A fair EU campaign could heal Tory rift

It is vital that the EU referendum is not only fair but seen to be fair. Both sides must feel that they are competing on a level playing field – with reasonable, straightforward rules that apply equally to everyone. The lesson from the Scottish referendum is that losers will latch on to any claim of bias – and use it to keep the cause going long after defeat. Happily, the Prime Minister has stated that Conservative ministers will be free to argue for Brexit if they believe in it. That was the right thing to do. The referendum will be a momentous debate about the future of Britain – cutting across the political spectrum and cleaving political parties in two. It is a matter not just of economics or foreign policy but deep-rooted principle. Trying to compel Eurosceptics to remain silent or even campaign against their instincts would be undemocratic. Labour is wrong to accuse David Cameron of weakness by taking this decision, and hypocritical given its infamously vague positions on Europe, nuclear weapons and the Syrian air strikes.

Unhappily, however, critics have cause for saying that Mr Cameron is guilty of double standards. This newspaper can reveal that officials in No 10 are trying to vet – even alter – speeches made by ministers in Parliament to make them less Eurosceptic. At the same time, Cabinet Europhiles are permitted to be outspoken. Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, has said that he cannot imagine campaigning to leave the EU and Greg Hands, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has celebrated the benefits of European free movement. Understandably, their Eurosceptic colleagues are upset. It implies that Mr Cameron has already made up his mind that he wants Britain to stay in the EU, and that the fight ahead will be far from fair. These suspicions undo the goodwill that he has been building among backbenchers.

The referendum must abide by a process that everyone has confidence in. Failure to achieve this would surely tear the Conservative Party apart – undermining confidence in Mr Cameron and defining the leadership battle to come. Many readers will recall the tumultuous Tory politics of the Nineties and what it did for the party’s electability. The referendum is not just a good chance for Britain to decide where it stands but, if it is conducted properly, could heal old wounds on the Right. Mr Cameron should seize the opportunity to display Solomonic fairness.