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EU referendum: Who's who guide to the UK exit campaigns The battle to be the official EU referendum Leave campaign
(about 2 months later)
Britain's membership of the European Union is to be put to a public vote by the end of 2017. Here's a guide to the Eurosceptic groups campaigning for an exit, and the key players involved. A referendum will be held on 23 June on whether the UK will remain a member of the European Union or not. Here's a guide to the two groups currently battling to become the official Leave campaign. Click here to read about those heading the Remain campaign.
Rival groupsRival groups
The two main campaigns are Leave.EU and Vote Leave. The two main campaigns are Vote Leave and Leave.EU/Grassroots Out.
Vote Leave was launched on 9 October 2015, and comprises a cross-party group of MPs and peers from the Conservatives, Labour and UKIP. Vote Leave
This group was launched on 9 October 2015, and comprises a cross-party group of MPs and peers from the Conservatives, Labour, UKIP and other parties.
It is funded by people of different party affiliations including City millionaire and Tory donor Peter Cruddas, Labour's biggest private financial backer John Mills and Stuart Wheeler, a Tory-turned-UKIP donor.It is funded by people of different party affiliations including City millionaire and Tory donor Peter Cruddas, Labour's biggest private financial backer John Mills and Stuart Wheeler, a Tory-turned-UKIP donor.
Three Eurosceptic groups are backing Vote Leave:Three Eurosceptic groups are backing Vote Leave:
Douglas Carswell, UKIP's only elected representative in the House of Commons, has broken ranks with his party leader to support the group. Vote Leave is being run by Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group founder Matthew Elliot, who organised the successful 'No2AV' campaign in the referendum on reform of the Westminster voting system, and Dominic Cummings, a former aide to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Gove.
Vote Leave is being run by Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group founder Matthew Elliot, who organised the successful 'No2AV' campaign in the referendum on reform of the Westminster voting system, and Dominic Cummings, a former special adviser to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Gove. The group is being backed by Mr Gove, who is co-chairing its campaign committee, as well as four other members of David Cameron's Cabinet who are backing EU exit, Iain Duncan Smith, Theresa Villiers, Chris Grayling and John Whittingdale.
Leave.EU was formerly called The Know and rebranded when an amended referendum question was proposed. Founded by UKIP donor Arron Banks, it has the backing of party leader Nigel Farage, who billed it as an "umbrella group" of anti-EU campaigners. Mayor of London Boris Johnson is another key figure. The group hopes he can win over undecided Conservatives and reach others - including younger voters - with his particular brand of campaigning.
It describes itself as "Britain's fastest-growing grassroots organisation" and claims to have gained 175,000 members since The Know was launched in August. Douglas Carswell, UKIP's only MP, has broken ranks with his party leader to support the group as has the party's former deputy chair Suzanne Evans. Also on board is Nigel Dodds, the Westminster leader of the Democratic Unionists Party.
Another EU-exit group launched in January, called Grassroots Out - it is a cross-party group backed by UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Labour MP Kate Hoey and Conservative ex-minister Liam Fox, among other politicians. Grassroots Out/Leave.EU
It says it brings together existing 'leave' campaigns and gets them to work as one in local areas. and says it is an organisation that unites people from all political persuasions. Leave.EU was initially called The Know and rebranded when an amended referendum question was proposed. Founded by UKIP donor Arron Banks, it was backed by leader Nigel Farage, who billed it as an "umbrella group" of anti-EU campaigners.
Mr Farage and Leave.EU have since become part of the Grassroots Out Movement after its launch in January. The cross-party group is also being backed by Labour MP Kate Hoey as well as ex-Conservative minister David Davis, among other politicians.
Also backing GO is former Respect MP George Galloway and DUP MP Sammy Wilson.
It is holding a series of events across the country to try and mobilise support, setting up stalls in 500 locations on a single day. It says its goal is to bring together existing leave campaigns and get them to work as one in local areas.
Leave.EU and Grassroots Out have effectively merged for the purpose of trying to secure the official lead campaign status for the Out side.
What happens nowWhat happens now
It will be up to the elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, to designate which of the groups will become the official "Leave" campaign - though no decision has yet been taken. The chosen group (as well as the official "In" campaign) will benefit from increased spending limits of £7m during the campaign period, campaign broadcasts and a free mail-out to households. They all get access to public meeting rooms and to the electoral register, and are entitled to public grants of up to £600,000. It will be up to the elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, to designate which of the groups will become the official Leave campaign. The process has begun, with a decision due by the middle of April.
The Electoral Commission will judge each applicant's merits on the basis of a range of criteria, such as level of cross-party support, campaign tactics and organisational capacity.
The chosen group (as well as the official In campaign) will benefit from increased spending limits of £7m during the campaign period, campaign broadcasts and a free mail-out to households. They all get access to public meeting rooms and to the electoral register, and are entitled to public grants of up to £600,000.
What have the camps said about each other?What have the camps said about each other?
Commenting on the launch of Vote Leave, Nigel Farage said he believed the two campaigns were aimed at "different audiences". He said Vote Leave was making "Westminster-based" business arguments but believed that Leave.EU would be able to reach outside to wider audiences. Six months ago, there was talk that the two groups would inevitably end up co-operating with each other and potentially even merging.
Conservatives for Britain, which backs Vote Leave, received a less generous welcome from Leave.EU when it was launched. The group said Conservatives for Britain was "run by the Westminster bubble" and branded its leader, ex-chancellor Lord Lawson, a "has-been". But relations between the two sides soured amid arguments over their strategies. Efforts at bridge-building have come to nothing.
Mr Carswell said it was a "one-horse race" in favour of Vote Leave to become the official campaign, and dismissed the level of support for Leave.EU, saying: "Getting a whole bunch of likes on Facebook is not the same as winning a referendum." Mr Farage has said Vote Leave is making "Westminster-based" business arguments and that only Leave.EU/Grassroots Out will be able to reach outside to wider audiences. Leave.EU has said its rival was "run by the Westminster bubble".
Merger mooted But Mr Carswell has suggested it was a "one-horse race" in favour of Vote Leave to become the official campaign, and dismissed the level of support for Leave.EU, saying: "Getting a whole bunch of likes on Facebook is not the same as winning a referendum."
Speaking as Vote Leave was launched, both Mr Carswell and Mr Farage talked up the possibility of a single campaign. UKIP's leader said the two campaigns were "complementary not contradictory" and that he hoped for "one campaign that operates on a number of levels". Mr Carswell told BBC News he believed it was "only a matter of time" before the two campaigns rolled into one. Who will front Out campaign: Johnson, Gove or Farage?
Farage's role Unlike the In campaign, which is clearly being led by David Cameron, the Out campaign has not settled on a single figurehead.
The scale of the UKIP leader's involvement in the campaign to leave the EU has been the subject of much debate. Mr Farage has insisted he does not want to lead the official campaign, and some Eurosceptics fear he would be too divisive a figure to fill that role. He has however said UKIP will "take the lead" in the campaign to quit the EU. This may not happen, with the possibility of key figures such as Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and Conservative employment minister Priti Patel being deployed in rotation to make different arguments and appeal to separate groups.
Much will depend on which campaign group wins the official designation and whether there is a head-to-head TV debate during the campaign. This is not guaranteed and both Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have apparently ruled out taking on the prime minister face-to-face.
Nigel Farage's role is likely to attract much attention. He has insisted he does not want to lead the official campaign, with some Eurosceptics thinking he would be too divisive a figure to fill that role. He has however said UKIP will "take the lead" in the Out campaign.
Referendum on the UK's future in the European UnionReferendum on the UK's future in the European Union
The UK is to have a referendum by the end of 2017 on whether to remain a member of the European Union or to leave. The vote is being proceeded by a process of negotiations in which the Conservative government is seeking to secure a new deal for the UK.
Explained: What David Cameron wants from the EU negotiations
Guide: All you need to know about the referendumGuide: All you need to know about the referendum
Analysis: Latest from the BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler
More: BBC News EU referendum special reportMore: BBC News EU referendum special report