THANKS to the Electoral Commission and pressure from about 50 Conservative MPs, David Cameron has given in to their demands to change the wording of the referendum ballot paper when they are eventually printed.

The original wording, as he preferred, was whether the nation should "remain a member of the European Union" with the option of "yes" or "no", which was considered by many to be biased towards maintaining the status quo.

The new wording will now read "remain in" or "leave" the European Union, which is much more to the point.

However, there is a lot more that needs to be done if the referendum is deemed to be fair and democratic, such as the use of civil service resources, restoring the period of "purdah" and allowing ministers to campaign for what they believe, not what they are told to by the PM.

Philip Griffiths, North West Ukip president.