Lord Stuart Rose to lead campaign to keep United Kingdom in EU

On the other side, a group of business leaders and lawmakers launched a campaign this week to persuade Britons to vote to leave the bloc.

Lord Rose – who will be joined in the campaign by Apprentice star Karren Brady – said: “I believe that Britain is stronger in Europe”.

Lord Rose of Monewden, the Conservative peer who headed Marks and Spencer between 2004 and 2010, boosted Europhiles with his appointment as emails leaked to The Times showed the acrimony between rival Brexit campaigns.

Lord Rose, now chairman of Ocado, the online grocer that delivers goods for Waitrose and Morrisons, is one of Britain’s most famous businessmen and will attend the launch of the in campaign on Monday at which a mix of politicians, cultural figures and businessmen will set out the case for Britain to stay in Europe, ahead of the referendum that must be held before 2017.

“The choice in the coming referendum is between remaining stronger, safer and better off inside Europe, or taking a leap into the unknown, risking our prosperity, threatening our safety, and diminishing our influence in the world”, Rose said ahead of the “In Campaign” launch, as quoted by The Guardian.

Both are vying to be designated as the official “out” campaign body by the Electoral Commission.

Two years ago the Conservative peer said he had little sympathy with people who complained that jobs were being taken by workers from Bulgaria and Romania who were prepared to work for less money.

Megan Dunn, the president of the National Union of Students, and Caroline Lucas, the Green Party’s sole MP, will be unveiled as members of the 15-strong board leading the In Campaign for the EU referendum.

Whichever group wins the title will get higher spending limits, TV broadcasts and free mail shots.

Taavi Roivas told Sky News after the meeting: “I do agree with David Cameron that even the best unions can be made better”. Last month the two men publicly clashed at UKIP’s conference in Doncaster when Banks suggested Carswell should face deselection if he failed to back his campaign.

A third campaign group, Business for Britain, is focusing on putting the economic case for leaving the EU. “I’ve given my support to Leave.European Union which aims to engage the British public and has an wonderful 200,000 registered supporters in its first seven weeks”, he said.