Britain to be hit with huge Brussels bill unless the UK agrees to bid adieu to EU
Prime Minister set to share a stage with die-hard lefties as Leave campaign goes on attack
BRITAIN will be hit with a bombshell new £2.4 billion bill to cover overspending by Brussels if we remain in the EU, Boris Johnson will warn today.
BoJo will join other Leave campaigners to unveil documents which reveal the European Union owes £19.4 billion in unpaid bills – and argue the UK is currently “on the hook” to help pay them off.
But in one of the most extraordinary scenes yet of the In-Out referendum battle, David Cameron will share a stage with die-hard lefties including Labour’s Harriet Harman to attack claims being made by Tory Brexiteers.
At a joint event in London the PM and Ms Harman will appear with Lib Dem leader Tim Farron and Green Party chief Natalie Bennett to accuse Mr Johnson and others of trying to “con” the British people.
In a day of high-profile campaigning, both sides will use rival events to produce dossiers aimed at convincing voters to back their cause on June 23.
Mr Johnson will be joined by Justice Secretary Michael Gove, Labour’s Gisela Stuart and former British Chambers of Commerce boss John Longworth to highlight the “risks” of remaining in the EU.
Speaking in Shakespeare’s birthplace of Stratford upon Avon, they will argue the UK faces a “triple whammy” of extra costs unless it quits the Brussels club.
That includes a share of the £19.4 billion in unpaid bills identified in a recent European Parliament report – with the EU expected to come cap in hand shortly after polling day in 17 days’ time.
The Leave campaigners also claim the UK will be forced to cough up extra cash to deal with the migrant crisis, and could be left paying the price for a future Eurozone bailout.
Last night Mr Johnson said: “The risks of remain are massive.
“Not only do we hand over more than £350 million a week to the EU, but if we vote to stay the British people will be on the hook for even more cash.
“It is a triple whammy of woe: the eurozone is being strangled by stagnation, unemployment and a lack of growth, it could explode at any time and we will be forced to bail it out.
“The botched bureaucratic response to the migration crisis means the Eurocrats are demanding even more of our money.
“And now we find that there is a £20 billion black hole in the EU’s finances.
“If we vote to stay in the EU we will be forced to hand over even more money to Brussels.
“If we Vote Leave we can avoid this extra £2 billion bill from Brussels, take back control of our money and spend it on our priorities like the NHS.
But Remain campaigners branded the claim “nonsense” last night and will step up their attacks today by slamming Brexiteers’ “fantasy politics”.
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Mr Cameron and his leftie pals will challenge the Leave camp to produce a proper economic plan for Brexit, accusing Mr Johnson and co of gambling with families’ jobs and livelihoods.
Their own dossier will accuse Brexit backers of making a host of commitments that do not add up and of putting forward 23 different alternatives to the EU single market.
It follows recent commitments by Mr Johnson and others to use Britain’s EU contributions to cut VAT on energy bills and spend £100 million a week more on the NHS under Brexit, along with bringing in an Australian-style points system to cut immigration.
In an unprecedented show of cross-party support, Mr Cameron, Ms Harman, Mr Farron and Ms Bennett will say: “It’s time for the Leave campaign to outline their economic plan for Britain outside Europe.
“They are perpetuating an economic con-trick on the British people, and we’re calling time on it.
“The British public deserve better than being asked to roll the dice.”
Mr Cameron’s decision to share a stage with his political enemies is likely to enrage Tories who have spent their lives fighting the likes of politically correct Ms Harman.
It will further deepen a bitter civil war engulfing the party – particularly because the PM has dodged a direct debate with leading Tories.
Last night Vote Leave Chief Executive Matthew Elliott said: “This is desperate stuff from an increasingly desperate campaign.
“Number 10 are panicking and are resorting to petty personal attacks because they know they are losing the arguments.
“People are rejecting their pessimistic campaign of doom in favour of our positive vision for Britain’s future.”
The UK currently hands around £8.4 billion a year to Brussels.
But Britain could face demands for more at the EU’s seven-year budget is up for mid-term review before the end of the year - and Europe has faced huge extra costs from the migrant crisis since it was drawn up.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has branded the £847 billion budget “too small” to handle the crisis and warned it will require “exceptional financing”.
Last week the EU’s vice president for budgets Kristalina Georgieva gave an ominous warning as she said member states should be “making room for new commitments”.
If the UK votes to remain on June 23, Britain would have a veto over any mid-term spending increases but would risk upsetting the European Parliament as it tries to win support for its new brake on migrant benefits.
Scare rap for Farage
NIGEL Farage was savaged by fellow Eurosceptics for suggesting women would be at risk of sex attacks by migrant gangs unless the UK quits the EU.
The Ukip leader argued migrants in Europe from the Middle East and Africa would be given passports allowing them free travel to Britain.
But Energy Minister and Leave campaigner Andrea Leadsom said: “I do not believe in blatant scaremongering so I think it’s really, really regrettable.”
And Brexit campaigner Michael Gove added: “I haven’t made remarks like that and I won’t make remarks like that.”
£1.25 for a tern-on
BRUSSELS was blasted last night for blowing £1.25million on plastic birds – to get real ones to mate.
The 1,600 model little terns have been placed beak-to-beak at safe nesting sites on UK beaches in the hope the endangered seabirds copy the breeding ritual.
Leave campaign boss Matthew Elliott said: “If you asked most people whether to spend money on aphrodisiacs for birds or the NHS, I think I know what they would choose.”
Suffolk little tern warden Emily Irving-Witt insisted: “They need all the help they can get.”