London ‘will not suffer by leaving the EU’
ZAC GOLDSMITH has announced that he will vote to leave the European Union as he rejected the Prime Minister’s argument that the UK would be better off inside the 28-member bloc.
The Tory MP and London mayoral candidate also denied claims that the British economy would be damaged by an exit, saying: “Greater London isn’t a minor appendage to the EU. It is a global city, with global reach.”
It came as a number of Government ministers including George Eustice, Dominic Raab and Andrea Leadsom announced their decision to back the Leave campaign following the outcome of David Cameron’s renegotiation.
Mr Raab, a well-known Eurosceptic and member of the Fresh Start EU reform group, is a justice minister in the same department as Michael Gove, who is also backing Brexit. Mr Raab told The Sunday Times: “For British consumers, workers, small businesses and ordinary citizens, the real opportunities lie with the freedom to chart our own course.”
Four more Conservative ministers are expected to make their support for Leave clear today as Mr Cameron makes a statement to the House of Commons on the deal he won in Brussels. A number of others who have yet to declare their allegiance are expected to do so in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage was forced to deny he has cost the Brexit campaign votes by inviting George Galloway to join the Grassroots Out movement.
The Respect leader was unveiled as the special guest at the campaign’s central London launch last week, prompting more than 100 activists to walk out.
Mr Farage defended his decision to share the stage with Mr Galloway, adding that the campaign now benefits from a broad spectrum of political heavyweights.
He said: “On that night, yes the Respect Party were on the platform – so were the Conservative Party, so was Ruth Lee, the economist, so was a London taxi driver… so was Kate Hoey [a Labour MP].
“I don’t suspect there’s a single domestic policy, in many cases foreign policy, on which George Galloway and I would agree. He’s said some very disobliging things about me.
“But sometimes in life an issue comes along that is bigger than traditional differences.”
The Ukip leader appeared to suggest he should lead the Out campaign.
Mr Farage said: “Amongst the undecided voters, I have a potentially positive effect.”