Cameron mentor Michael Howard backs a Brexit

FORMER Tory leader Michael Howard last night savaged David Cameron’s EU reform deal and threw his weight behind the Leave campaign. Lord Howard, who was Mr Cameron’s political mentor, said the renegotiation attempt had ‘ met with failure’.

He said Britain should vote leave to ‘shake Europe’s leaders out of their complacency’ and ‘ shock’ other countries into making more fundamental concessions.

Without those, he argues, it would be in Britain’s national interest to leave, so issues such as immigration levels can be decided in this country.

Lord Howard’s decision to endorse Brexit is a particularly personal blow to Mr Cameron. As Home Secretary, he hired the future PM as an adviser more than 20 years ago.

As Tory leader between 2003 and 2005, he promoted Mr Cameron to shadow education secretary and extended the time for the leadership vote after the 2005 election defeat, allowing Mr Cameron to emerge and defeat the early favourite, David Davis.

In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Lord Howard suggested Britain voting to leave would push Europe into giving further concessions.

He said the EU needed greater flexibility, with individual member states given ‘room to breathe’.

‘ I had hoped that the Prime Minister … might be able to achieve fundamental reform,’ he said.

‘It is not his fault that those efforts met with failure. It is the fault of those EU leaders so mesmerised by their outdated ambition to create a country called Europe that they cannot contemplate any loosening of the ties which bind member states.’

Downing Street said Mr Cameron had ‘great respect’ for Lord Howard’s views, despite their disagreement on the EU.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson said last night that there should not be a second referendum if the country votes to leave the European Union.

Britain should agree ‘a better set of arrangements’ rather than an entirely new deal to put to a second vote, the London Mayor said in an interview with The Times.

‘Out is out,’ he said. ‘What I want is to get out and then negotiate a series of trade arrangements around the world.’

When asked about whether there could be a second referendum, he said he ‘didn’t think it would be necessary’.

Last Sunday, as he announced he was backing Leave, Mr Johnson hinted he would not take a leading role in the campaign, or go head to head with David Cameron. But sources said yesterday that he has had a change of heart.