Business leaders urge Britain to stay in EU

On Monday, the British pound posted its biggest one-day loss in nearly six years on concerns that Britain could vote to leave the bloc after influential London Mayor Boris Johnson said he would campaign for a British exit, or Brexit.

“Numerous large multinational businesses like JCB, Toyota, Nissan, Vauxhall, Airbus among others have, over recent months, confirmed without pressure from the [prime minister], that Brexit would make no difference to their United Kingdom investment plans or United Kingdom job numbers”, said Richard Tice, co-founder of Leave.EU. “It would put the economy at risk”.

However, there were some notable absences from the list, including the bosses of Tesco, Sainsburys, RBS and Barclays.

In another letter to The Times in support of Britain’s EU membership, general secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Frances O’Grady said there was little positive for working people in Michael Gove’s and Boris Johnson’s vision for Britain outside Europe.

Unlike some dyed-in-the-wool Euroskeptics, who want Britain to leave the bloc entirely, Johnson suggested his goal is to renegotiate a new relationship with the European Union after a Brexit vote.

Commission officials are appointed, not elected, and often embody the stereotype of the “faceless Eurocrat” that some Britons blame for their country’s struggles with the EU.

Speaking on Tuesday morning, Mr Johnson said: ‘I think one of the big differences between now and what I remember back in the 1990s is that the Conservative Party actually has a much better team spirit, much better feeling about this stuff.

“May I ask my right honorable friend the prime minister to explain to the house and to the country exactly what way this deal returns sovereignty over any field of lawmaking to these house of parliament?”

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, was the first senior politician in Cardiff Bay to declare that he is on the side of those campaigning to leave the EU.

The former Cabinet minister is expected to say: “For UK manufacturing jobs, our European Union membership is absolutely critical”.

“Sadly I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings but I do not know any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows”, he said, referring to the possibility of a second vote.

What has the European Union ever done for us?

“Brexit will reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and cost on business, which can be used to invest in more jobs, not less”, he added.