Cameron and Osborne could well end up with the fear they're sowing

POLLS indicate that the economic scare stories of UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne will persuade the electorate to vote against Brexit in the June referendum.

The danger, however, is that "Project Fear" may run afoul of the law of unforeseen consequences, notably the possibility of recession whether the UK remains in or leaves the European Union.

Already slipping because of the slowdown in global business, the UK economy desperately needed an upturn in "animal spirits" to give consumption and investment a boost. Instead, the strategy of Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne is, at the least, partly to blame for a slide in business confidence and investment ahead of the June 23 referendum.