Gordon Brown calls for more 'positive' campaign to remain in EU

Gordon Brown last night called on the campaign to keep Britain in the EU to be more "positive".

The former prime minister's comments will be seen as a thinly-veiled criticism of the Remain camp's strategy, which has been dubbed "Project Fear".

Making his first intervention into the referendum campaign in a speech in London, Mr Brown said: "In this debate, those of us who are supporting remaining in Europe have first of all got to be positive. We have got to put forward the positive arguments."

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The ex-Labour leader added: "People’s concerns are not just economic and financial but they relate to security and how safe they feel, and they relate to what kind of country we are becoming, our cultures, our traditions and what is happening on our borders."

Mr Brown was credited with helping to secure a No vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum thanks to a series of speeches in the run-up to the ballot.

Remain campaigners hope to use him more often ahead of the 23 June vote as well, believing he can help to persuade Labour voters to back their cause.