Sebastian Payne

Vote Leave campaign goes to war with No.10 and Leave.EU

The government is getting its revenge on the Vote Leave campaign. After a stunt at Monday’s CBI conference — where two protesters interrupted David Cameron’s speech — Sir Eric Pickles has written to the Electoral Commission to suggest that the Vote Leave campaign should not be designated as the official Out campaign. The Guardian reports the former Communities Secretary as saying:

‘I believe the actions of Vote Leave in disrupting the CBI conference and declaring a strategy of intimidation and protest disqualify Vote Leave from being a designated lead campaigner in the forthcoming EU referendum campaign.’

In response, the Vote Leave campaign say Pickles’ letter is a sign that the government is panicking about the referendum. Rob Oxley, head of media, says:

‘The Pickles letter shows No.10 is panicking. The BSE campaign isn’t doing very well and they need a relaunch. The Prime Minister’s letter to Tusk has bombed and by rolling out former ministers, they are attempting to deflect from their failures.

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