Former Tories Urge Harper to Allow Eurosceptic Ministers to Campaign Speak Freely

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Two senior Conservative former cabinet ministers, Ken Clarke and Iain Duncan, have recently mentioned in a statement that David Cameron should give up collective responsibility in the opinion about EU referendum and let members of the cabinet campaign freely on either side of the debate.

Clarke stressed that he advises the prime minister to let his cabinet colleagues campaign as they wish “because [work and pensions secretary] Iain Duncan Smith and I are not going to be on the same side”. In his remarks, Clarke stated that “Iain Duncan Smith and I have both actually been committed to party unity overall. We differ on Europe. The referendum is meant to be a way of letting us resolve that in a civilised way,” adding that “I would let the Eurosceptics have a kind of free exercise in campaigning in the referendum.”

A former Welsh secretary and Tory leadership candidate in 1995, John Redwood, warned that there could be even resignations in sight if the cabinet members were not allowed to campaign on both sides. Redwood stated that “of course they should be free to campaign as they see fit and they will be free to campaign as they see fit. The only issue is whether they are asked to leave their government positions before they do it or not.” It was added that “this is so fundamental. What is the point of being a minister if you are charged, for example, with getting immigration down but the European Union won’t let you do it? If you are faced with that situation, the only honest thing to do is to campaign for a change in the arrangement, or to campaign for out.”

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