David Cameron today warned against a “leap into the dark and years of uncertainty” as he urged Scotland to vote to remain in the European Union.
The prime minister said there was no chance the EU would give the UK a better deal than member states in the event of a vote for Brexit.
He also claimed the Scottish farming and food and drink manufacturing industries would be put at risk, as well as Scotch whisky exports by a vote to leave.
The Tory leader’s intervention came as Scotland Stronger In Europe launched its campaign yesterday.
At a briefing in Edinburgh, the main pro-Europe campaign in Scotland argued that Scottish votes could be “crucial” to the overall outcome.
Meanwhile, south of the border, bitter exchanges dominated, with Labour’s former home secretary Alan Johnson accused of demeaning the campaign by branding the leave camp “unbalanced extremists”.
Launching Labour’s pro-EU battle bus tour, Mr Johnson said the “extremist” tag was not incendiary but accurate, because those who wanted Britain to withdraw believed there is “absolutely nothing good about the EU at all”.
Former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith hit back, accusing the remain side of “throwing threats and ridiculous terms” around.
He said: “I don’t know in what world it is extreme to want to have your democracy back, power over what you do, control over your laws and the power to make decisions about your people, elected by British people and rejected by British people when you get it wrong.”
Earlier, in a speech at Vote Leave’s London headquarters, the Tory MP said an ever-expanding EU would worsen social inequality in the UK.
He also argued the prime minister was wrong to downplay the prospect of expansion to Turkey and other countries.
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, also at the bus launch, insisted he is fully behind the campaign for in – in order to back workers’ rights and defend the environment – despite his own “many, many criticisms” of the EU.
Speaking at the Scotland Stronger In Europe event, Virgin Money chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia described Scotland’s economic prosperity as “critically linked” to EU membership.
