The race to the bottom is underway

With the Electoral Commission having given designated lead campaign group status to Britain Stronger in Europe for the remain side, and Vote Leave for the leave side, the referendum campaign officially began this week. But it has already become a race to the bottom.

For as long as I can remember many voters have been frustrated and put off politics because of the naked lies and blatant efforts to mislead people by the party political class, as its various opposing members fight and claw at each other to slither up the greasy poll to achieve position and office.

With the two opposing groups both being run by politicians for politicians, the dishonest behaviour of that so-called elite has simply spread like a virus across into the referendum campaign. For years people on both sides of the argument have declared we need to have a proper debate and share facts about the pros and cons of leaving the EU. That moment has arrived but the much vaunted debate is nowhere to be seen. It isn't going to happen.

All we are seeing is a blizzard of lies, false claims, misleading assertions and sleights of hand from people for whom the issues don't matter, only beating the opposition because it is the opposition. It is bad enough that the Remain side are doing this, but it's absolutely disgraceful that the Leave side in the shape of Vote Leave