Brexit: Cameron says Yes vote will increase UK’s authority in EU

Britain's influence in the Europe will be stronger if it votes to remain in the union in a June 23rd referendum, prime minister David Cameron said on Sunday.

Speaking as the latest polls showed Britons almost evenly split over whether to vote to leave or remain in the Jun 23rd referendum on EU membership, Mr Cameron said “if we wake up on June 24th and we are in, Britain’s authority within the EU will be stronger”.

One poll published late on Saturday gave a two-point lead to supporters of Remain and an other showed those in favour of Brexit were one point ahead.

In an interview on BBC television, Mr Cameron - whose “In” campaign has been branded as scaremongering by pro-Brexit supporters for warning of the risks of quitting the 28-nation EU - highlighted the advantages of staying.

“No other country has done what we have done, hold a renegotiation (for improved EU membership terms), hold a referendum and then people will know that the British agenda ... is going straight to the top.”

Mr Cameron also reiterated a warning made in a newspaper interview published on Sunday that pensions and the publicly funded National Heath Service could face cuts after a vote for Brexit.

Scaremongering

Rejecting accusations of scaremongering, Mr Cameron said it was his job to talk about the potential dangers of pulling out of the EU but that there was a “strong, bold, patriotic, positive case” for staying in.

“If we vote In, I think there will be actually a wall of investment,” he said. “Companies that are responsible for employing people in this country and making things in this country will want to do more, employ more, make more ... if we vote out, it is a decade of uncertainty.”

Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party (Ukip), described the "In" camp's warnings over Britain's economy as a "daily prophet of doom".

“These are ludicrous scare stories that are being put up. Even if sterling were to fall a few percentage points after Brexit, so what? The point is we have a floating currency and it will be good for exports,” he told the BBC.

The leader of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, said on Sunday he would vote in favour of Britain remaining in the EU, hailing the bloc as a force for peace and reconciliation.

Interference

Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has defended the Government’s support for the UK remaining in the EU.

Asked on Sunday if it was appropriate for Taoiseach Enda Kenny and ministers to be campaigning for a Remain vote, Mr Flanagan said there was no question of “undue influence, intervention or interference’’.

“In fact, the Irish view is not only welcome, it is valued,’’ said Mr Flanagan.

He said while the Government was not actively campaigning, it was making it clear the interests of the relationship between the UK and Ireland would be best served by both remaining full and constructive EU members.

Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, the Minister said he had recently addressed leaders of 35 community groups in London and he had also spoken in Liverpool and Manchester. Other ministers had also spoken at meetings in the UK, he added. He said the Government respected the fact the referendum was entirely and solely a matter for UK voters to decide.

Mr Flanagan said there were an estimated 500,000 voters of Irish descent in the UK and the Government’s perspective was they should be fully informed about the special relationship between Britain and Ireland and the Republic’s vital national interest in that regard.

Reuters