Mark Carney and Vote Leave clash over EU referendum

An angry row has begun between Bank of England Governor Mark Carney and a leading Leave campaigner over referendum impartiality rules.

Mr Carney said that he considered a letter from Tory MP Bernard Jenkin to be a "political threat", while the Vote Leave director branded the governor "aggressive".

The argument erupted when Mr Jenkin wrote to the governor saying Mr Carney had made his views on the referendum public, and reminding the Bank of impartiality rules.

In a strongly-worded response, Mr Carney said that the letter contained "numerous and substantial misconceptions".

He also said Mr Jenkin had a "fundamental misunderstanding" about the Bank's independence.

The governor wrote: "I have not 'already made [my] views known about the question in the forthcoming referendum'. Nor do I intend to share my private opinion other than via the anonymity of ballot box when I join millions of others to cast my vote.

"All of the public comments that I, and other Bank officials, have made regarding issues related to the referendum have been limited to factors that affect the Bank's statutory responsibilities and have been entirely consistent with our remits."

The referendum campaign is currently in purdah, which bans civil servants from doing anything that could be perceived to be biased one way or the other.

Mr Jenkin said Mr Carney's comments about the referendum had gone "way beyond what a Bank governor would normally do in terms of making statements about rate setting and economic forecasts".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today show: "He's reacted very, very aggressive towards me.

"The advice I have from the Speaker's Counsel is that there appears to be no exemption for the Bank of England."