Britain is changing the EU referendum question and answers - here they are
Previously, Britons were pegged to simply answer "yes" or "no" to the following question:
Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?
However, the British government changed the question, caving to pressure from the Electoral Commission, which said that the wording could give the camp that wants to stay as part of the EU an unfair advantage.
Prime Minister David Cameron agreed late Tuesday to change the question and the answer options and said the government will present an amendment to the EU Referendum bill this week.
Cameron's spokesperson said: "We will follow the recommendation of the Electoral Commission by tabling an amendment to the bill. The government's approach has been to follow the Electoral Commission's advice."
Voters will now be given an amended question:
Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?
The answer options will be now be either:
- Remain a member of the European Union
- Leave the European Union
While the previous "yes" or "no" options may look more simple for a voter, the Electoral Commission said that the previous wording was "not balanced and there was a perception of bias."
"Any referendum question must be as clear as possible so that voters understand the important choice they are being asked to make. We have tested the proposed question with voters and received views from potential campaigners, academics and plain language experts," said Jenny Watson, Chair of the Electoral Commission in a statement.
"Whilst voters understood the question in the Bill some campaigners and members of the public feel the wording is not balanced and there was a perception of bias. The alternative question we have recommended addresses this. It is now for Parliament to discuss our advice and decide which question wording should be used."
According to the BBC, citing unnamed government sources, Cameron will uphold a "purdah" before Britons vote on whether they want to stay in or out of the EU, in 2017. A purdah is usually applied around 6 weeks before a scheduled election and it prevents central and local government officials from making announcements about any new initiatives that could be seen as putting one person or a party in a more favourable light.
Cameron voiced repeated support over the last few months about not wanting to place a purdah on the EU referendum process. The government planned to publish pro-EU reports around 28 days before the voting date.
However, Cameron is tipped to be changing his mind because his longer term focus on the party staying in power. Although he did not necessarily want a purdah in the first place, he does not want to risk Britons or the opposition accusing him of rigging the outcome by not having a purdah.