Johnson blasts ‘crushing’ of Brexit critic
Print Edition
THE battle for Britain to leave or remain within the European Union stepped up a gear yesterday as London mayor Boris Johnson accused the establishment of “crushing” a business leader for publicly backing a Brexit.
Johnson, the leading advocate of the campaign for Britain to leave the EU in a June referendum, said it was “absolutely scandalous” that John Longworth had been suspended as head of the British Chambers of Commerce.
“It cannot be right that when someone has the guts to dissent from the establishment line, he or she is immediately crushed by the agents of Project Fear,” Johnson said in a statement.
Eurosceptics have dubbed the campaign to stay in the EU “Project Fear” because of its focus on the security and economic risks of ending Britain’s membership of the European bloc.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s office was forced to deny that it had leaned on the BCC to suspend Longworth, after he challenged the organisation’s official neutrality on Thursday by declaring his personal support for a Brexit.
“We are clear no pressure was put on the BCC to suspend him,” a Downing Street spokesman said.
But former Conservative defense minister Liam Fox, another Brexit supporter, told the Sunday Times newspaper: “Project Fear is turning into Project Intimidation.
“Threats and bullying to do not reflect well on those who promote them and are likely to infuriate the British people.”
Cameron and Johnson are members of the Conservative party but they have long been rivals, and the campaign for the June 23 referendum has pitted them head to head.
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