Gove’s ‘Nazi’ jibe at Remain
Brexit leader compares pro-EU experts to German propagandists ‘in pay of government’ as FTSE chiefs make call to stay In
ECONOMIC experts who dismiss Britain’s chances of success outside the European Union are like Nazi propagandists “in the pay of the government”, Michael Gove suggested last night.
The Justice Secretary, a leading Leave campaigner, warned voters not to be influenced by economists and big business leaders who have forecast dire consequences in the event of a Brexit.
It comes as more than 1,000 business leaders and 50 FTSE 100 bosses signed a letter urging people to vote to stay in the EU ahead of tomorrow ’s referendum.
Last night, Mr Gove compared the repeated interventions of economic experts to Nazi scientists who dismissed Albert Einstein in the 1930s.
He said: “We have to be careful about historical comparisons, but Albert Einstein during the 1930s was denounced by the German authorities for being wrong ... They got 100 German scientists in the pay of the government to say that he was wrong and Einstein said ‘Look, if I was wrong, one would have been enough’.”
He added: “The truth is that if you look at the quality of the analysis, if you look at the facts on the ground, you can come to an appropriate conclusion.
“And the appropriate conclusion, I think, all of us can come to is that with growth rates so low in Europe, with so many unemployed and with the nature of the single currency so damaging, freeing ourselves from that project can only strengthen our economy.”
Mr Gove’s comments came as Boris Johnson claimed that the experts being used by Downing Street to make the economic case were being offered honours and government contracts in exchange for their support.
Mr Johnson said that a Downing Street “operation” was being used to put “pressure” on business leaders to ensure there support in the referendum campaign. Yesterday two of Eu- rope’s most prominent politicians criticised the creeping influence of Europe and its failings over the migrant crisis. Wolfgang Schäuble, the German finance minister, said he sympathised with Leave voters and insisted “self-regarding” Brussels needs to change its ways, whatever the outcome.
Sebastian Kurz, Austria’s foreign minister, said the EU had now “lost control” of its borders and people smugglers were “deciding who comes into Europe”.
On the penultimate day of campaigning before the referendum, David Cameron was criticised after he gave an address to the nation from the steps of Downing Street, urging older Eurosceptics to think of the “hopes and dreams” of their unborn grandchildren before backing a Brexit. Mr Johnson last night used a BBC debate to declare that Friday can be the UK’s “independence day” as he attacked Remain for “woefully underestimating” the country. He also criticised the “invective” of the Remain campaign after he was repeatedly accused of telling “big fat lies” over immigration.
However, Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader backing Remain, accused Mr Johnson of “lying” about the cost of Europe, Turkey and an EU army
and said voters “deserve the truth”.
Today’s letter is signed by 1,285 business leaders employing a total of 1.75 million people.
Signatories backing the letter are understood to include chairmen or chief executives of companies including Vodafone, Diageo and BP. Other high-profile signatories are expected to include John McFarlane, the Barclays chairman, Stephen Hester, RSA chief executive and Sir Martin Sorrell, of WPP. Mr Gove has previously said of warnings about the consequences of a Brexit: “People in this country have had enough of experts.”
The letter – organised by Downing Street – states: “Britain leaving the EU would mean uncertainty for our firms, less trade with Europe and fewer jobs.”
Tate & Lyle, the sugar company and one of Britain’s oldest firms, yesterday wrote to its employees recommending that they back Leave because the EU is damaging their business.