PM’s ‘astonishing outburst’ at Tory MEP who wants to quit EU
DAVID Cameron warned his most senior MEP in Brussels that he would be ‘finished’ if he defied him over Europe and backed the Brexit campaign, it was claimed last night.
In what was described as a heated exchange, the Prime Minister is said to have warned Syed Kamall that unless he backed him he would be ousted as leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament.
The alleged bust-up happened during a meeting in London a week before the EU deal was finalised. Mr Cameron expressed his outrage when Dr Kamall informed him he was leaning towards voting to leave the EU.
According to a Tory source, whose account was last night backed by three others who have spoken to Dr Kamall directly about the conversation, Mr Cameron told him: ‘You’re finished. I made you and now you’re finished.’ One of Dr Kamall’s fellow MEPs last night said Mr Cameron ‘was angry and threatening’ at the meeting in mid-February.
A Tory colleague added that Mr Cameron put pressure on Dr Kamall to change his mind and said his position as the leader of the ECR group would be untenable if the British public voted to stay in the EU.
Three weeks after the renegotiation deal was finalised, Dr Kamall finally declared his support for Brexit publicly.
Dr Kamall last night attempted to play down the row.
He said: ‘This conversation has been blown out of proportion by Chinese whispers. All of my conversations with the Prime Minister on the UK referendum have been civil.’
A Downing Street source said: ‘We do not comment on private conversations.’