David Cameron is overseeing 'spiv Robert Mugabe antics' in the EU referendum campaign, says Tory MP

David Cameron is overseeing "spiv Robert Mugabe antics" in the campaign to keep Britain in the European Union, according to a former vice-chairman of the Conservative Party.

In an extraordinary attack on the government’s decision to spend £9.3 million of taxpayers’ money on a glossy 16-page booklet setting out the case to stay in the EU, Tory MP Nigel Evans likened Downing Street’s campaign to the African dictator’s continued attempt to cling to power.

The 92-year-old Zimbabwean leader, who threatened to punch a reporter last month for asking about his retirement plans, has ruled the African country for 36 years.

Mr Mugabe, who led the struggle against white rule and was Zimbabwe’s first president after formal independence from Britain, was chosen in 2014 to lead his party for another five years, automatically becoming its presidential candidate for the 2018 election. He will be 99 if he wins and completes that term, his last under a new constitution.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Evans said: “As a member of the Council of Europe part of my responsibility is election observing and I go around and have a look at the conduct of campaigns prior to polling day. If I witnessed in any of the countries that I go to the sort of spiv Robert Mugabe antics that I’ve seen by this government then I would condemn the conduct of that election as being not fair.”

But the Europe minister David Liddington, said it was not Mr Evans’ “finest moment in the House” for comparing the EU referendum tactics to elections in Zimbabwe, which “in the recent past have involved the murder, maiming and intimidation of voters”.

The Prime Minister said last week he would make no apology for the glossy 14-page booklet, adding it’s “money well spent”. It will be sent to every household in the country, setting out the case for a “remain” vote on June 23.

Stamped with the HM Government logo, the leaflet says in large type: “Why the government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK.” Some have already been delivered to households in England but delivery to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland delayed until devolved government elections in May.

However, some members of the public have asked the Royal Mail to the send the leaflets back to Downing Street. Images of the booklet, alongside handwritten notes such as “please return to Mr David Cameron”, have been posted on social media. One user, Andrew Laurence, snapped a picture of his booklet, adding: “Just nipping down to the post box”.

Downing Street said the move was a response to polling which showed 85% of the public wanted more information from the Government to help them make an informed choice on June 23. The cost to each household for the booklet will be 34p, government sources added.

But Conservative MPs and pro-Brexit advocates have responded with fury to the leaflet-drive. One Tory MP, Tom Pursglove, called it “frankly outrageous” and an “affront to democracy”.

A petition has also been launched to stop the Prime Minister spending taxpayers’ money on the publicity drive – over 200,000 have signed it, meaning the Commons will have to consider it for debate.

Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary making the case to leave the EU, referred to the booklet as a “piece of one-sided propaganda”. He added: “But the critical thing is, I just think it’s wrong that at a time of austerity £9 million of taxpayers’ money is being spent on one-sided piece of propaganda.

Speaking to students at the University of Exeter last week, Mr Cameron said: "I make no apology for the fact that we are sending to every household in the country this leaflet which sets out what the Government's view is and why we come to that view.

"We are not neutral in this. We think it would be a bad decision to leave. We think it would be bad for our economy, bad for jobs, bad for investment, bad for families' finances.

"We think it would be bad for universities. We are not neutral so we have made a clear stance in this leaflet which everyone will get a copy of." He also warned young people had the “most to lose” from the UK leaving the European Union.”