Tory fights about ‘con tricks’ make the post-referendum repair job even harder

Time was when the main argument between the two campaigns in the EU referendum was about who was running the most negative show (not, of course, about the matter in hand). The Remain campaign were talking down Britain, pro-Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson complained, while the In side argued that Leave was trying to frighten people. But with just days to go, the debate has changed, and is now all about who is telling the biggest whoppers.

Yesterday Sir John Major launched his extraordinary attack on top Tories campaigning for Brexit, accusing them of speaking ‘absolute hogwash’ and ‘nonsense’ about the European Union, and arguing that ‘as the leader Boris is in a position to stop’ the dishonesty in the campaign. ‘What they have said about leaving is fundamentally dishonest and it’s dishonest about the costs of Europe,’ he said, adding: ‘And on the subject that they have veered towards, having lost the economic argument, of immigration, I think their campaign is verging on the squalid and I have said so before and I am happy to say so again.