In 2015, Paterson joined John Redwood to found internal pressure group Conservatives for Britain, which took pride of place at the party conference in Manchester pledging on the fringe to strive for independence from European interventionism; it formed the backbone of the Conservative effort for Leave: "if there are individuals in the cabinet who are not happy with the deal, they should be allowed to campaign," he told "The Daily Telegraph", alluding perhaps to the real reason for his own resignation the previous year. He continued to be critical of Prime Minister Cameron's attempts to negotiate a settlement with European Union over net migration figures, an issue that featured highly in the referendum campaign. Since his return to the backbenches, he has been an outspoken critic of the European Union, and is on the political advisory board of Pro-Clean Brexit advocacy group Leave Means Leave