‘OUR ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE'

- Boris invokes Churchill in call to halt ‘erosion of democracy’ - He could be joined by HALF of Tory MPs in fight for Brexit - Public ‘enraged’ by inability to control immigration, he says

Boris Johnson is poised to lead as many as half of Tory MPs against David Cameron after revealing yesterday that he will back the Leave campaign.

The Mayor of London made his long-awaited announcement amid chaotic scenes outside his house in islington, North London, just nine minutes after texting the Prime Minister to confirm his decision.

Last night he invoked the glories of the British Empire and the leadership of Winston Churchill to say the country which gave the world parliamentary democracy should not subject itself to ‘legal colonisation’ from the EU.

in an article for today’s Daily Telegraph, he said it was a moment to ‘be brave’ and take a ‘once in a lifetime chance’ to end the ‘erosion of democracy’. so far, some 141 out of 329 Conservative MPs have declared for the out campaign, and around 50 are still to state their intentions.

it means that Mr Cameron faces the prospect of Mr Johnson – one of his principal potential successors – leading half of his parliamentary party into battle against him.

Mr Johnson’s announcement was the climax to a weekend of political theatre. Explaining his reasons in detail last night, he wrote: ‘We have given so much to the world, in ideas and culture, but the most valuable British export and the one for which we are most famous is the one that is now increasingly in question: parliamentary democracy – the way the people express their power.

‘This is a once in a lifetime chance to vote for real change in Britain’s relations with Europe. This is the only opportunity we will ever have to show that we care about self-rule.

‘A vote to remain will be taken in Brussels as a green light for more federalism, and for the erosion of democracy.’

The intervention came as a bitter blow to Mr Cameron, who had long believed that his fellow old Etonian would ultimately fall in behind his EU renegotiation package.

And it caused mixed feelings for Mr Johnson’s father stanley, a strong pro-European. He said: ‘i did want to say how much i admired Boris’s speech. i sat there as a father feeling unbelievably proud. i mean this is a guy who really you have to listen to.

‘But nobody’s going to give him a Cabinet job now. if anything it’s a career-shattering move.’

He admitted: ‘i have a lot of sympathy with his analysis.’ But he added: ‘There are various ways of looking at sovereignty. You can have total sovereignty over a small cake or you can have tenuated sovereignty over a much larger cake.’

The mayor claimed he did not want to provoke disunity in the Conservative Party, and said he hoped the Prime Minister would stay leader even if he lost the vote. speaking outside his house, Mr Johnson said the EU was ‘in real danger of getting out of proper democratic control’, adding: ‘so that’s why i have decided after a huge amount of heartache – because i did not want to do anything to go against David Cameron or the Government – i don’t think there’s anything else i can do... i want a better deal for the people of this country, to save them money and to take back control.’

in his newspaper article, Mr Johnson wrote that the EU ‘has morphed and grown in such a way as to be unrecognisable’.

He said the public were ‘enraged’ by inability of British politicians to control immigration. This alienation from politics was contributing to ‘the rise of extremist parties’.

He said: ‘There is only one way to get the change we need – and that is to vote to go; because all EU history shows that they only really listen to a population when it says No.’

He rejected claims it would be impossible to negotiate decent trade deals if the UK voted to leave, pointing out that ‘we used to run the biggest empire the world has ever seen’.

in a further setback for Mr Cameron last night, it emerged that five of the 20 Tory MEPs will campaign for Brexit. Three more are undecided. Today, at least 30 MPs – including rising stars from the 2010 intake – will launch a project to draw up plans for the UK outside of the EU.

The group includes energy minister Andrea Leadsom and communities minister James Wharton. Mr Wharton’s participation will be considered a blow to Mr Cameron and George osborne, given he is in charge of the Chancellor’s Northern Powerhouse project.

Tory London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith also declared himself in favour of Brexit.

Mr Cameron was left highlighting the fact that 23 of the 29 ministers who attend Cabinet had backed his deal. in a relief to No 10, Mr Cameron managed to secure the support of Cabinet heavyweights sajid Javid and Theresa May. However, Business secretary Mr Javid said he would be voting remain with a ‘heavy heart’ and no ‘enthusiasm’.

in a blistering article, Justice secretary Michael Gove – a close friend and ally of Mr Cameron – said the EU was ‘mired in the past’ and choosing to join the Leave campaign had been ‘the most difficult decision of my political life’.