Disputes over Europe 'bitterly dividing' Tory party, Major warns as he attacks 'flawed and misleading' Brexit arguments

Disagreements between Tories over Europe have "bitterly divided" the party for decades, John Major has warned - and have the potential to continue doing so in future.

ITV News political correspondent Libby Wiener reports:

The former Prime Minister said disputes within the party had "wrecked" many of the ambitions he had held while in office - and used his speech at the Oxford Union to accuse 'leave' campaigners of peddling "demonstrably false claims" and "ill-informed nonsense".

In the talk to students, Mr Major said pro-Brexit campaigners such as Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage were pushing "flawed and misleading" arguments.

If Britain did vote to leave the EU, it would be because of these "absurd falsehoods", he said - adding that campaigners would also face a potential backlash once people realised the truth.

He said:

Mr Major said quitting the European Union would be a "gratuitous act of self harm", and accused Eurosceptics of becoming more and more like Ukip "frankly offensive" statements which were "fuelling prejudice" over immigration.

"This is dangerous territory," he warned.

He attacked Michael Gove on an article in the Daily Mail last month, in which the Justice Secretary wrote that Britain's borders would be opened up to another 88 million people should it remain in the EU.

"I assume this distortion of reality was intended to lead the British people into believing that almost the entire population of possible new entrants will wish to relocate to the UK," Mr Major said.

"If so, this is pure demagoguery. I hope that - when the heat of the Referendum is behind us - the proponents of such mischief making will be embarrassed and ashamed at how they have misused this issue."

Mr Major said staying in Europe was beneficial to the UK's economy, saying access to a market of 500 million people made Britain more attractive to investors.

He also insisted the Britain's sovereignty was safe, as 98 per cent of government spending in the UK is "entirely in the control" of Britain.

"After 60 years of Europe, are the French less French? Are the Germans less German? I think not. And nor will we be less British," he added.