Brexit campaign 'embryonic' in Scotland

Nigel Farage claimed there had been "previous little debate" on the EU issue in Scotland

The leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, has described the Scottish campaign to leave the EU as "a bit embryonic".

While the pro-EU campaign - Britain Stronger In - has set up a Scottish operation, the UK-wide leave campaigns have yet to do so.

Mr Farage said he was trying to broker a merger between the Leave.EU and Vote Leave campaigns.

He added: "There is a bit more coming together to do before we're properly ready."

Meanwhile, Stronger In has confirmed that John Edward, a former head of the European Parliament office in Scotland, will be their chief campaign spokesman in Scotland.

Mr Edward said: "We're keen to get our team in place, so that if the referendum is called we're ready to go."

The campaign has already appointed former Labour MP Frank Roy as their director in Scotland, with former SNP media chief, Kevin Pringle, providing communications advice.

Stronger In will not be an umbrella organisation for the political parties that support the UK remaining in the EU.

Sole parliamentarian

Mr Edward said: "For us the aim is to be a non-party campaign, people based, talking up the benefits of EU membership for Scotland and the broader UK."

Of the six political parties with elected parliamentarians in Scotland, only one - UKIP - is formally backing UK withdrawal from the EU.

UKIP's sole parliamentarian in Scotland is David Coburn, who won a seat in the European Parliament in the 2014 election.

With most politicians in Scotland favouring the EU, Mr Farage conceded that the leave campaign would be "more difficult" here.

He was speaking before it emerged that the acting chairman of UKIP in Scotland had resigned following a court appearance.

David Cameron met EU officials in Brussels on Friday to try to break the deadlock in his EU renegotiations

Mr Farage said: "At the moment, the leave campaign in Scotland is a bit embryonic.

"But let's not forget this great myth that somehow Scotland's wonderfully in love with the European Union.

"There's been precious little debate on this issue in Scotland".

The leaders of the other parties in Scotland - the SNP, Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens - have all said they will campaign for an "in" vote.

It is possible that some Labour and Conservative MSPs could back Brexit, but none have so far declared.

The Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale, said the "overwhelming majority" of her group at Holyrood want the UK to stay in.

There is a Scottish Labour Leave campaign fronted by the former MP and government minister, Nigel Griffiths.

Wider party

He spoke at the launch of the Labour Left Leave campaign in Glasgow over the weekend.

The Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, said "many" Tory MSPs, like her, back continued EU membership.

The former Conservative MSP, Brian Monteith, has been appointed head of press by the Leave.EU campaign.

The first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said "no SNP parliamentarian has expressed a desire to campaign for the out campaign".

There are Brexit supporters in the wider party, with its former deputy leader, Jim Sillars, saying will campaign for the UK to leave the EU.

The former SNP leader Gordon Wilson thinks some party members would vote leave in the hope of hastening Scottish independence.

Those who wish to spend more than £10,000 campaigning in the EU referendum must register with the Electoral Commission from today.

The commission has yet to designate the lead campaigns for the referendum.

The prime minister David Cameron has promised to hold the vote by the end of 2017.

It could take place as early as June if Mr Cameron gets a deal on revised terms of UK membership when EU leaders meet on 18 and 19 February.