Pull the other one! PM says he’s Eurosceptic

… and claims Boris doesn’t really want to leave EU

DAVID Cameron insisted last night he is a proud Eurosceptic and questioned Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson’s motives.

The Prime Minister, who is leading the battle to keep Britain in the EU, claimed the former London mayor had told friends he did not really believe in leaving, while his own stance on Europe had been ‘very consistent’.

Asked about Mr Johnson’s motives for joining the Vote Leave campaign, Mr Cameron said the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip was known to have been ‘torn’ over which side to support, adding: ‘He’s told a lot of people that he’d never been a “leaver”. But look, it’s for him to say.’

The PM denied he had changed his stance, saying: ‘I would describe myself as a Eurosceptic. I’m very proud of the fact.’

In an interview with LBC radio, he said: ‘Being a sceptic means that you are sceptical about grand schemes and utopian visions ... but being a sceptic doesn’t mean you walk away from the whole thing.’

Mr Cameron added he was ‘sad and disappointed’ that Mr Johnson and Justice Secretary Michael Gove had ‘taken a different view’ on Europe.

His comments came as No 10 was forced to deny orchestrating smears against Brexit campaigners after Tory MP Steve Baker said opponents of Brussels were being singled out for personal attacks.

The co-chairman of the Conservatives for Britain group highlighted Lord Heseltine’s blistering criticism of Mr Johnson this week for comparing the EU’s superstate ambitions to those of Hitler.

Mr Baker suggested Downing Street was also behind Sir John Major’s warning that Tories in the Leave campaign were ‘ morphing into Ukip’, and George Osborne’s claim that the anti-EU argument was ‘economically illiterate’.

The MP said: ‘They can’t make an honest, positive case for the supremacy of EU law or EU citizen- ship, a common trade policy and all the rest because they know it’s a losing argument. We have been reduced to fear, uncertainty and doubt on the Remain side, and to lashing out at individuals.’

He said: ‘There have been too many instances where a comment in the press from a campaigner has been followed by attacks on them personally. That must stop.’

Downing Street sources said yesterday Lord Heseltine’s attack on Mr Johnson, whom he accused of acting ‘irresponsibly and recklessly’, came after the BBC invited him on to be interviewed. But BBC politi- cal correspondent Chris Mason said the interview request had been made at the suggestion of No 10.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt insisted Mr Baker was wrong, tell- ing the BBC: ‘Inevitably, both sides make their case as strongly as they can. Arguments have been made forcefully on both sides.’

Mr Johnson hit back angrily last night, defending his Eurosceptic credentials while savaging Mr Cameron’s renegotiation of Britain’s EU membership deal. He said the Prime Minister’s attempt to draw up a Sovereignty Bill to prevent further power grabs by Brussels had descended into ‘farce’.

Mr Johnson added: ‘I have been a Eurosceptic for decades and was hoping the PM would achieve what he set out [to do] – fundamental reform and full-on treaty change.

‘We were told to expect reform of the European Court of Justice and of border controls, and agriculture and social and employment law, and many other things. Alas, we achieved none of that. No one could credibly claim this was a reformed EU.

‘It is time to vote to leave and take back control of our democracy. I urge my friends in government to recognise that, in all logic and as self- declared Eurosceptics, they should really be campaigning with us on this side of the argument.’

Nations around the world are ‘praying’ Britain stays in the EU, a senior US diplomat has claimed. Samantha Power, US ambassador to the United Nations, said: ‘ The membership of the UN will be gathering in prayer and support for the Yes vote.’

‘Personal attacks must stop’