He said: “In terms of calling the referendum, I was one of the people who campaigned for an in-out referendum because there was a popular demand for people to have a say on our European Union membership”.
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When Johnson beat Labor’s Ken Livingstone to become the Mayor of London in 2008, it was the Conservative’s first major, high-profile election success since before Tony Blair’s triumphant entry into Downing Street in 1997.
“This will not come again”, said Mr Johnson.
US President Barack Obama has insisted the “special relationship” between the United Kingdom and Washington will endure following the Brexit referendum result.
“They [Remain] say we have no choice but to bow down to Brussels”. Go out and vote “remain”.
He added: “Britain is a special country – we have so many great advantages – a parliamentary democracy where we resolve great issues about our future through peaceful debate, a great trading nation with our science and arts, our engineering and our creativity, respected the world over”.
He said what had been seen recently was the naked exercise of power by unelected, unaccountable European financial institutions to the great detriment of the people.
His wartime predecessor Sir Winston Churchill “didn’t give up on European democracy… I think I am the only one on this panel that has ever worn the Queen’s uniform”.
“It’s all going to be about getting our supporters out to vote and if we do it I really think tomorrow can be independence day”.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage opted to appeal to voters’ patriotism as he urged a vote to leave.
“If we want to fight climate change, we are better if we do it together”.
Until then, British Prime Minister David Cameron believed he would back Remain.
Meanwhile prominent Leave campaigner Michael Gove was forced to say sorry after comparing economists who have warned of the dangers of Brexit to scientists in the pay of the Nazis who smeared Albert Einstein in the 1930s.
So, just who is Johnson?
This means it may be of more than passing significance that bookies are now telling The Independent they are very confident of a Remain vote and may even make the “In” camp an even stronger favourite.
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On reducing levels of migration to the UK, Mr Johnson said: “You could begin work now on an Australian-style points-based system but you couldn’t realistically hope to implement it until we had legally withdrawn from the EU”. Contenders for the role of Tory leader include prominent Vote Leave campaigner Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Theresa May – who is popular among grassroots members and maintained a low profile during the campaign.
