The campaigns to keep Britain ‘In’ or ‘Out’ of the EU are keen to begin their work. The Times today reveals details of a cross-party Eurosceptic group, which is expected to morph into the Brexit campaign. From the Conservatives, Owen Paterson, Steve Baker and Bernard Jenkin are part of this new group. Kate Hoey, Kelvin Hopkins and Graham Stringer represent Labour, while Douglas Carswell has been attending meetings on behalf of Ukip. Dominic Cummings, Michael Gove’s former adviser, has been brought on board to oversee the committee and Stuart Wheeler, a former Ukip donor, is one of the financial backers.
If the Out-ers hope to be successful, this is just the sort of broad group they need to persuade the British public why its future is best outside of the EU. In a statement launching the group’s ‘exploratory committee’, which remains nameless at present, the Eurosceptics warned that David Cameron is not pushing far enough with his renegotiation:
‘The prime minister set this objective when he described the renegotiation in his Commons statement of March 23 as “an opportunity to reform the EU and fundamentally change Britain’s relationship with it.” However, there is little if any indication that the government is even asking for significant reform or fundamental change.’
‘In particular, there is no sign of any proposals either to end the supremacy of EU law over UK law on ever wider matters, or to resolve the question of what should be the relationship between the eurozone and non-eurozone states.’
On the other side of the fence, Labour has announced that Alan Johnson will lead the party’s own ‘Yes’ campaign. Many ministers in the shadow cabinet have said Labour needs its own distinctive voice in the referendum and Johnson is a good choice to lead this campaign — he’s a respected figure who can reach across all the different factions within Labour. Announcing the decision, Johnson hinted at the sort of campaign he will run:
‘The EU referendum will be the most profound political decision of my lifetime in terms of its effect on our national prosperity and Britain’s position in the world. There is no such thing as a perfect institution but Britain must use its considerable influence to effect change, not lurk in the departure lounge.
‘The Labour campaign that I lead will put the country’s future above party machinations, emphasising the contribution that the EU has made to peace and prosperity across our continent.’
Although it’s known that the referendum won’t be held in May next year, there is a still a possibility it could be held later in 2016, in October for example. If the government manages to hold a referendum before 2017, both sides will need to have the ground work in place. This is especially important for the Out-ers, many of whom fear that persuading people to leave is a near impossible task. With infighting over Nigel Farage and Ukip’s role, the lack of purdah and the might of the government machine, plus the ten point lead the ‘In’ campaign already has, any unifying organisations the Out campaign can muster together can only be a good thing.
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