Following the conclusion of the Prime Minister’s renegotiation and the announcement of June 23 as the referendum date, the Brexit debate has advanced quickly in the past week. Six Cabinet Ministers chose to back Brexit, along with a sizeable chunk of Tory Backbenchers, including London Mayor candidate Zac Goldsmith.
Six soon became seven as Mayor Boris Johnson publicly backed the Leave campaign. Eurosceptics were disappointed for Boris to awkwardly decline the campaign limelight, though his personal ambitions will probably drag him into the thick of it.
Sir Jeremy Heywood, head of the Civil Service, announced that Ministers campaigning for Leave would not have access to the Service and its resources. Heywood said that the Civil Service exists to further the Government’s objectives, in this case to secure Britain’s membership of the EU. Prominent Leave campaigners were quick to brand the ban un-democratic, labelling Heywood ‘’Sir Cover-Up’’.
In an open letter published in The Times, 200 leading companies publicly endorsed Britain’s membership of the EU, citing investment, jobs and economic stability. Signatories included blue-chip companies spanning the nations and regions of the UK. Leave campaigners condemned the letter for sidelining SMEs, who are proving more likely to back Brexit.
Senior Cabinet Minister Michael Gove condemned the Prime Minister’s reforms, arguing that they aren’t legally binding and could be overturned by the European Court. A close ally of the Prime Minister, Gove’s comments caused a stir. The Government quickly deployed Attorney General Jeremy Wright to dispute Gove’s legal premise, though his comments quickly gained traction.
On Thursday, Chief Executive of Vote Leave Matthew Elliot joined an Interel Brexit Breakfast to make his cause for leaving the EU. He stressed the economic potential of an independent UK, and criticized the EU for undermining British democracy. His comments came as former Tory leader Michael Howard and former Labour Foreign Secretary Lord Owen both endorsed Brexit, adding legitimacy to the cross-party campaign calling for withdrawal.
Nicola Sturgeon has now weighed in on the Referendum, with an emphatic endorsement of EU membership. This message comes despite her assertion that Brexit would warrant a second Scottish Independence vote, which has led some to question her commitment to the Remain campaign. In the end her case was unequivocal, warning David Cameron against fighting a ‘’miserable, negative, fear based’’ campaign.
The campaign is quickly becoming toxic, with the polls too close to call. Stay up to date with Brexit news and analysis at interelinsight.com/Brexit.