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Sunday 05 June 2016 9:55 am

Sir John Major is very angry at the Brexit campaign

By: Lynsey Barber

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Former Prime Minister Sir John Major has launched a scathing attack on the Leave campaign accusing it of misleading people.

A supporter of remaining in Europe, Major accused the Leave campaign of being "dishonest" and "verging on the squalid". 

"I'm not prepared to give the benefit of the doubt [to the Leave campaign]… this is a deceitful campaign," he said appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning.

Read more: David Cameron warns of mortgage rise if Britain votes for Brexit

He said the Leave campaign was "misleading people to an extraordinary extent" and that made him "angry" but insisted it was not a personal attack on Boris Johnson, the most high profile member of the Leave campaign.

Major refused to comment on the future of the party and its split over Brexit but warned the London mayor's future in the party and his ambitions to lead the Conservative Party would have consequences. 

Read more: Brexit will cost six per cent of GDP, says EIU

"He is an engaging and charming court jester" but "he may find that if he achieves that [becoming leader] he will not have the loyalty of a party he divided," adding that this is the position Iain Duncan Smith was left in during his brief leadership of the Conservative party in 1990s.

The comments come as the campaigning ramps up ahead of the vote on EU membership which is just 18 days away.

Appearing on the same show shortly after, Johnson said the public wanted to hear arguments from each side of the campaign about things such as the economy and immigration and said he agreed with Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell that there is "too much blue-on-blue action".

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