Boost for Britain's hopes of leaving EU as new campaign vows to take back Brussels control
BRITAIN'S hopes of leaving the European Union were given a huge boost today with the launch of a massive campaign fronted by some of the country's most successful business leaders.
A new campaign wants Britain to leave the EU
The new group says it will fight for the rights of Britons to "take back control" of their own country from meddling Brussels bureaucrats in an intervention set to add fuel to the growing clamour for an EU exit.
Made up of figures from across the political divide, the Vote Leave movement is aiming to renegotiate Britain's relationship with Europe to focus on free trade and friendly co-operation.
However, it says it wants to free the UK from the vice-like clutches of bloated and undemocratic EU institutions including the European Court of Justice, which has repeatedly trampled over national sovereignty.
The group, fronted by respected politicians and business leaders, has a £20 million war chest to campaign for an end to EU rule.
Mr Cameron will hose Angela Merkel for talks about Britain's EU future tonight
Much of that money has been donated by leading business figures who say Brussels red tape is crushing Britain's competitiveness and means our companies "cannot cope" with emerging markets.
Labour MP Kate Hoey, a key supporter of the campaign, said it was time to end the supremacy of EU institutions over elected members of Britain's parliament.
She said: "If we vote to leave, then the £350m we send to Brussels every week can be spent on our priorities like the NHS."
UKIP's Douglas Carswell said Britain needs to 'take back control' from Europe
Labour MP Kate Hoey is also backing the campaign
The British public can take back control
The new campaign was launched as David Cameron, who wants to keep Britain in the EU, was set to host German leader Angela Merkel for crunch talks over his proposed reforms to the 28-nation bloc.
Its financial supporters include the City millionaire and Tory donor Peter Cruddas, Labour's biggest private backer John Mills and former UKIP treasurer Stuart Wheeler.
It is also being backed by UKIP's only MP, Douglas Carswell, whose party leader Nigel Farage has launched his own campaign for a Brexit.
Business leaders want Britain to wrestle back control from the EU parliament
Mr Carswell said he wants to "end the supremacy of EU law" so that the "British public can take back control".
He added: "That is the safer choice - safer for our democracy and our economy."
UKIP leader Mr Farage has been a key figure so far in the Leave.EU campaign, which is being bankrolled by his party's biggest donor millionaire Arron Banks.
The two groups have been in talks about joining forces, but have not reached an agreement so far because of differences of opinion over how best to achieve a 'Leave' vote in the upcoming referendum.
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The Prime Minister will host Mrs Merkel at Chequers tonight, when she is expected to ask him to clarify his demands for meaningful reform of the EU.
Mr Cameron has said that continued membership of the union will only be acceptable to Britain if changes are made to key policy areas including free movement and migrants' access to benefits.
His demands have been met with a frosty reception by many EU leaders, who have warned that they would require treaty changes they are not prepared to sanction.
Correction
This article was amended on 16 October 2015. It previously described the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as an EU institution. This is incorrect. The ECHR is not part of the EU or managed by it.