GETTY David Cameron is staring at defeat over the EU referendum

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In news said to have sparked panic in Downing Street, a YouGov survey has given Leave a staggering seven point lead over Remain to put the UK in "striking distance" of a Brexit vote. An ICM poll shows Leave with a six point advantage while pollsters ORB have put Leave ahead for the first time since the beginning of April in their latest survey. With polls showing a surge in support for Brexit, it appears Britons’ are rejecting David Cameron’s ‘Project Fear’ tactics, which he hoped would scare voters into remaining in the EU on June 23.

Amid escalating threats from Government ministers, the Prime Minister this weekend claimed he may not be able to protect pensions in the event of a Brexit vote - despite his manifesto promise to continue raising the state pension. Last night, the Chancellor also threatened disabled people with a suggestion he may U-turn again on disability benefits, having been forced to abandon his planned cuts to Personal Independence Payments just days after his disastrous budget earlier this year. Mr Osborne said the Government might not be able to continue to fund the same level of support for the “vulnerable like disabled people” if the UK releases itself from Brussels’ rule.

GETTY George Osborne has threatened to cut disability benefits if there's a Brexit vote

This stumbling Remain campaign seems to have been reduced to a series of threats. Brexit-supporting Tory MP Andrew Percy

The YouGov poll puts Leave on 46 per cent, up three points since the end of last week, with Remain down three points to 39 per cent. It is the pollsters’ largest lead for Brexit since the start of the EU referendum campaign. Eleven per cent of people said they did not know how they will vote and four per cent said they won’t vote. In two ICM polls, one conducted online and one over the phone, Leave was put on 53 per cent with Remain on 47 per cent once ‘don’t knows’ were excluded. A fortnight ago ICM had found a 52 per cent to 48 per cent split in favour of Brexit. The ORB poll showed just a one point advantage for Leave, with 49 per cent backing Brexit over 48 per cent supporting Remain among those definite to vote. But it is the first time the pollsters have shown Leave ahead for three months. Commenting on the YouGov poll, John Mills, chair of the Labour Leave campaign, said: “With just nine days left, the British public are now beginning to realise that staying in the EU is bad for working people and their families. "They are also starting to see the exciting and prosperous future that the UK could build outside the EU. "This poll clearly shows that people do care very deeply about reclaiming our parliamentary sovereignty, rebuilding the NHS from money we will no longer have to hand over to the EU, and stopping open-door EU immigration which has suppressed wages and put so much pressure on our public services. "The polls are swinging our way, which is very good news but we must not be complacent. "We are in striking distance now, but we must continue to campaign right up until we secure a vote to Leave on June 23.”

Downing Street is said to have moved from being “utterly convinced” of victory in the EU referendum to a “blind panic” over the prospect of a Brexit vote. Tory MP Andrew Percy, who is backing Brexit, said Mr Cameron’s “stumbling campaign seems to have been reduced to a series of threats” amid the growing support for Britain to quit the EU. He said: “With no positive message to tell, they are reduced to scare tactics - doing their best to frighten the most vulnerable people in our country into voting to remain in the EU. 'It was only a few months ago I led MPs against George Osborne's attempt to cut disability benefits by billions. “As part of his U-turn on those cuts the Chancellor made a promise on future disability spending. “It's astonishing to see the careless way in which he threatens to cast that pledge aside - just like they did on migration. “The truth is that if we vote to leave we will get back control of the billions of pounds that Brussels demands of us each year - and we can spend that money on our priorities instead.”

EU referendum: Stars for and against Brexit Wed, June 15, 2016 It's not only politicians pleading with the public to vote Leave or Remain in the EU referendum on 23 June, lots of celebrities have also been having their say. Play slideshow 1 of 23