Britain's 'Vote Leave' Named Lead 'Out' Campaign For EU Referendum
Britain's electoral watchdog has picked the "Vote Leave" group, backed by London Mayor Boris Johnson, to be the official "Out" campaign ahead of a referendum on June 23 on whether Britain should remain in the European Union.
Wednesday's decision, which hands the group several advantages over rival "Out" campaigns including a higher spending limit, will pit Johnson against his party leader Prime Minister David Cameron, effective head of the "In" official campaign.
The two main groups campaigning to leave the EU, one backed by the UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage and the other by several senior members of Cameron's Conservatives including his close friend and justice minister Michael Gove, had been involved in a bitter contest to win the designation.
"After careful consideration, the commission decided that 'Vote Leave Ltd' better demonstrated that it has the structures in place to ensure the views of other campaigners are represented in the delivery of its campaign," the Electoral Commission said in a statement explaining why it had been chosen over rivals "Grassroots Out."
Being lead campaigner brings with it a higher spending limit of 7 million pounds ($10 million), free distribution of campaign materials to voters, campaign broadcasts and a grant of up to 600,000 pounds to be used for administrative costs.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-out-idUSKCN0XA1NF