EU referendum: 5 ways the launch of the In campaign was a disaster

Claiming that EU membership saves 'every person £480 million a year' was not the best way to launch a campaign that could last as long as two years

Lord Rose launches the Britain Stronger In Europe campaign (PA)

The cross-party group campaigning for Britain to remain in the European Union did not get off to the best of starts, with numerous gaffes from the Britain Stronger in Europe boss Stuart Rose, a lack of questions for journalists and a celebrity endorsement from a TV presenter few had heard of.

Here are five reasons why Nigel Farage and his fellow euro-sceptics will be chuffed by the opposition's poor start:

1. EU membership 'saves every person £480m a year'

Lord Rose's biggest gaffe was getting his figures completely wrong - presumably he meant to say that EU membership saved each of us £480 a year:

2. 'Being in Britain'

Not only did he mess up his numbers, but he also appeared to forget this campaign was about the EU referendum and not a re-run of last year's Scottish independence vote. On at least two occasions Lord Rose spoke about the benefits of "being in Britain" rather than the EU.

3. No mention of pre-briefed lines attacking euro-sceptics as "quitters"

The quotes pre-briefed to newspapers overnight labelled the Out campaign "quitters" on no less than five occasions, but there was no mention of the word when Lord Rose stood up to speak today.

The campaign spokesman Will Straw said Lord Rose "edited the speech this morning and delivered it in his own words" - perhaps responding to accusations that labelling his opponents "quitters" was the kind of fear politics that so nearly backfired in the Scottish independence referendum last year, but other theories suggest the mishap was something more out of The Thick of It script:

4. No questions for journalists

One of the biggest complaints about the EU, even from those who want to stay in, is its lack of democratic accountability. Finishing a presentation on the benefits of the EU and refusing to take questions from journalists was therefore a strange choice by Lord Rose and did not exactly give off the impression of confidence.

5. June Sarpong

The Loose Women presenter and former star of Channel 4's T4 was wheeled out in the campaign's bid to connect with younger voters, but this has appeared to backfire as youngsters took to Twitter to ask who the hell she is:

All in all, it was not the best of starts for the In campaign.