DAVID CAMERON has accused Boris Johnson of unprincipled opportunistic support for Brexit in 2016 (Echo, Sept 16).

However, David Cameron committed fundamental mistakes.

For decades tabloid newspapers had run a vitriolic anti-EU campaign, often based on misinformation.

Would it have not been wiser to rebalance the debate for a period of time, before launching a referendum?

Mr Cameron also failed to grasp the importance of social media and the need for legislation on transparency in online campaigning.

His campaign, based exclusively on the economic benefits of EU membership, was uninspiring.

Staying in the EU is about much more than financial benefits: it is about peace, the expansion of democracy, having more global influence, workers’ rights, the environment.

Mr Cameron was also responsible for a critical fault in the design of the referendum’s question.

Remaining in the EU was pitted against an unspecified Brexit alternative.

As a consequence, Brexit could mean anything to anybody.

It is extremely unlikely that Brexit would have won, if Theresa May’s deal or Boris Johnson’s no-deal had been on the ballot paper in 2016.

The 2016 referendum was ill-conceived and troubled by violations of the electoral law.

The time has come to put this matter back to the people.

Giuseppe Enrico Bignardi, Durham