Monday 22 February 2016

Tory security chaos over EU referendum debate

The EU referendum campaign is bound to throw up many contradictions in Tory ministers' policy differences. Here is a worrying one that has emerged early.

David Cameron has asserted being inside the EU is better for our (national) security; defence secretary Michael Fallon, who used to be a euro-sceptic, echoes this, arguing, in  an interview published in the Sunday Telegraph (21 Feb. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/12166767/Strength-in-numbers-Michael-Fallon-backs-staying-with-Europe.html) if we left the EU, for the first time in its history "it would be smaller and weaker."
Meantime, home secretary Theresa May, as come out in favour of staying in the EU on security grounds to better fight terrorism, having previously waivered; yet her own departmental colleague, John Hayes, who is the security minister, is backing Brexit!
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was called a national security risk by Mr Cameron shortly after his election victory. At Home Office questions on Monday in Parliament, Mr Corbyn's shadow home secretary, Andy Burnham, challenged Mrs May over her cabinet colleague, work and pensions secretary , Iain Duncan Smith (himself a former Tory leader) who said on Sunday terrorist attacks such has happened in Paris last year are less likly if the UK leaves the EU, as Britain's borders will be more effectively policed outside the borderless EU
 
What are the voters preparing to decide how to vote  in the EU referendum supposed to make of this Tory security chaos?