EU supporters have long denounced their opponents as conspiratorial, threatening and unhinged. Late last night, the Vote Leave campaign released a statement seemingly designed to confirm every one of these charges. In response to ITV’s announcement that it would stage a debate between David Cameron and Nigel Farage, the Brexiters accused the broadcaster of joining “the official In campaign”, targeted its political editor Robert Peston (“who campaigned for Britain to join the euro” – a claim he has denied) and ominously warned of “consequences for its future” (“the people in No.10 won’t be there for long.”)
This belligerent statement (which was followed by a more measured version this morning) was revealing in two respects. In its aggrieved tone, it recalled memories of the Scottish independence campaign (and to a lesser extent, Labour under Ed Miliband), which similarly alleged media bias and attacked the TV debates format. For the Leave side, these are not encouraging precedents. If you’re complaining, you’re usually losing (and if the phone polls are correct, the Brexiters are). This is not only because such aggression is typically born of insecurity but also because it alienates the moderate swing voters who decide such contests. “If your case is so strong,” they wonder, “why are you so angry?”
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