Shropshire Star comment: Cameron’s action was a disgrace

David Cameron, the man who started this whole Brexit debacle, has been conspicuous by his absence since his most undignified resignation in the wake of the referendum vote.

Having seen his Remain campaign spectacularly fail, the then Prime Minister fell on his sword and disappeared off into the sunset.

His name has cropped up fleetingly since then.

Recently he was spotted jogging in a London park. He was apparently barred from Parliament for failing to renew his pass on time.

Mr Cameron has spent the majority of the last two-and-a-half years, we are led to believe, ensconced in a French maison writing a book.

His interventions on the issue of Brexit have been few and far between, and when he has put his head above the parapet, it is safe to say his musings have not been entirely welcome.

Mr Cameron, a career gambler who was one-eyed enough to believe he could not be defeated, has few friends left in this country.

By passing the buck on the most important issue to face Britain in a generation, his legacy will be forever scarred.

In a revealing interview in today's Star, his former advisor, Peter Wilding, reveals that his old boss was the only one out of his top team who wanted to call the referendum in the first place.

Then crucially, instead of campaigning on a positive footing Mr Cameron went with Project Fear – believing that he could romp to victory by scaring the British public into believing there was no economic future for the country outside the EU.

How wrong he was.

Not for the first time in his political career, Mr Cameron badly misjudged the direction in which the wind was blowing.

You have to wonder how different things could have been had Mr Wilding's call for the UK to be "leading not leaving" the EU been taken on board.

Indeed, Mr Cameron's disgraceful referendum campaign undoubtedly did the Remain cause far more harm than good.

If, as looks likely, Theresa May's deal is voted down in the Commons tonight, the country will be left divided, confused and wondering where to turn next.

Thanks a lot, Mr Cameron.