PM ‘purdah’ row over his panic plea to older voters

DAVID Cameron was yesterday accused of “breaching” EU referendum campaign principles as he made a desperate appeal for older people to vote Remain tomorrow.

In a statement branded “panicky and weird” by Leave backers, the Prime Minister spoke outside 10 Downing Street, appealing to parents and grandparents to back him for the sake of the “hopes and dreams” of young people.

Pro-Leave Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said that by using Downing Street, Mr Cameron had broken the “spirit” of purdah, a period designed to limit the use of public resources during election campaigning.

Mr Jenkin, who has campaigned to limit the use of public resources to boost the Remain movement, said: “It’s certainly a breach of the spirit of purdah. Ministers aren’t meant to use public funds or public resources during the purdah period. It can be argued it doesn’t apply to his own residence but I would have thought use of Downing Street facilities is a breach of the spirit of purdah. He would not do that during a general election.”

Downing Street sources denied Mr Cameron’s appearance in front of his trademark lectern breached rules banning the use of Government property.

Leave.EU co-founder Arron Banks tweeted his shock after Mr Cameron’s unexpected declaration that his own organisation’s polling showed Leave had a “healthy lead”.

Mr Banks wrote: “Cameron is panicked. It’s out of his hands now. We are heading out.”

Mr Cameron’s former aide Steve Hilton said the Prime Minister’s statement was “weird”. He added: “It was very interesting and rather an amazing thing to hear. What you saw from the Prime Minster was an admission that they have lost the economic argument, lost the argument on immigration and so he has been wheeled out by rather panicky spin doctors, it seems, to try to change the subject.”