THIS INSULT

THIS poster plumbs new depths in scaremongering. Its imagery manages to be both offensive and patronising.

The Asian woman is a caricature from an outdated narrative where ethnic minorities are held to be passive victims.

That certainly does not match the experience of most Asians and diaspora communities in modern Britain.

In fact, they enjoy a spirit of dynamism, an eagerness to embrace the opportunities our diverse society has to offer. That is true of my own family, who came here from East Africa and, through hard work, became successful in the retail business.

Just as grotesque is the portrayal of the white voter as a knuckle-dragging racist. The subliminal message is that support for Brexit amounts to a form of bigotry.

But that is absurd on so many levels. The cause of British freedom from the Brussels regime embraces all kinds of people, races, creeds and occupations.

My own East-African Asian father is passionately opposed to the EU because he loathes how it has traduced Britain’s democracy and independence.

There are businessmen, retired admirals, Labour MPs and top sports stars who are supporting Brexit, not one of them a screeching xenophobe.

The insulting idea that racism is the driving force behind the Brexit campaign is increasingly voiced by Remain supporters.

Only last week, Pat Glass, the Shadow Europe Minister, described one caller to a radio phone-in as ‘a horrible racist’ for daring to voice an anti-EU sentiment.

But there is nothing remotely prejudiced about wanting Britain to break free from the shackles of Brussels rule and enjoy selfgovernance, with control over its own taxes, borders, justice, laws and welfare.

For me, as Employment Minister, one of the biggest objections to the EU is that it has been such a spectacular failure. Obsessed with its federalist ideology and hopelessly bureaucratic, it has produced economic paralysis across the Continent.

Meanwhile, Brussels has produced no effective response to the mounting immigration crisis, fuelled by the EU’s obsession with open borders and free movement.

Only yesterday, figures were released that show how our population is due to grow by four million over the next eight years.

It is not racist to be concerned about the unsustainable pressures on our civic infrastructure or the potential loss of social cohesion brought about by this.

The EU is the real force for extremism in Europe, because through its calamitous policies on migration and the single currency, it is creating ever greater political disillusion. That, in turn, is feeding the growth of Far-Right movements.

European federalism is a recipe for more despair. On the other hand, we can seize the chance of a far brighter and more prosperous future by regaining our independence.