Mistake forces Royal Borough to cancel EU referendum debate

The Royal Borough has had to cancel its European Union (EU) referendum debate that was due to be held tomorrow night.

The decision was made by Alison Alexander, managing director, following advice from the council's monitoring officer and after discussions with the Mayor and leader of the council.

The meeting, which was being held as a full council meeting that required all councillors to attend, had to be cancelled as it is less that 28 days to the referendum day on June 23 and is against the Elections and Referendum Act 2000. 

The mistake was made by the Royal Borough's monitoring officer, who incorrectly interpreted the act. The borough said the officer will be dealt with through internal processes.