Broadcaster Robert Peston demanded an apology today after being branded biased in a late-night outburst from the official campaign to quit the European Union.
In an extraordinary statement, Vote Leave also threatened ITV with “consequences for its future” after the channel picked Ukip leader Nigel Farage over campaign chair Michael Gove or Boris Johnson to take part in a television special against David Cameron.
The row erupted after ITV announced last night that it had made an agreement with Downing Street and Mr Farage to stage the event.
The Vote Leave response, issued in an email timed at 11.27pm, claimed Mr Cameron had been let off the hook and threatened legal action because Mr Farage was not its official choice.
“ITV have effectively become part of the In campaign,” said a Vote Leave “source” in the email. “ITV is led by people like Robert Peston, who campaigned for Britain to join the euro.
“ITV has lied to us in private, while secretly stitching up a deal with Cameron to stop Boris Johnson or Michael Gove debating the issues properly.”
Mr Peston, who received the email after returning home from the funeral of his father, the economist Maurice Peston, said it was a “mad slur” and “bonkers”.
“It’s just bizarre,” he said. “When I first saw the email I assumed that their system had been hacked. I did not believe it was serious.
“I have never campaigned for the euro. I was political editor of the FT and I covered the debate, but I did not take sides. They will have to apologise at some time, I suppose.”
A Vote Leave spokesman refused to explain what the “consequences” for ITV might mean. The campaign issued a second statement today, omitting the apparent threat, but sticking to its complaint that ITV had caved in too quickly to No 10’s demands.
Mr Farage accused Vote Leave of “doing all they can to try to exclude me and Ukip from everything. The reason we have a divided campaign is that the two people running it want nothing to do with me.”
Brexit supporters think Mr Cameron would rather debate with Mr Farage because he is seen a controversial figure who turns off as many voters as he appeals to.
The official campaign for Brexit, masterminded by Mr Gove’s fiery former aide Dominic Cummings, has been racked by tensions.
Boris Johnson threw down the gauntlet to Mr Cameron to take him on in a debate, telling The Spectator magazine: “Put it this way — I think I’d look a bit of a wimp if I said no.”
