It’s about personalities, not politics: Cameron expressed disappointment at Johnson’s decision to throw his weight behind the leave campaign [Image: John Stillwell/PA].

Look at UKIP: Full of disgruntled Tories who hate the fact that their former party has supported an organisation that keeps them from doing whatever they like to the people of the United Kingdom.

Look at Tory Eurosceptics: Disgruntled Tories who hate the fact that their party has supported an organisation that keeps them from doing whatever they like to the people of the United Kingdom.

Look at the arguments that have been put forward – dog-whistle politics and clashes of personalities.

Leave campaigners are apparently telling Labour supporters that voting Remain will be a vote for David Cameron, for goodness’ sake!

You probably have favourite examples of similar behaviour.

As for dog-whistle politics, try the claim – voiced again on the BBC’s Question Time yesterday (May 19) – that leaving the EU means billions of pounds will become available to be used exclusively for the benefit of the British taxpayer.

There are several problems with the statement. Firstly, the claim is that we give the EU £350 million a week; in fact, taking into account the benefits we receive from EU programmes, the contribution is only £90 million a week.

That’s still a lot of money, you may say. Sure – but leaving the EU doesn’t mean it automatically gets to be used by the UK government for the benefit of taxpayers. It means the EU programmes that help deprived areas in the UK would be cut off and those areas would lose investment. And our Tory government would most likely cut taxes for people who are already obscenely rich. That is, after all, why Tory Eurosceptics want out.

Oh, and we’d lose the advantage of the free market in Europe. Instead of a single trading agreement that covers all EU countries, the UK would have to hammer out trade deals with each country individually – deals that would still have to conform to EU rules.

Some might say that is a fair price to pay if we get to trade with countries outside the EU again. These people are fools. The UK has never stopped trading with countries outside the EU.

Some might say that at least the UK would not be a signatory to the TTIP agreement that would hand power to corporations who could tell force governments not to pass laws that benefit the people over profit – but David Cameron would instantly sign an agreement of his own if the UK votes ‘Leave’; one that would undoubtedly place the UK citizen in an even worse position.

And some might say that, at the very least, we would rid ourselves of those pesky immigrants who keep coming here and taking our jobs. They of course ignore the fact that these people also pay their taxes and boost the economy. If they were forced out, EU countries would send UK migrants back here – many of whom are past working age. How would they help us?

Of course, in contradiction of the former point of view, some might say that, at least, we would rid ourselves of those pesky immigrants who keep coming here and taking our benefits. The simple fact here is that, in the vast majority of cases, they don’t. Those who do only claim for a short time and there are stringent rules on what they can and can’t have.

The simple fact is that the immigration situation could have been solved if a rule was created that said new EU members would qualify for free movement when their economies reached a certain level. The only reason people are coming here from eastern Europe is, their own countries aren’t as prosperous and they see better opportunities here. If their countries benefit from EU economic programmes, then their quality of life would improve without having to move.

But that is a matter that should be negotiated in the EU, and the UK can’t play a part in that if it isn’t a member state.

These are all Tory issues.

They are about Tories keeping their tax money and pushing down the poor – both in this country and in the wider world.

This referendum is a Tory psychodrama.

Cameron simply doesn’t have the decency to admit it.

David Cameron is avoiding a head-to-head television debate with Boris Johnson or Michael Gove because he is concerned about turning the EU referendum campaign into a “Tory psychodrama”.

Senior figures at Vote Leave, the official campaign for Britain to leave the EU, in which Johnson and Gove play leading roles, were infuriated by the prime minister’s decision to appear in an ITV programme with Nigel Farage but not to debate either of their men face to face.

In an interview with LBC radio, Cameron said: “I want to prove the breadth of the campaign and I don’t want this to become a sort of Tory psychodrama between me and Boris or me and Michael Gove.” However, he hinted that he may appear at a BBC event that could place him alongside one of his pro-Brexit colleagues.

Conservatives, including cabinet ministers, on either side of the debate have clashed repeatedly throughout the campaign, exposing the deep rift in the party over the issue, with Johnson accusing the prime minister this month of “totally demented scaremongering”.

Source: David Cameron: Boris Johnson debate would be ‘Tory psychodrama’ | Politics | The Guardian

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