Nigel Farage warns today he would fight for a second referendum on Britain in Europe if the remain campaign won by a narrow margin next month.
The Ukip leader said a small defeat for his leave camp would be “unfinished business” and predicted pressure would grow for a re-run of the 23 June ballot.
Farage told the Mirror: “In a 52-48 referendum this would be unfinished business by a long way. If the remain campaign win two-thirds to one-third that ends it.”
The threat by a veteran of the Europhobic struggle to pull Britain out of the European Union illustrates why David Cameron is desperate for a decisive result to avoid “neverendum” uncertainty in the country and Tory ranks.
The Ukip leader’s declaration of defiance raises the prospect of the Brexit brigade copying Scottish Nationalists chivvying for a second independence referendum since losing by 55.3%-44.7% in their 2014 plebiscite on breaking up Britain.
That’s why the Prime Minister’s yearning for a clear victory to answer the Europe question in favour of staying in and quelling Brexit fanatics in his own ranks.
In the event of a defeat Farage, who maintains Britain will vote to quit the EU, would exploit claims the referendum was unfair after the Government dubiously spent £9m on a leaflet to every home.
Read more: Your questions answered on the EU referendum
But the remain side is likely to accuse him of sour grapes and being a bad loser, getting his excuses in early as he braces himself for defeat.
Asked over a glass of red wine if he thinks Britain will vote to leave, Farage replied teasingly: “Predictions are a mug’s game.”
Then, breaking into a laugh, he added: “Yes, we’re going to win! What I really think is the unending whine of Cameron negativity is turning people off voting, all this Doomsday stuff.
“This referendum will come down to who has the passion and beliefs to go to the local primary school and put a cross on a piece of paper.
“The real question is at the end of the day do we want to run our country? Are we proud of who we are? Are we happy to be just a star on somebody else’s flag or do we want to be an independent nation?”
Read more: David Cameron writes for The Mirror - what did YOU think?
Farage, relishing the prospect of a high profile platform when he appears on the same ITV1 programme as Cameron after locking horns with Labour’s former EU Commissioner Peter Mandelson at the Daily Mirror debate, blamed “petty kids” in the official leave campaign for trying to sideline him.
The former City trader and Ukip are widely regarded as the political forces which pressured a reluctant Cameron to U-turn and hold the referendum.
So Farage doesn’t mask his anger the Tory-dominated out group is sidelining both, the officially sanctioned leave team erupting when the leader of the Purple Shirts was invited by ITV to answer questions from the public – one strategist issuing sinister threats against television executives.
“I do my own thing and I have been doing it for quite a long time but I want to win,” said Farage.
“Do we look horrendous when people don’t work together? Oh god yes. If the leave campaign is not prepared to show that it’s big enough and ugly enough to put aside party differences in the interests of this great cause then it has a great problem.
“The fault lies with the apparatchiks, the tail wagging the dog, the few people who are fighting the next Tory leadership instead of the referendum and are campaigning for jobs in No 10.”
Farage, who backs Boris Johnson to succeed Cameron, sees himself as Mr Reasonable and mocks the Prime Minister as a wild scaremonger.
“Cameron is coming across badly. This is Dishonest Dave, there’s no sincerity in his arguments at all.
“How can you two months ago say that you are prepared to leave the European Union then pretend leaving would trigger World War II?
"It just doesn’t wash.”