EU referendum: Ed Miliband accuses Vote Leave of 'trying to perpetrate fraud' on Labour voters

Ed Miliband has accused Brexit campaigners of attempting to deceive Labour voters in a bid to win over their support at the EU referendum. The former Labour leader urged his party to "call out" Vote Leave, as the 23 June ballot looms.

"The Leave campaign are trying to perpetrate a fraud on Labour voters. They're trying to say 'look, we really share your values', whether it's the NHS, or workers' rights or fairness in our society... We've got to call them out," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The Doncaster North MP also admitted that immigration was "a concern" for Labour voters, but warned breaking away from the EU would damage the British economy and not provide a solution.

"It's not immigration causing problems for the NHS, it's Jeremy Hunt and David Cameron," Miliband declared.

The comments come after Labour's shadow business secretary Angela Eagle clashed with Vote Leave chair and Labour MP Gisela Stuart during ITV's EU referendum debate on the evening of 9 June.

IBTimes UK caught up with Kate Hoey, another Labour Brexit backer, who claimed it was "complete rubbish" to argue that a Leave vote would lead to a bonfire of workers' rights.

"Every single right that we've got is enshrined in British law. The government would actually have to take them out, go to parliament and put through legislation, even this Conservative government is not going to do that," she said.

"Ultimately, it's democracy – people can vote that government out, we can't vote the EU out and our rights here in the UK are much better than in many other EU countries because it's been won by the hard work and campaigning of trade unionists not by the EU."

Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow home secretary, has also intervened in the EU referendum campaign, reportedly warning of the "very real prospect" of a Leave vote in less than two weeks' time.

"We have definitely been far too much Hampstead and not enough Hull in recent times and we need to change that," he told BBC 2'S Newsnight show. "Here we are two weeks away from the very real prospect that Britain will vote for isolation."

Meanwhile, Labour deputy leader Tom Watson is expected to warn that UK families would face the financial consequences of Conservative Brexit Budget.

"Working people across the UK face a double threat if we vote to Leave: a massive black hole in the public finances, and an unfair Tory Government that will make ordinary families pay for it through further cuts and tax rises," Watson will say.

"Labour is clear that Britain is better off in Europe. It brings us jobs, growth and investment, protects British workers and consumers and helps keep us safe. Leaving would put that at risk.

"People like Boris Johnson and Michael Gove might be able to afford that risk – but millions of working people across our country simply can't."

The latest online opinion poll from YouGov, of more than 2,000 people between 5 and 6 June, put Remain one point ahead of Leave (43% versus 42%), with 11% of respondents undecided.