George Osborne warned he faces legal action if Government tries to fix EU referendum
GEORGE Osborne has been warned that he will face legal action if the government tries to fix the European Union (EU) referendum by publishing skewed or false information about the alternatives to staying in.
The government will face legal action if they attempt to fix the outcome of the EU referendum
Senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin raised concerns that the government could try to present a false picture after the Chancellor announced that the alternative scenarios to EU membership will be published by the government.
The announcement came as Mr Osborne was addressing leading business and political figures at an elite summit at Davos in Switzerland and appealed for business leaders to play a full part in the referendum debate.
Pollsters expect the 2017 in/out referendum to be extremely close
Senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said he was worried that the government could mislead the public
He told his audience that he could understand why companies might be “shy” about speaking out on the EU question, but he said that “business will have a big role. I would encourage you all to be active in that debate.”
If they publish something it has got to be true otherwise they will be taken to court
Mr Jenkin’s public administration committee in the Commons was highly critical of the role the Treasury played in the Scottish independence referendum including a document sent to each household about the different scenarios.
The Tory MP, who is a leading figure in the exit campaign group Vote Leave, warned: “The government can do what it likes until the 28 day purdah period before the referendum and which point it cannot do anything.
“However, if they publish something it has got to be true otherwise they will be taken to court.”
George Osborne appealed to business leaders to play a role in the forthcoming EU membership debates