So desperate is he to win, that George Osborne no longer seems to care if he goes down in history as our first kamikaze chancellor.

Not content with defying most Tory voters and activists, and insulting those who supported him in the days when he was trying to fix, rather than sabotage, the economy, he is now threatening Middle England with extraordinary tax hikes and pension cuts if they have the temerity to vote Leave.

Mr Osborne cannot recover from such scorched-earth tactics. No government would be able to pass his absurd, recession-inducing emergency Budget in the House of Commons: 65 Tory MPs have already pledged to vote it down, and no opposition party will touch it.