John Cleese (pictured) has declared he is voting for Britain to leave the EU and suggested killing European Commission President Jearn-Claude Juncker would be the best way of reforming the bloc

John Cleese has declared he is voting for Britain to leave the EU and suggested killing European Commission President Jearn-Claude Juncker would be the best way of reforming the bloc.

The Fawlty Towers and Monty Python star made his views on the EU referendum clear in a series of tweets last night.

He accused Mr Juncker of 'threatening' Britain and branded David Cameron's attempts at reform a failure as he plumped for an out vote on June 23.

Cleese said Britain had been 'swimming against the tide' in its bid to bring about change in Brussels, where bureaucrats had taken away 'any trace of democratic accountability'.

The prominent Liberal Democrat supporter said it was a 'sad' situation and appeared to address his message to party grandee Lord [Paddy] Ashdown, who is campaigning for Remain.

'If I thought there was any chance of major reform in the EU, I'd vote to stay in. But there isn't. Sad. Sorry, Paddy,' he tweeted on Saturday.

Among the EU reforms suggested by the Monty Python star were 'give up the Euro, introduce accountability,and hang Jean-Claude Juncker'.

His pro-EU followers disagreed, with James Burns tweeting: '@JohnCleese Economically, we are better IN, according to the IMF, OECD, IFS, Bank of England, 90% of surveyed economies.'

Luke Reid said: '@JohnCleese It would be terrible to vote for democracy and sovereignty!!!!'

Meanwhile BBC2 historian Greg Jenner tweeted: 'John Cleese backs £brexit? This doesn't surprise me, I just hope lovely Michael Palin hasn't done the same. That will be a sad day.'

Cleese dismissed suggestions that Britain would struggle to set up free trade deals after leaving the EU, writing: 'There's been trading for millenia...I can't see that stopping'. 'Why would that suddenly stop?' he added.

The Fawlty Towers and Monty Python star made his views on the EU referendum clear in a series of tweets last night, answering questions from his followers and even suggested the best way of reforming the EU would be to 'hang' Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president

His declaration of support for Brexit came ahead of another day of intense campaigning in the EU referendum with just 12 days to go.

David Cameron used a live television interview to warn taxes taxes could be hiked, pensions would be under threat and NHS funding could be damaged if Britain votes to leave the EU.

Cleese dismissed warnings by Remain campaigners that Britain's ability to trade would be damaged by a divorce from the EU, saying the country had done so for 'millennia'.

The Prime Minister said the squeeze on public finances after a vote to leave the EU would mean the Government would no longer be able to honour its key manifesto pledges.

The 'triple-lock' for pensioners - which guarantees the state pension rises by at least 2.5 per cent a year - could be reviewed, he warned, and the ring-fenced NHS budget could also be at risk, while George Osborne said spending on our Armed Forces could fall by up ot £1.5billion.

Mr Cameron warned that free perks given to pensioners such as bus passes and TV licences could also be scrapped as he pointed to independent analysis that predicts a Brexit vote could create a £40billion black hole in public finances.

His pro-EU followers disagreed, with James Burns tweeting: '@JohnCleese Economically, we are better IN, according to the IMF, OECD, IFS, Bank of England, 90% of surveyed economies'

Meanwhile BBC2 historian Greg Jenner tweeted: 'John Cleese backs £brexit? This doesn't surprise me, I just hope lovely Michael Palin hasn't done the same. That will be a sad day'

He said the Government might also be forced to break another election pledge not to increase taxes.

But Brexit campaigners dismissed his 'baseless threat' and said it was a 'vindictive and desperate attempt to bully voters' into staying in the EU.

Mr Cameron's former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith told voters that policies such as an Australian-style points system would 'lead to a higher state pension'.

Senior Conservatives admit Downing Street is starting to panic over the outcome of the June 23 referendum and in a bid to relaunch the Remain campaign with 12 days to go, Mr Cameron will make a major intervention in a live TV interview on the Andrew Marr Show this morning.

It comes after a shock poll gave Brexit a 10-point lead, sending the Remain campaign into panic mode.

Stepping up his warnings of a Brexit vote this morning, Mr Cameron pointed to research by independent bodies such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which forecasts that the Treasury would face a £40billion budget deficit by 2020 if Britain leaves the EU.

He insisted he was not trying to scare people but instead warning of the 'cold reality' of leaving the EU.

David Cameron (pictured on the Andrew Marr Show) used a live television interview to warn taxes taxes could be hiked, pensions would be under threat and NHS funding could be damaged if Britain votes to leave the EU.

Voters believe the Vicar of Dibley and Mary Poppins would back remain and Captain Mainwaring would lead the charge for Brexit

Voters think the Remain campaign has the Vicar of Dibley and Mary Poppins on its side - while the Brexit camp would count Del Boy and Basil Fawlty among its ranks.

After a string of celebrities intervened over Brexit, YouGov asked its voting panel to predict which side of the divide 30 different British fictional characters would fall if they had a vote on June 23.

Many characters were seen strongly on one side or the other - but others such as Bob the Builder and call centre manager David Brent were seen as swing voters, finding it impossible to decide.

The pollster said it was not surprising to see 'establishment' figures such as Sir Humphrey Appleby, from Yes Minister, or James Bond perceived as being on the Remain campaign.

The Doctor - who as a Time Lord obviously is likely to know the result - is also seen as a Remainer.

Voters think the Remain campaign has the Vicar of Dibley and Mary Poppins on its side - while the Brexit camp would count Del Boy and Basil Fawlty among its ranks

By contrast hotelier Fawlty is seen as a leading Brexiteer, as is couch potato Jim Royale.

Captain Birdseye and Mr Bean are both seen as Brexit-backers - despite both having been compared to Jeremy Corbyn who insists he is now a fully paid up supporter of the EU.

YouGov said when it carried out the experiment ahead of the general election it found Basil Fawlty and Alan Partridge were perceived as Conservatives, whilst Del Boy and Jim Royale were both thought to back the Labour Party.

Celebrity endorsements have been mounting ahead of the referendum.

Abba star Bjorn Ulvaeus said it would make him 'emotional' if the UK decided that it did not want to stay in the union.

The plea, issued on the eve of the Eurovision song contest, delighted Remain campaigners who said it was a reminded that 'breaking up is hard to do'.

Actress Emma Thompson has also come out for the Remain campaign - and ran into criticism when she complained about Britain as a 'little cloud-bolted, rainy corner' of Europe.

Sir Michael Gambon - better known as Harry Potter's Dumbledore - made clear he also believed Britain was better off in the EU.

On the other side, Sir Michael Caine endorsed Brexit because 'you cannot be dictated to by faceless civil servants'.

And cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham appeared alongside Boris Johnson yesterday and said: 'The people coming into our country, they don't seem to have to come over with a job, any qualifications, just turn up.

'I think it will get cluttered.'