What does the EU referendum have to do with the Legal Aid Agency? Obiter only asks because we were slightly confused as to why the agency put out a news story yesterday afternoon about registering for next month's vote.

The agency said it was 'spreading the word to encourage people to have their say in the EU referendum'.

'Help people avoid the disappointment of trying to vote on whether the UK should stay in the EU only to find they are not on the electoral register,' it continued.

'Many people mistakenly believe themselves to be on the register and are turned away at polling stations.

'So, in common with other government departments and arms-length bodies, we’re encouraging people to make sure they can vote in the EU referendum on Thursday 23 June.'

The Brexit lobby has already cried foul on such initiatives, on the basis that people who have not bothered to register are more likely to be remainers. Indeed the LAA's encouragement appears to have been rather short-lived: less than two hours later, Obiter could find no trace of the news story on the agency's website.

After retrieving the email with the original link (pictured), Obiter was redirected to a different page, entitled 'EU referendum' from the Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office.

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