EU referendum: How much lower can we all sink?

As we go to the polls to vote on the referendum that asks “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” ¹ a poll by Sky News,

shows that on the issue of respect, half of voters (50%) say they now have less of it for politicians, compared with 8% who say they have engendered more respect during the campaign. ²

while Professor Michael Dougan of The University of Liverpool Law School commented,

I have just watched with increasing dismay as this referendum debate has unfolded. I have to say although the remain campaign have not exactly covered themselves in glory at points with their use of dodgy statistics, I think the leave campaign has degenerated in to dishonesty really on an industrial scale. There is no other way to put it, on an industrial scale. ³ (Video)

Regardless of what happens over the next few hours, I hope the level of political debate – both in quality of the words and the tone and style in which it is conducted – improves significantly soon. How much lower can we all sink?

Footnotes

1. EU referendum question assessment | The Electoral Commission
2. EU Campaign Damages Respect For Politicians | Sky News, 22nd June 2016
3. Transcript: Professor Michael Dougan on the EU Referendum | University of Liverpool, 22nd June 2016