Backbench revolt over lifting purdah rules in EU referendum sparks government climbdown

The government planned to waive purdah restrictions on the EU referendum. Credit: Reuters

The government will back down today in the face of a Tory backbench revolt on the EU Referendum.

Ministers upset Eurosceptic MPs before the summer recess when they announced plans to lift restrictions on government activity during the weeks before the vote.

Purdah is usually triggered before elections to stop government spending public money and making announcements which might affect the outcome.

For the EU Referendum however, which will be held before the end of 2017, the government planned to waive purdah restrictions.

Yesterday, David Cameron accepted the recommendation to change the EU referendum question to be put to voters before the end of 2017. Credit: Electoral Commission

That move angered many Conservatives who accused their own ministers of attempting to rig the referendum in favour of the REMAIN campaign (before yesterday this was know as the YES campaign to keep the UK in the EU).

The Europe Minister David Liddington promised to consult MPs over the summer but that consultation appears to have resulted in a government climbdown.

An amendment will be published today and the legislation on the EU referendum will return to Parliament next week.