In the pitch black, his face lit from below by a torch, Cameron summons the bogeymen

‘Change is fearful; better the devil you know... the PM’s aim is, quite nakedly, to make voters afraid’

AS WE always knew it would, the EU referendum has split the Cabinet. Still, maybe it’s for the best. A government needs an opposition; and, since over the past nine months Labour has proven incapable of providing one, it’s helpful of the Government’s own ministers to take on the job themselves.

Michael Gove, Iain Duncan Smith, Chris Grayling, John Whittingdale, Theresa Villiers, Priti Patel, and now Boris Johnson – at last David Cameron has some enemies who can actually threaten him. For the time being at least, though, the Prime Minister is looking reasonably composed – as we saw yesterday morning, during his appearance on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show.

His message about the EU was the same as it was during his speech on Saturday, and as it no doubt will be for the next four months. Change is fearful; better the devil you know. His aim, quite nakedly, is to make voters afraid. His campaign broadcasts will probably show a close-up of him sitting in pitch black, his features lit from below by a tiny torch.

“If you remain in a reformed EU, you know what you’re going to get,” he said. “But if you leave… years of uncertainty… a step in the dark… real risk and uncertainty…”

But we’d be able to make all our own laws, wouldn’t we? Wouldn’t that give us greater certainty?

Oh dear me, no. “If Britain were to leave the EU, that might give you a

of sovereignty,” said the Prime Minister gently, in the manner of a carer admonishing a frail yet obstinate elderly patient. “But you’ve got to ask yourself: ‘Is it real?’”

Outside the EU, he explained, Britain couldn’t stop its businesses being discriminated against, make other European nations share intelligence about terrorists, or prevent the EU banning British goods “for some bogus health reason”. And we wouldn’t even be able to cut immigration, because in exchange for access to the single market the EU would insist we allow full freedom of movement.

“You’d have an illusion of sovereignty,” he repeated, “but you wouldn’t have power, you wouldn’t have control, you couldn’t get things done…”

Scary stuff. It’s a wonder he chose to hold the referendum in June. He should have picked Hallowe’en.

At the time of the interview, he didn’t know – or affected not to know – which side Boris Johnson would be campaigning on. But he had a scare story ready for him, just in case. By arguing to leave the EU, said Mr Cameron, the Mayor of London would be “linking arms with Nigel Farage and George Galloway”.

Ah, the Brexit bogeymen. Mr Cameron must be delighted those two have joined forces. Less than a year ago, Mr Galloway thundered that Mr Farage was unfit for “civilised company”. Yet on Friday night, at a Brexit rally, he was pictured smiling chummily at the Ukip leader’s side.

Inconsistent? Actually, maybe not.