GETTY Liam Fox has said an exit from the EU would lead to more security against terror attacks

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The former Tory leadership contender was the surprise guest at the launch of the new Grassroots Out campaign, which has brought together 37 MPs to present a united, cross-party, voice to counter friction between rival Out camps. Ukip leader Nigel Farage has also thrown his support behind the movement, saying: “The time is now – we must put our petty differences behind us and work together as one united voice.”

Germany has discovered exactly what it means when you don’t know who you are allowing in Liam Fox

It comes as insiders revealed fears that Out campaigners are heading for a 2-1 defeat if the referendum on Europe is called as early as June. Millions of homes across Britain will be sent Grassroots Out leaflets in the next few weeks, as supporters ratchet up their campaign. Addressing a 2,000-strong audience in Kettering, Mr Fox ridiculed claims that Britain’s security interests lay with remaining in the EU. “Our security does not lie in the EU – the cornerstone of our security is Nato,” he said. “It is Nato that has kept the peace in Europe since the Second World War. If you cannot make your own laws or control your own borders you are not an independent sovereign nation.” He said that the New Year’s Eve crime spree in Cologne, which has been blamed on recently-arrived migrants, revealed the “real security issue at risk” when voters decide if they want to sever the UK’s ties with Brussels.

GETTY Nigel Farage has also pledged his support to the Grassroots Out campaign

IG The Brexit campaign has gained momentum from high profile support by the likes of Michael Caine

“The EU is not the cornerstone of our security, but insecurity comes from the permanently flawed Euro project, open borders and uncontrolled migration,” he said. “Germany has discovered exactly what it means when you don’t know who you are allowing in.” His views were echoed by Mr Farage, who claimed that within three or four years the perpetrators would have German passports that would allow them to head to the UK.