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Cameron Warns of ‘Lost Decade’ after EU Out Vote | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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British Prime Minister David Cameron gives an address at a national service of thanksgiving for the 90th birthday of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on June 10, 2016, which is also the Duke of Edinburgh’s 95th birthday. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / BEN STANSALL


London-Ten days before a referendum on Britain’s European Union membership, British Prime Minister David Cameron warned that Britain faces a “lost decade” if it leaves the EU.

Cameron stressed on Sunday that his country’s power in the EU will increase if the British people chose to remain.

A poll published late Sunday showed that those in favor of staying in the EU had advanced by two percent points.

But one of the leading pro-Brexit campaigners, UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, said that voters were putting “two fingers up” to establishment figures like Cameron.

Farage insisted that the polls showed a real movement towards his side.

“There has been a shift in the last fortnight,” the UKIP leader said.

“People have had enough of being threatened by the prime minister and the chancellor and I think collectively people are beginning to put two fingers up to the political class.”

Meanwhile, the Sunday Times published a report that British diplomats had considered letting up to 1.5 million Turkish citizens have visa-free travel to Britain.

The paper published details of five diplomatic documents which it said could mean a planned deal giving Turkish citizens easier access to the EU’s Schengen area being extended to Britain.

But in a joint statement, Britain’s Home Secretary Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said “selectively leaked quotes” had been used “to give a completely false impression that the UK is considering granting visa liberalization to some Turkish citizens.”

The Sunday Times also published a new poll carried out by YouGov.

It said British support for leaving the EU stood at 43 percent, marginally ahead the 42 percent who want to remain part of the bloc.

Britons will vote on June 23 on whether to remain part of the EU, a choice with far-reaching consequences for politics, the economy, defense and diplomacy in Britain and elsewhere.