Could the IMF’s Brexit warning swing it for Remain?

The IMF has published one of the starkest warnings so far against Brexit from an organisation based outside of Britain. The latest set of figures from the International Monetary Fund predict that there will be a 0.3 percentage point dip in Britain’s growth forecast this year, as a result of the referendum. And the IMF warned that if Britain did vote to leave the EU, it could lead to ‘severe regional and global damage’.

Both sides have used the statement to exchange in the latest round of tit-for-tat. George Osborne has said ‘for the first time, we’re seeing the direct impact on our economy of the risks of leaving the EU.’ Of course, he regards Lagarde as his ally – he lobbied for her to take the job, and briefed out that he was the first to call for her to renew the term. The IMF has a pretty dodgy record in allowing its statements to be bent to suit whoever is in government at the time – so you can see some mutual back scratching going on here.