselves so uncomfortable with the vision being presented that they feel voting remain is the lesser of two evils.”“There is no doubt that I was for Brexit … My views on Brexit are on the record. But this isn’t about what level of card-holding member of the out campaign I was, this is about why people who are deeply Eurosceptic are finding themselves so uncomfortable with the vision being presented that they feel voting remain is the lesser of two evils.”
Warsi’s intervention came amid a slew of news around the referendum campaign, with car manufacturers, Richard Branson and premier league football clubs urging a vote for remain.Warsi’s intervention came amid a slew of news around the referendum campaign, with car manufacturers, Richard Branson and premier league football clubs urging a vote for remain.
Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers, told the BBC leaving the EU would jeopardise the industry’s continued success.Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers, told the BBC leaving the EU would jeopardise the industry’s continued success.
Directors at Toyota UK, Vauxhall, Jaguar Land Rover and BMW, as well as from component makers GKN and Magal Engineering, also backed the remain campaign.Directors at Toyota UK, Vauxhall, Jaguar Land Rover and BMW, as well as from component makers GKN and Magal Engineering, also backed the remain campaign.
Hawes said: “Remaining will allow the UK to retain the influence on which the unique and successful UK automotive sector depends.”.Hawes said: “Remaining will allow the UK to retain the influence on which the unique and successful UK automotive sector depends.”.
Roy Harvey, the chairman of Vauxhall, said leaving the EU would be undesirable because the industry benefited from the free movement of goods and people.Roy Harvey, the chairman of Vauxhall, said leaving the EU would be undesirable because the industry benefited from the free movement of goods and people.
Vote Leave says British cars are increasingly being exported outside the EU and Brexit could provide a boost to the industry.Vote Leave says British cars are increasingly being exported outside the EU and Brexit could provide a boost to the industry.
A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit earlier in June said UK car sales would decline “over the next few years” if there was a vote to leave the EU.A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit earlier in June said UK car sales would decline “over the next few years” if there was a vote to leave the EU.
And 20 clubs in football’s top tier have said they would prefer Britain to stay in the EU, according to Peter Scudamore, the executive chairman of the Premier League. “The reason we have concluded that remain is best is because of our outlook. We are a global export, we look outwards,” he said. Peter Scudamore, the executive chairman of the Premier League, said 20 clubs in football’s top tier have said they would prefer Britain to stay in the EU. “The reason we have concluded that remain is best is because of our outlook. We are a global export, we look outwards,” he said.
“Are we better acting like we want to play our part in the world and be worldly citizens or do we send a signal to world that says actually we’re kind of pulling the drawbridge up here?“Are we better acting like we want to play our part in the world and be worldly citizens or do we send a signal to world that says actually we’re kind of pulling the drawbridge up here?
“There is an openness about the Premier League, which I think it would be completely incongruous if we were to take the opposite position.”“There is an openness about the Premier League, which I think it would be completely incongruous if we were to take the opposite position.”