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EU referendum campaign officially begins

The EU referendum campaign has officially begun - 10 weeks before Britain decides whether or not to leave the union.

The referendum will be held on June 23.

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Johnson: EU vote is 'last chance' to assert principles

Vote Leave campaigner Boris Johnson likened staying in the EU as being "locked in the back of a minicab driven by someone with a wonky satnav".

In his rallying speech in Manchester, he warned that the June 23 referendum was the "last chance" voters will have to decide about the UK's relationship with the EU.

We should be in no doubt that this is the last chance many of us will have in our lifetimes to assert that principle in our relations with the EU. It is called democracy.

Because it is now or never and if we fail to make the change now we will continue to be passengers locked in the back of a minicab driven by someone with a wonky satnav who does not have a perfect command of English and taken to a destination that we frankly don't want to go and I think the people of this country have no idea how far the EU now invades every area of our lives.

– Boris Johnson

Remain campaigners who say the EU is not perfect but there is no alternative are the "Gerald Ratners" of modern politics, he added.

He said: "They keep saying that they are Eurosceptics, but we have no choice, we agree with you about the democratic problem, they say - but it's the price we have to pay."

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EU referendum campaign officially begins

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