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100 Days to Go: Brexit Battlelines Sharpen as EU Referendum Closes In

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As fierce debate continues in Britain, Tuesday marks 100 days until the UK's referendum on EU membership. With seemingly daily stories of scandals and political bust-ups, many experts remain undecided on whether Britons will remain in the bloc, or break ties with Brussels and push for a Brexit.

With such passionate campaigning on both sides of the debate, many remain unsure about the big players, the big issues and where the public stands ahead of the June 23 vote.

The Big Players

The Brexit debate has brought out everyone who's anyone in British politics, with deep divisions within the political establishment, particularly in the ruling Conservative party.

In terms of influential figures, Prime Minister David Cameron tops the list, with the PM, his Chancellor George Osborne and the UK's opposition Labour party all pushing for the UK to remain in the EU.

100 days to secure our future

We have just 100 days left to secure our future on 23 June. The Prime Minister, joined by Stronger IN supporters, reminds us that this is a decision that will affect EVERYONE — and that the only way to keep our country stronger, safer and better off is to vote ‘Remain’.Please WATCH and SHARE this important video.

Posted by Britain Stronger in Europe on Tuesday, March 15, 2016

This view is certainly not universal though, with six Conservative party cabinet ministers, including Michael Gove and Iain Duncan Smith, defying Cameron to publicly back a Brexit.

However this 'Gang of Six' was arguably trumped by one of Britain's most popular political figures, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who sensationally went against his former schoolmate Cameron and has been campaigning for the UK to cut ties with Brussels, triggering a not so subtle war of words between the former Etonians.

The Big Issues

Chief among the big issues has been talk about the impact on Britain's economy if it was to leave the EU.

While government officials have said such a move would be a risky "leap into the dark" pro-Brexit campaigners say being free from Brussels would benefit the UK economically, as it would allow the country to pursue trade deals that better suit Britain's national interests. 

Crowd at Buckingham Palace - Sputnik International
New Poll Shows Support for UK Staying in EU, Warns of Brexit Fallout

Another key topic is the issue with immigration, with a cornerstone of the Brexit argument claiming that the UK will not be able to properly control its own borders unless it cuts ties with the EU and its freedom of movement principle.

Pro-EU campaigners have rejected such claims, arguing that leaving the EU would damage existing immigration cooperation agreements that the UK enjoys with countries such as France and would subsequently leave the country isolated on border protection issues.

A further issue is that of British sovereignty, with critics critical of the EU, aid a perception London is increasingly losing power to technocrats in Brussels.

Royal Bust-Up

A combo picture made and taken on February 29, 2016 in Brussels shows two women walking by a bus stop with an advertisement campaign for a Belgium radio news channel picturing British Queen Elizabeth II with a logo reading No on her hat . - Sputnik International
Buckingham Palace Complains After Queen Dragged Into Brexit Debate
The debate seemingly wouldn't be British without a royal scandal, and this came after British tabloid The Sun published a story claiming Queen Elizabeth had disclosed her deeply Euroskeptic views to MPs at a Windsor Castle function back in 2011.

MPs present at the event, including then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, have staunchly denied the claims, while Buckingham Palace referred the newspaper to the UK's independent press watchdog.

Despite the rejection of the story, many Euroskeptics were claiming the story as a win.

Where the Public Stands

With a seemingly endless and continuous stream of opinion polls, it is very difficult to pinpoint how the public will actually vote come June 23.

While the contest is too close and too difficult to call for many, what is generally accepted is that Euroskeptic sentiment has risen significantly over the past 12 months.

A new poll for the Daily Telegraph newspaper suggested that more people were in favor of a Brexit, with analysts arguing that those committed to leaving the EU were more likely to actually vote in the referendum than those looking to stay in the bloc.

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