EU vote will not be a yes/no choice

The referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union will not be a choice between ‘yes’ or ‘no’ after the Prime Minister accepted recommendations from the Electoral Commission to change the question.

The Electoral Commission, which oversees elections and referendums in the UK, recommended the wording should be changed so that voters are asked whether the UK should "remain a member of the European union" or "leave the European Union", after testing options with a selection of voters.

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Scotland’s External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop said she welcomed the change to the question.

“The Scottish Government will build on the legacy of last year’s referendum and make the positive case for Scotland’s place within the EU – and as we have made very clear, Scotland must not be taken out of the EU against its will,” she said.

This morning a government source told the BBC there would also be “significant changes” to its rules on the referendum, after it was claimed normal purdah rules would prevent ministers from defending national interests in Brussels.

Government plans for suspension of the rules saw 27 Conservative MPs rebel in June, but avoided defeat after Labour abstained.

European Scrutiny Committee chair Sir Bill Cash said the issue surrounding observing a purdah period ahead of the EU referendum is one of “fairness”.

Speaking in a radio interview this morning he said: “This is Yes vs No, it is not a party political issue as between the political parties and we know that there are many people in the Labour party, for example, and the SNP, who very much agree with us.”