Government to send pro-EU leaflet to 27 million homes, at a cost of £9 million

[Itinerary]

BBC News: EU referendum: Government to spend £9m on leaflets to every home

The government is going to spend £9 million on a 14-page leaflet attempting to persuade people to vote "remain" in June. Cameron claims it puts forward "key facts".

Apparently this is in response to members the public who want more information to help them make up their mind. However, MP Peter Bone says the move is a "major error of judgement" by Mr Cameron. "The prime minister promised Parliament that no taxpayers' money would be spent promoting Remain or Leave," he said. "What is being done is immoral, undemocratic and against what the government has promised."

Boris Johnson has said it's a "crazy waste of money" and wrong to try to "stampede" voters.

Bernard Jenkin said it was "an outrageous abuse of taxpayers' money" which "flies in the face of the government's claim that they want a fair referendum".

And Robert Oxley of Vote Leave said "Our money should not be used on propaganda, trying to buy votes."

www.eureferendum.gov.uk

This ^ is the government's website telling us "Why the Government believes we should remain"

I was pretty shocked by this - when I think what that money could be sent on.

In this day and age, if you want more information on in/out look it up on the Internet!

Is disgusting misappropriation of the taxes we pay. I'm appalled at this decision and I hope it backfires on Cameron . I'll be forwarding my copy straight to 10 Downing Street.

Shocking waste of money especially considering all the recent cuts to disability benefits etc

They're a bit slow.

We had a leave campaign leaflet through our letterbox a couple of weeks ago,

Meh. I can't get worked up about that, it's pretty standard.

Spending 3 million on the website though! wTF! Domain names are pennies as is hosting. Obviously they have hired the most expensive designers in the galaxy

We had a leave campaign leaflet through our letterbox a couple of weeks ago

I've only had a "stay" one so far...

I am curious how much this really is costing. 27 million 14 page leaflets equals £1.00 per three leaflets if the overall cost is £9 million. With second class post at 54 pence, the figures just don't add up. I wonder how much this propaganda is really costing the tax payer.

Also have only had a "leave" leaflet so far.

It all feels so wrong....I honestly can't see that there is such a tremendous gain to be had by staying in, but all political parties are saying stay?? Why has Corbyn changed his lifelong anti eu stance once he's leader of his party?? I feel like I'm being lied to on a massive scale but can't see where or why.

I like Liam Fox's suggestion of putting it in an envelope and popping it back in the post to Downing Street

Apparently it's full of glossy pictures, what's the betting it'll be light on 'facts'. This government have done nothing but lie. I am sick of dave and Co treating the public like simpletons who can't possibly think for themselves and just expecting us to drink in their bullshit. Actually that gives me the rage more than the money they're spending.

Why has Corbyn changed his lifelong anti eu stance once he's leader of his party?? I feel like I'm being lied to on a massive scale but can't see where or why

A lot of people agree with you on this.

You're being lied to because there is a lot at stake - for the big corporations that mould the EU into making laws that suit them, instead of us and for those with their snouts firmly in the EU trough.

You cannot remove these from the EU because you cannot elect an alternative EU, as you can elect alternative Westminster Government - you are stuck with the EU forever, and that's why big corporations love it.

That's why the former chief of M&S, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, the banks, the hedge funds, Kinnock, Mandelson, Paton, Blair, all want you to carry on being ruled by the EU instead of by your own democratically elected Westminster Parliament.

Corbyn is not campaigning actively for the EU.He knows he wouldn't be believed.

I had a Leave leaflet this morning.

It has swayed me to vote Leave

I intend to send my Remain leaflet straight back to Dodgy Dave - return to sender.

It has swayed me to vote Leave
If I get one, will be sending it to leave campaign who are going to dump the lot on his doorstep.

If I get one, will be sending it to leave campaign who are going to dump the lot on his doorstep.

Are they?

There is a petition if anyone is interested, has almost 70,000 signatures already.

Stop Cameron spending 9 million of taxpayers money on Pro EU leaflets.

[https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/116762]]

Link fail

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/116762

Thanks for the link.

Kelandry

Why has Corbyn changed his lifelong anti eu stance once he's leader of his party?? I feel like I'm being lied to on a massive scale but can't see where or why.

Here's one possible scenario you may wish to consider.

Labour knows that Corbyn is unelectable and that it will not win the 2020 election.

It will take something really massive to turn the UK voters away from the Tories and back to Labour again in sufficient numbers to make Labour electable again.

One of those things would be the privatisation /failure of the NHS.

TTIP will open the NHS to privitiisataion.

Cameron wants TTIP. He has not negotiated any opt out from TTIP for the NHS.

It's therefore reasonable to assume that if TTIP goes ahead as planned, and the NHS is not protected from it, it will hasten the NHS's privitaisation.

Corbyn is therefore standing there, with his hands in his pockets, neither vigorously campaigning against TTIP nor suggesting we leave the EU. Labour can claim that the EU is a good, as it protects workers rights.

When the NHS therefore falls because of TTIP, Labour can say 'We told you so. Tories wanted TTIP, but didn't protect the NHS. '.

Tory support falls.

Labour support increases

Labour achieves that fundamental shift in public opinion that helps it back into power.

But the cost of that Labour victory is the sacrifice of the NHS to private enterprise.

I am going to vote to leave the EU so he UK cannot be party to an EU - US trade deal and hope that people wake up in time and realise what I think may be going on.

Business postal rates are far, far below the cover price of a stamp!

Thanks springing, suspect you might be onto something. The naive part of me just thinks, why can't they just do the best thing for the country....making people happy etc, and this would get them in power, rather than all this double-think cloak and dagger politics!!

gooru, how much are they out of interest? I'm still not convinced, even with a very low postage cost, £9 million will produced 27 million glossy, 14 page booklets.

The petition has reached over 100,000 signatures and must now be considered for debate in parliament. At least Cameron will know the strength of public opinion on this.

Saw that ItsJust

110k. Added 25k overnight.

Heartening. If only the £9.3mn had been used to reduce the steel industry's tax burden......