Remain campaign chief accused of plot to exploit MP’s death
THE leader of the campaign to keep Britain in the European Union has been accused of a “morally unacceptable” plot to use Jo Cox’s death to make the case for Remain and “call out” Brexit supporters.
Will Straw, the executive director of Britain Stronger In Europe, also gave supporters details of a new closing argument for the final hours of the Referendum campaign to reflect the “new context that we’re in” in the wake of the murder of the Labour MP.
In a leaked private telephone conference call, Mr Straw said “it is now time to make a very positive case for why we want to be in the European Union”.
According to the recording, posted on the Right-wing Guido Fawkes website, Mr Straw said: “We need to recognise that people have been pulled up short by Jo Cox’s death.”
He added: “It is now time to make a very positive case for why we want to be in the European Union to … set out the risks that we face if we leave, but to call out the other side for what they have done to stir division and resentment in the UK.”
The comments left Mr Straw open to claims that he sought to make political gain from the killing of the 41-year-old MP, who was shot and stabbed on Thursday in her Batley and Spen constituency. Liam Fox, the former Conservative defence secretary and a leading Leave campaigner, said: “To use a personal tragedy for campaigning purposes may be acceptable behaviour to political addicts but to the rest of the public it is extremely poor taste and morally unacceptable.”
Andrew Bridgen, a Conservative Eurosceptic MP, said: “I thought that the Remain campaign had plumbed the depths of political campaigning but this is the pits. How low can they go?”
Suzanne Evans, the former UK Independence Party deputy chairman, said: “It is the most cynical thing you can do to use the horrific murder of a young mother and much-loved MP to try and portray a group of people who had nothing whatsoever to do with it as being effectively one step removed from the murderer. Horrific. Absolutely horrific.”
Sources at Britain Stronger In Europe said they had no idea who had leaked the recording of the call to the website. A spokesman said: “As a close personal friend of Jo Cox, Will Straw was reflecting on the changed circumstances following the tragic murder of an inspirational public servant.
“Unfortunately, everyone in this campaign – whether they are from the Remain or Leave camp – are now conducting the last few days of it in the shadow of that awful crime.
“Given that, it would have been strange for Will’s campaign call with volunteers to not reflect on the wider environment.”
Earlier, Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, accused David Cameron, the Prime Minister, of trying to use the MP’s death to boost his chance of winning on Thursday, after Mr Cameron referred on Twitter to an article by Mrs Cox in which she argued that Britain could deal with the issue of immigration more effectively by remaining in the EU.
Mr Farage said: “What we are seeing here is the Prime Minister and the Remain campaign trying to conflate the actions of one crazed individual with the motives of half of Britain who think we should get back control of our borders and do it sensibly ...”
Mr Cameron responded: “What I have been talking about in respect of Jo is what a wonderful human being and great politician and great campaigner she was.”
Meanwhile, a former Tory cabinet minister who switched sides to campaign to keep Britain in the European Union has said she would not feel safe on a bus with Michael Gove. Baroness Warsi was criticised after comparing Mr Gove, the Justice Secretary, to the BNP and Marine Le Pen just hours after attacking Leave for its “hate and xenophobia”. Her claim that she was “defecting” to the Remain side was yesterday questioned by Vote Leave after it emerged she had never formally joined the campaign.
Senior campaign sources said they greeted her claims with “shrugged shoulders” and had not realised she was even backing leaving the EU before the news.
Baroness Warsi responded that she had been arguing for an Out vote before Vote Leave was even created, but did not deny she had spurned requests to join the group’s rallies. It came as Kate Hoey, a Labour MP and member of the Leave campaign, suggested that Baroness Warsi had been offered a job in exchange for switching sides.
Baroness Warsi said on Twitter: “The Leave line up – BNP, Le Pen, Donald Trump, Geert Wilders, Farage, Gove. I wouldn’t get on a night bus with them, would you?” She said her decision to change sides was sparked by an “indefensible” poster released by Ukip and the “lies” from Mr Gove over the prospect of Turkey joining the EU.
Priti Patel, the employment minister, who backs Brexit, said of Baroness Warsi’s tweet: “There’s no need for personal comments. How does that help to inform the debate?”