However, both groups have made efforts in the right direction. They have been bringing in different voices, putting substantial funding behind their organizations and generally working hard to be credible options. If Farage can bring UKIP’s supporters and organization with him—Carswell notwithstanding—then Leave.EU will gain a significant advantage. Vote Leave does not have an equivalent body of local activists to tap into.
And all of this speaks to a bigger matter. Ultimately, the designation issue will not be the crucial one in this referendum, so long as the two groups (plus any others that pop up along the way) can work together.
This happened in Scotland, where the “No” campaign benefited from the support of various groups. Whether the leave camp can be as civil with one another is another matter, given the awkward personality politics involved. Whoever wins the designation will have to remember that this is only one (small) step in a much bigger fight.
Simon Usherwood is a senior lecturer in politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K. This article was previously published on TheConversation.com.
