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Nigel Farage: I support both EU 'Out' campaigns UKIP's Nigel Farage: I support both EU 'Out' campaigns
(about 2 hours later)
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has given his backing to both groups campaigning for Britain to vote to leave the EU.UKIP leader Nigel Farage has given his backing to both groups campaigning for Britain to vote to leave the EU.
Two separate campaigns, Vote Leave and Leave.EU, are pushing for an EU exit ahead of the referendum, before 2018.Two separate campaigns, Vote Leave and Leave.EU, are pushing for an EU exit ahead of the referendum, before 2018.
Playing down suggestions of a split in the camp, Mr Farage said they were "complementary" not "contradictory" and predicted they would ultimately merge.Playing down suggestions of a split in the camp, Mr Farage said they were "complementary" not "contradictory" and predicted they would ultimately merge.
The In Campaign, which will make the case for continued EU membership, officially launches on Monday.The In Campaign, which will make the case for continued EU membership, officially launches on Monday.
The elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, has yet to designate the official campaigns on either side of the EU debate. Mr Farage has previously said UKIP will stand "hand in hand" with the Leave.EU group - launched at UKIP's conference and funded by party donor Arron Banks.
David Cameron has promised to hold an in/out vote on Britain's EU membership by 2017 at the latest, following a period of renegotiation. But speaking to the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, the UKIP leader said both groups had his support, as they targeted "difference audiences".
Who are the groups campaigning to leave the EU?Who are the groups campaigning to leave the EU?
Vote Leave comprises a cross-party group of MPs and peers from the Conservatives and Labour, and UKIP's only MP Douglas Carswell. It is being run by Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group founder Matthew Elliot, who organised the successful 'No2AV' campaign in the referendum on Westminster's voting system, and Dominic Cummings, a former special adviser to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Gove. It has the backing of three existing Eurosceptic groups: Conservatives for Britain; Labour Leave and Business for Britain, and is being funded by party donors.Vote Leave comprises a cross-party group of MPs and peers from the Conservatives and Labour, and UKIP's only MP Douglas Carswell. It is being run by Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group founder Matthew Elliot, who organised the successful 'No2AV' campaign in the referendum on Westminster's voting system, and Dominic Cummings, a former special adviser to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Gove. It has the backing of three existing Eurosceptic groups: Conservatives for Britain; Labour Leave and Business for Britain, and is being funded by party donors.
Leave.EU was formerly called The Know and rebranded when an amended referendum question was proposed. Founded by UKIP donor Arron Banks, it has been described by party leader Nigel Farage as an "umbrella group" of anti-EU campaigners. 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.Leave.EU was formerly called The Know and rebranded when an amended referendum question was proposed. Founded by UKIP donor Arron Banks, it has been described by party leader Nigel Farage as an "umbrella group" of anti-EU campaigners. 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.
Mr Farage has previously said UKIP will stand "hand in hand" with the Leave.EU group - launched at UKIP's conference and funded by party donor Arron Banks. Mr Farage said Vote Leave - which launched on Friday - was a "Westminster-based group" putting forward business arguments, while Leave.EU was "reaching out to millions of ordinary people" and making the case for Britain being able to control its borders.
But speaking to the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, the UKIP leader said both groups had his support, as they targeted "difference audiences".
UKIP's only MP, Douglas Carswell is supporting the cross-party Vote Leave campaign.UKIP's only MP, Douglas Carswell is supporting the cross-party Vote Leave campaign.
'Same direction' But Mr Farage said: "My view is that I will support both. I'm not interested in being partisan about this and I'm really confident that at some point in time they will all come together."
Mr Farage said Vote Leave - which launched on Friday - was a "Westminster-based group" that put forward the business arguments, while Leave.EU was "reaching out to millions of ordinary people" and making the case for Britain being able to control its borders. Meanwhile, Labour MP Kate Hoey told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend programme there was increasing support among trade unions for Britain to leave the EU.
"I don't see them as contradictory. Actually I see them as complementary," he said, adding: "I think both of these people have got something to offer." There was a "growing recognition and acceptance" that the EU is not in the interests of workers' rights, she said. "It's not in the interests of ensuring that we can trade with the rest of the world", she added.
He said both campaigns were "going in the same direction", adding: "One is appealing to a much more niche audience, the other is out there trying to reach the great British public by the million." 'Europe's interests'
"My view is that I will support both. I'm not interested in being partisan about this and I'm really confident that at some point in time they will all come together," he said. Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will campaign for Britain to remain in the EU - if he secures the reforms he wants.
Former immigration minister Damian Green told The World This Weekend that Mr Cameron would not to return "empty-handed" from his negotiations in Brussels.
"I don't think there's a chance that he'll come home empty-handed, not least because some of the reforms he's trying to negotiate aren't just in Britain's interest, they're in Europe's interest as a whole," he said.
In depth: The UK's EU referendumIn depth: The UK's EU referendum
Monday will see the official launch of the cross-party campaign for continued EU membership, which is to be led by peer and former Marks and Spencer boss Stuart Rose.
Mr Farage said it would be "a group of yesterday's men and big corporate business", adding that he believed the Eurosceptics would win the referendum.
'Sooner the better''Sooner the better'
Monday will see the official launch of the cross-party campaign for continued EU membership, which is to be led by peer and former Marks and Spencer boss Lord Stuart Rose.
Mr Farage said it would be "a group of yesterday's men and big corporate business".
Meanwhile, speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr show, former Conservative cabinet minister and pro-European Ken Clarke said "the sooner we have that referendum the better".
A date has not yet been set for the in/out vote but the government has promised it will be held by the end of 2017.A date has not yet been set for the in/out vote but the government has promised it will be held by the end of 2017.
The prime minister has said he will campaign for Britain to remain in the EU if he secures the reforms he wants. 'Increased spending limits'
Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr show, former Conservative cabinet minister and pro-European Ken Clarke said the "the sooner we have that referendum the better". The elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, has yet to designate the official campaigns on either side of the EU debate.
"I would rather get on with it but you've got to finish these negotiations and decide what it is you're going to present alongside the big argument about our long term national interest - alongside that you've got to present whatever it is you've negotiated and get it one," he said.
The groups designated as the official campaigns for the referendum will benefit from increased spending limits of £7m during the campaign period, campaign broadcasts and a free mailout to households.The groups designated as the official campaigns for the referendum will benefit from increased spending limits of £7m during the campaign period, campaign broadcasts and a free mailout 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.
The Electoral Commission says it will choose the campaign which represents it will choose the campaign which represents "to the greatest extent those campaigning for that outcome".The Electoral Commission says it will choose the campaign which represents it will choose the campaign which represents "to the greatest extent those campaigning for that outcome".