UK's Cameron unrepentant over £9m spend on pro-EU leaflets

Supporters of the UK campaign to leave the European Union were furious on Thursday at government plans to spend £9m on leaflets promoting the benefits of remaining.

The leaflets will be sent to 27m homes in England next week, with the rest of the UK to follow. Britain will vote on its membership of the EU in a referendum on June 23.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is in favour of remaining, was unrepentant about the decision to use taxpayers' money on producing the pamphlet.

"I make no apology for the fact that we are sending to every household in this country this leaflet which sets out what the government's view is and why we come to that view,” he said.

"We're not neutral in this. We think it would be a bad decision to leave."

The government's official position is to remain, but Cameron's Cabinet is split on the issue. He has allowed ministers to voice their opinion as individuals.

The leaflet claims voting to leave the EU “would create years of uncertainty and potential economic disruption”.

“This would reduce investment and cost jobs. The Government judges it could result in 10 years or more of uncertainty as the UK unpicks our relationship with the EU and renegotiates new arrangements with the EU and over 50 other countries around the world,” it claims.

“If the UK voted to leave the EU, the resulting economic shock would put pressure on the value of the pound, which would risk higher prices of some household goods and damage living standards. Losing our full access to the EU’s Single Market would make exporting to Europe harder and increase costs ."

London Mayor Boris Johnson, who is also a member of parliament and seen as a Conservative Party leadership contender when Cameron steps down before the next election in 2020, called the leaflets “a complete waste of money”.

“I think it's very likely it will be very biased and hysterical,” he said.