Chaos awaits besieged Cameron no matter what the Brexit result
Analysts predict there could be anarchy in the UK’s Conservative Party, even if British voters back David Cameron’s bid to stay in the European Union
Think everything in British politics will calm down once the European Union referendum is over? Think again.
The campaign for the June 23 vote has split the governing Conservative Party down the middle, with implications for Britain’s government whatever the result. The fates of Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne are now tied to the outcome.
Increasingly caustic exchanges between the opposing sides over the weekend, including three lawmakers openly calling for the prime minister to go, mean that blood-letting in the wider party looks unavoidable.
Most Conservatives are reluctant to speak about the issues on record, but privately every Tory MP has a view. After speaking to lawmakers on both sides of the debate, a picture becomes clear: either way, the referendum legacy looks like it will be a new phase in British politics.
“The leadership of the Conservative Party appears likely to move in a more Eurosceptic direction even after a vote to stay,” said JPMorgan Chase economist Malcolm Barr. “Assuming the Conservative party does not fracture over the EU issue, circumstances suggest that they could be well placed to shape UK politics in their favour ahead of the next election.”
The campaign has featured all the attacks you would expect in any political battle, with the twist that they have only involved members of the prime minister’s party. Iain Duncan Smith, the former pensions secretary, compared Osborne to the lying puppet Pinocchio. Former London Mayor Boris Johnson said Cameron’s behaviour “stinks”.