Only an election would delay poll

The EU referendum could only be postponed if the Government called a snap general election, the body overseeing the poll has insisted.

The Referendum Commission intervened following a flurry of queries, after a bloc of TDs and MEPs warned that uncertainty after the French presidential change-over meant that putting off the vote until the autumn was the best option.

The Government dismissed any such move out of hand, and the commission has clarified the position, stating the Referendum Act 1994 only allows for one reason for a postponement.