Vote Leave designated as official EU referendum Out campaign

The campaign group Vote Leave has been designated the official campaign in favour of leaving the European Union, the Electoral Commission has said.

The title, which bring with it public funding and media platforms, had been contested between a number of groups.

The official election watchdog announced the decision on Wednesday afternoon after months of squabbling between the campaigns.

The decision prompted Leave.EU, a rival campaign, to say it would mount a legal challenge against the decision. It argued the challenge could potentially delay the referendum.

“We received two high quality applications on the ‘Leave’ side, from ‘Vote Leave Ltd’ and ‘The Go Movement Ltd’," the Commission said.

"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.

"It therefore represents, to a greater extent than ‘Go Movement Ltd’, those campaigning for the ‘Leave’ outcome, which is the test we must apply.”

The benefits of being the lead campaign are £600,000 of public funding for administration costs, a free mail-out to voters, a higher £7 million spending limit, and access to broadcasts.

A spokesperson for Vote Leave, which is backed by leading Tories Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, said it would work constructively with the other campaigns which did not secure the designation.

"Our focus has always been the real campaign and the £350m we send to the EU every week which we want to spend on our priorities like the NHS," he said.

"We will continue to work constructively with everyone who wants to campaign for a Leave vote."

Competing 'leave' campaign Grassroots Out (GO), which also applied for the designation, said it would now work with Vote Leave to win the EU referendum.

"We congratulate Vote Leave on securing designation and we thank our supporters for all the hard work they have put into the campaign so far," co-founder and Tory MP Peter Bone said.

"We look forward to working closely and productively with all those who want to see the UK set free to determine its own destiny. We are determined to play our part in creating a united front to secure victory on June 23 for Leave – Independence Day."

Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who had backed GO, looked to build bridges saying his party would work with anyone who wanted to leave the EU.

"I have always wanted all on the Leave side to come together and have done my best to try and make this happen. I'll continue to do so in the run up to the referendum to ensure the Leave side wins," he said.

However Andy Wigmore from Leave.EU, the main sub-group behind the GO coalition, said his organisation would launch a judicial review. He claimed the referendum could be delayed until 23 October while the review took place.

"We are going to appeal it, which could delay the referendum until October 23," he told Huffington Post UK.

"We think it’s a political stitch-up."

The Press Association contributed to this report.