“In the most pointed “blue on blue” attack to date by the leaders of the Brexit campaign, Gove and Johnson ridicule Cameron’s flagship promise, saying: “Voters were promised repeatedly at elections that net immigration could be cut to the tens of thousands. This promise is plainly not achievable as long as the UK is a member of the EU and the failure to keep it is corrosive of public trust in politics. “It’s government policy that ‘EU migrants should have a job offer before they come here.’ But the EU did not agree to letting the UK implement that policy during the renegotiation of our membership.” – Sunday Times
“The Justice Secretary says that it is currently impossible to crack down on rich foreigners who buy homes as investments because of Brussels rules that encourage international finance to flow across national borders. The super-rich who use offshore companies to snap up homes in the UK have been blamed for ‘hollowing out’ local communities and helping to push prices beyond the reach of many British buyers.” – Mail on Sunday
“If you have private wealth or if you work for Goldman Sachs you’ll be fine. But when public services are under pressure, it is those people who do not have the luxury of being able to afford the alternatives who are most vulnerable. Getting your child a place in your local school becomes more and more difficult; there is more competition for jobs; wages are held down…It’s shameful that those leading the pro-EU campaign fail to care for those who do not have their advantages. Their narrow self interest fails to pay due regard to the interests of the wider public.” – Sunday Telegraph
Conservatives
Other
“When voting ends at 10pm on June 23 no exit poll will flash up on television screens. Those anxious to know whether the UK has voted to “leave” or “remain” in the European Union will have to stay up into the small hours. The best guess is that we should know by about 5am at the latest. It’s not because the broadcasters don’t want to bring their viewers an instantaneous and accurate picture of the decision. It’s just that lengthy consultations between those involved — BBC, ITV, Sky, the university professors and the pollsters — concluded that money couldn’t buy a reliable exit poll.” – Sunday Times (£)
> Yesterday: ToryDiary – Membership of the EU means a discriminatory immigration policy
> Today:
Lord Feldman rejected Minister Robert Halfon’s plea to sack a Tory MP’s Commons aide who reportedly intended to film him leaving a London club with a lover so it could be used against him. The plot involving Sam Armstrong, an ally of Mark Clarke, who was an aide to David Cameron during the 2015 Election, was revealed by The Mail on Sunday last year. Mr Halfon was furious to discover Mr Armstrong is still employed at public expense as a Commons adviser by South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay.” – Mail on Sunday
“The Iraq Families Action Group, set up to seek justice on behalf of the 179 British soldiers killed during the eight-year war, will target former officials for unlimited damages that could run into millions of pounds. Whitehall officials are understood to be concerned because the government will be required to use taxpayers’ funds to cover the defendants’ costs during any civil proceedings. Legal experts say the families are most likely to pursue former officials and ministers for misfeasance in public office, or breaching their duty of care.” – Sunday Times (£)