Brexit campaign are making it up as they go along, says Osborne

GEORGE OSBORNE today accuses the campaign to leave the European Union of “uncosted and unworkable proposals” that would damage the British economy.

In an open letter written with Lord Darling of Roulanish, the former Labour chancellor, Mr Osborne sharply criticises the Leave campaign, led by Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, suggesting they have “no economic plan” and are “just making it up as they go along”.

Mr Osborne’s comments represent his strongest attack so far on the Leave campaign and are a sign that the Remain campaign wants to refocus the argument on the economy after days of questions from Brexit-supporting ministers on immigration.

The letter criticises Vote Leave for advocating pulling out of the single market. The comments will be interpreted as a direct attack on Mr Gove and Mr Johnson. However, sources insisted it was not a “blue-on-blue attack” but directed at the whole of the Leave campaign.

Mr Osborne and Lord Darling ask the Brexit campaign to answer five questions, including whether they can “assure the British public there would be no job

losses resulting from the uncertainty of a vote to leave”. The letter states: “Vote Leave, you are coming forward with uncosted and unworkable proposals that would damage our country by taking us out of the single market upon which so many jobs depend.

“It is simply not good enough to pretend to the British people that they can vote Leave and there would not be profound and negative economic consequences that would affect them and their families.”

In recent days, Mr Gove and Mr Johnson have issued a number of joint declarations setting out policies which they would hope to enact if Britain votes to leave the EU on June 23.

They have said they would bring in a points-based immigration system, similar to that used in Australia, under which migrants would be barred from entering Britain after a Brexit unless they can speak good English and have the right skills for a job.

They have also pledged to scrap VAT on domestic gas and electricity. The policy would be paid for using the £11 billion they claim Britain would save by not having to provide contributions to the European Commission.

However, in their letter, Mr Osborne and Lord Darling add: “The overwhelming evidence now shows that Britain will be poorer and families of Britain will be poorer if we leave the EU. So with only three weeks to go our final question is this: when will you level with the British people about the damaging consequences of your dangerous plans?”

Yesterday, David Cameron said on Radio Derby that Mr Gove and Mr Johnson’s immigration plans would “trash” the economy.

“Australia has more migration per head than we do here in the UK, so I think it’s the wrong approach,” he said. “I also think if we were to say to Europeans they needed work permits to come to Britain, European countries would say to us we need work permits to go and work there. So not only would we trash our economy, we’d also reduce opportunities for people to work in other countries.”

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, warned that there was “no silver bullet” to control immigration. “What it requires is a concerted effort across a range of fronts and we’ve shown that where we take action, we can bring the numbers down, but there’s more to do,” she said.

Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister told the BBC an Australian-style points system would trigger “an inevitable, unavoidable race to the bottom”.

He also suggested that if Britain were to implement the Vote Leave immigration plans, the EU would retaliate and stop British citizens from living or working on the continent.