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January 10th, 2016, 02:11 PM
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http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/c6d594b7-d98c-4f9f-bae9-c6f32e0776e2.img
The pro and anti Brexit camps are stepping up efforts to win the business vote ahead of an EU membership referendum that could come within months.
Campaign groups are holding local events and recruiting business advocates to try to influence the outcome of one of the biggest economic decisions the UK has made in decades.
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail.
Business for Britain, which has aligned itself with the Vote Leave group, will this week visit Norwich, London and Portsmouth, having kicked off its regional campaigning last week.
Meanwhile, Britain Stronger in Europe, the main pro-EU group, is holding discussions with business groups and recruiting “business champions” in each region, with dozens of local events planned.
Director Will Straw is on a “regional jobs tour” to highlight work that, according to the group, is a result of EU membership. The group has already visited the BenRiach distillery in Scotland and the Airbus facility near Bristol.
“Membership of the EU is hugely important for BenRiach and the whole Scotch whisky industry,” said Billy Walker from BenRiach. “Access to free markets has allowed our single malt business to grow exponentially — thanks to EU arrangements with emerging markets such as Taiwan. Put simply, leaving the EU would be economic suicide.”
But Alan Halsall, chairman of Business for Britain, said small and medium businesses, especially outside London, were more Eurosceptic than multinationals.
“Big businesses have a vested interest in preserving regulation and red tape. They have the lobbyists. It’s just a burden on smaller companies.”
Mr Halsall, the former owner of Silver Cross, the pushchair and pram maker, set up the group. It has about 1,300 supporters.
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John Elliott, founder and chairman of white goods manufacturer Ebac, said at last week’s north-east Business for Britain launch: “The EU is a failed concept — it doesn’t work for businesses. If we vote to remain, we may be stuck inside this failing project forever and that will create real problems for business.”
He said the UK needed its own trade policy to strike deals with growing countries such as China and India.
On balance, businesses appear to favour staying in. However, some polling, including an October survey by the Federation of Small Businesses, suggests a tight margin. The FSB found 47 per cent would vote to stay and 41 per cent to leave.
The British Chambers of Commerce will survey its members this month.
While the CBI employers’ organisation has signalled it will oppose Brexit, the BCC has said it will reflect its members’ sentiments.
“Our overriding concern is that the debate will be dominated by political views, and that the views of business and people who are creating jobs and wealth in the regions will be sidelined,” said Jonathan Walker, head of policy and campaigns at BCC’s north-east chamber.
The campaigns are treading more softly in the devolved nations. In Scotland, polls suggest consistently less support for Brexit than in England.
Leaders of the Scottish National party, Scottish Labour and Conservatives have all made clear they will back staying in the EU.
The FSB in Scotland said that, as during the 2014 referendum on independence from the UK, its role would be to explore the implications of either outcome.
“Our job is to get members as much information as we possibly can,” said Colin Borland, head of external affairs for FSB in Scotland.
Business for Scotland, which was the most high-profile forum for company owners and leaders who supported Scottish independence, said it would aim to be a “strong champion” for EU membership.
A members’ poll last year found 82 per cent wanted the UK to stay in, it said.
Glyn Roberts, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association, said there was “a fairly settled view across the business community that staying in the EU is positive for the economy and that we are better off being a part of it. It’s about reform, not exit.”
Source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4fae344c-b62a-11e5-b147-e5e5bba42e51.html#axzz3ws1ExMSq
More:
- http://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2016/jan/10/cameron-britain-would-make-brexit-work-if-necessary-video
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/12091611/David-Cameron-Brexit-is-not-the-right-answer-for-Britain.html
http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/c6d594b7-d98c-4f9f-bae9-c6f32e0776e2.img
The pro and anti Brexit camps are stepping up efforts to win the business vote ahead of an EU membership referendum that could come within months.
Campaign groups are holding local events and recruiting business advocates to try to influence the outcome of one of the biggest economic decisions the UK has made in decades.
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail.
Business for Britain, which has aligned itself with the Vote Leave group, will this week visit Norwich, London and Portsmouth, having kicked off its regional campaigning last week.
Meanwhile, Britain Stronger in Europe, the main pro-EU group, is holding discussions with business groups and recruiting “business champions” in each region, with dozens of local events planned.
Director Will Straw is on a “regional jobs tour” to highlight work that, according to the group, is a result of EU membership. The group has already visited the BenRiach distillery in Scotland and the Airbus facility near Bristol.
“Membership of the EU is hugely important for BenRiach and the whole Scotch whisky industry,” said Billy Walker from BenRiach. “Access to free markets has allowed our single malt business to grow exponentially — thanks to EU arrangements with emerging markets such as Taiwan. Put simply, leaving the EU would be economic suicide.”
But Alan Halsall, chairman of Business for Britain, said small and medium businesses, especially outside London, were more Eurosceptic than multinationals.
“Big businesses have a vested interest in preserving regulation and red tape. They have the lobbyists. It’s just a burden on smaller companies.”
Mr Halsall, the former owner of Silver Cross, the pushchair and pram maker, set up the group. It has about 1,300 supporters.
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail.
John Elliott, founder and chairman of white goods manufacturer Ebac, said at last week’s north-east Business for Britain launch: “The EU is a failed concept — it doesn’t work for businesses. If we vote to remain, we may be stuck inside this failing project forever and that will create real problems for business.”
He said the UK needed its own trade policy to strike deals with growing countries such as China and India.
On balance, businesses appear to favour staying in. However, some polling, including an October survey by the Federation of Small Businesses, suggests a tight margin. The FSB found 47 per cent would vote to stay and 41 per cent to leave.
The British Chambers of Commerce will survey its members this month.
While the CBI employers’ organisation has signalled it will oppose Brexit, the BCC has said it will reflect its members’ sentiments.
“Our overriding concern is that the debate will be dominated by political views, and that the views of business and people who are creating jobs and wealth in the regions will be sidelined,” said Jonathan Walker, head of policy and campaigns at BCC’s north-east chamber.
The campaigns are treading more softly in the devolved nations. In Scotland, polls suggest consistently less support for Brexit than in England.
Leaders of the Scottish National party, Scottish Labour and Conservatives have all made clear they will back staying in the EU.
The FSB in Scotland said that, as during the 2014 referendum on independence from the UK, its role would be to explore the implications of either outcome.
“Our job is to get members as much information as we possibly can,” said Colin Borland, head of external affairs for FSB in Scotland.
Business for Scotland, which was the most high-profile forum for company owners and leaders who supported Scottish independence, said it would aim to be a “strong champion” for EU membership.
A members’ poll last year found 82 per cent wanted the UK to stay in, it said.
Glyn Roberts, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association, said there was “a fairly settled view across the business community that staying in the EU is positive for the economy and that we are better off being a part of it. It’s about reform, not exit.”
Source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4fae344c-b62a-11e5-b147-e5e5bba42e51.html#axzz3ws1ExMSq
More:
- http://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2016/jan/10/cameron-britain-would-make-brexit-work-if-necessary-video
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/12091611/David-Cameron-Brexit-is-not-the-right-answer-for-Britain.html