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EU row: Cameron has 'low opinion of British people'

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has accused the Prime Minister of having "a low opinion of the British people" by downplaying the UK's prospects if it left the EU.

It comes after a Sunday newspaper column in which David Cameron accused MPs backing an EU exit of wanting to take "the gamble of the century" with the country's future.

Amid rising tensions between the pro- and anti-Brexit camps, Mr Cameron has reportedly been threatened with a challenge to his leadership unless he tones down attacks on MPs backing the "leave" campaign.

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EU referendum: Brexit ministers 'got off lightly', Labour peer says

Brexit-backing ministers complaining about restricted access to Government papers should consider themselves lucky not to be facing the sack, former business secretary Lord Mandelson said.

Speaking to ITV News Deputy Political Editor Chris Ship about row over the contents of "Chris Grayling's in-tray", the Labour peer said that ministers should feel lucky they have been given the freedom to campaign outside the "collective responsibility" of Government.

Lord Mandelson said: "Frankly, I think, these complaining ministers are lucky. Usually when members of a government go against ministerial collective responsibility and the will of the Cabinet, they receive one paper - and that's their P45.

"So I think they have got off rather lightly and they should stop whinging."

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