Electoral Commission may face legal challenge over 'Vote Leave' campaign move

The Vote Leave group has been awarded the official designation as the group campaigning for Britain to leave the EU.

A rival group, Grassroots Out, which among others is led by UKIP leader Nigel Farage and Conservative MP Peter Bone, has signalled it will seek a judicial review.

The official stay group is Britain Stronger In Europe, which is backed by the prime minister.

ITV News' political correspondent Libby Wiener reports:

The Electoral Commission is facing a possible legal challenge over its decision to select the lead Vote Leave campaign in the EU referendum.

Leave.EU - which is founded by wealthy Ukip backer Arron Banks and was supporting the Grassroots Out campaign -immediately announced it was considering a legal challenge.

Leave.EU head of communications Andy Wigmore said they believed the decision had been a "stitch-up" and that they were now consulting lawyers about what action they could take.

He warned that if it went ahead they could force the date of the referendum to be delayed.

The lead campaigns for the EU in the referendum have been decided by the Electoral Commission in the run-up to the vote.

Vote Leave is officially the campaign for the those backing Brexit and Britain Stronger In Europe is the lead group for those wishing to vote to remain in the EU.

Vote Leave has support from Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Chris Grayling.

The decision gives Vote Leave permission to spend up to £7 million on the coming contest, compared to just £700,000 for other registered campaign groups, and gives them access to a grant of up to £600,000, free mailshots and guaranteed TV broadcasts.

The cross-party Britain Stronger in Europe group - under its registered title of The In Campaign Ltd - was the only applicant for designation as lead campaign on the Remain side, which it was granted.