Leading, not leaving: this is the basic appeal being used by the ‘Remain’ camp in the final days of the Brexit debate. By all accounts, this is going to be a close call, with the ‘Leave’ arguments seemingly taking the upper hand in these crucial final days. The spectre of a European Union without the United Kingdom is becoming increasingly real.

The debate at the moment is of course all very centred on what remaining in or leaving will mean for the UK. After following some of these debates, there is no denying that it has been a lively few weeks.

In these final days, it is also becoming somewhat brutal, with personal attacks becoming increasingly frequent. What was initially surprising was the quality of the debate that was taking place. It was almost like following a debate in Malta prior to the 2003 EU membership referendum, with all the wild claims of sovereignty, riches and disasters being made by both sides.

Essentially, we could see the disintegration of the United Kingdom as we know it today

I was puzzled at how a country that has been a member of the EU for over four decades could still be having a debate at this level. I can only conclude that, in an environment dominated by tabloid headlines, there has never been a real effort to explain what the EU is really about.

Discussing it with some of my (pro-EU) UK colleagues, they too expressed frustration with the situation. The main lamentation from their end was that the Brexit campaign has been too short and favouring the Leave camp, which has put forward some claims which can be described as devious or dubious at best. The argument is that a longer campaign would have favoured a more informed and factual debate.

Reports of a panicked Remain campaign are now emerging, where the initial positive polls may have misled the Remain camp into a false sense of security. For too long, the Remain campaign was playing second fiddle to the Leave campaign. They probably played the Obama card too early, with his visit already a distant memory.

One particular aspect missing from the debate in the UK is that concerning what a future EU will look like. With or without Brexit, there is no doubt that the EU must take a hard, long look at itself.

It is clear that some very key reforms in the way it operates are needed, especially if it is to remain relevant to its current members and if it is to continue to be an inspiration to its immediate neighbours. It is here that the ‘lead not leave’ debate kicks in. The logic is simple. Leave and be forced to follow from the outside, or remain and be a force for change. Simple and logical as it may seem, the message is clearly not arriving.

Of course an eventual UK exit will have an immediate impact on the whole European Union, where many questions will have to be asked. However, beyond this, there will also be serious repercussions closer to home for the UK which will go beyond the obvious economic arguments.

A Leave vote will without a shadow of a doubt bring into the open the very rationale of the UK itself. It is clear that a Leave vote will immediately reopen the debate on Scottish independence. I very much suspect that this will be closely followed by a similar debate in Wales, with the situation in Northern Ireland being somewhat less clear.

Essentially, we could see the disintegration of the United Kingdom as we know it today.

And what to say of the man that has made all this possible, David Cameron? I guess every prime minister would like to have his or her name etched in history, but frankly, Cameron is running a huge risk that he may be there for all the wrong reasons.

Cameron was and still is a non-convinced European. Lest we forget, his first act as prime minister was to withdraw his MEPs from the European People’s Party. He put forward the pledge of a referendum on Britain’s EU membership with the sole aim of winning another term in office.

Now he seriously risks not only undermining the European project, which has brought unprecedented peace to the continent, but he could very well go down in history as having almost singlehandedly dismantled the UK as well.

I’m quite sure that’s not quite the legacy he had in mind of leaving behind.

Stefano Mallia is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee