BORIS Johnson was due to arrive in Dorset today after beginning a Brexit roadshow around the country.

The former London mayor launched his Vote Leave battle bus tour yesterday by tucking into asparagus spears and Cornish pasty in Truro.

He was due this morning at Reidsteel, the Christchurch company which has been backing a ‘leave’ vote.

Mr Johnson said of his Remain opponents: “They think they have got the big battalions because they have the taxpayers’ money.

“We have got the passion, we have got the commitment.

“Let’s make June 24 independence day for Britain”.

Mr Johnson suggested that David Cameron’s argument that Britain was more secure in the EU was “demented”.

“Don’t forget that only a few months ago the prime minister himself was saying that people were needlessly scaremongering about leaving the EU and there’s no doubt that we could do a free trade deal,” he said.

“I think all this talk of World War Three and bubonic plague is totally demented frankly.”

He also said in interviews that the government had “no control” over the number migrating to the UK from the European Union.

He said: “What’s certainly not a good idea, politically, is for politicians to stand up year after year and tell the British people ‘we can cut immigration to tens of thousands’ when they know full well that that’s legally impossible.

“Uncontrolled immigration is politically very damaging, particularly when politicians promise that they can control it.”

It causes “huge unfunded pressures” for the NHS and public services, he added.

Mr Johnson’s stance puts him at odds with some of Dorset’s largest employers including JP Morgan, Barclays, Lush, Sunseeker and Siemens, who are backing the “remain” side.

Reidsteel director Simon Boyd is chair of the “leave” group Business for Britain South West. He has argued that support for the EU is stronger among multinationals, while SMEs are more likely to support Brexit because it would enable the government to better support British business.

After visiting Christchurch, the Vote Leave bus was due to visit Kinson and tour Bournemouth this afternoon, although it was not known whether Mr Johnson would still be aboard.