James Forsyth James Forsyth

Will the EU referendum be a fair fight?

It is the most important decision that the Electoral Commission has ever taken: who to select as the lead campaign for Leave in the EU referendum. Three groups have applied for this designation. If the Electoral Commission gets it wrong, the referendum could effectively be over before it has even begun and the nation could be denied a proper debate and the chance to make an informed choice.

The Electoral Commission’s decision is due this week. It is hugely important because whoever misses out on the designation will be limited to spending £700,000. The Trade Union and Socialist Coalition is unlikely, to put it mildly, to get the Electoral nod. So, the choice comes down to Vote Leave or Grassroots Out.

Among politicians, Vote Leave has the support of Boris Johnson, every Brexit supporting Cabinet Minister and respected Labour sceptics Gisela Stuart and Frank Field.

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