Top business leader sees ‘bright future’ in Brexit
Dark talk of ‘consequences’ from French president as he and Cameron present united front at war graves
ONE of Britain’s top business leaders has come out in support of Brexit as he claimed the UK has a “brighter economic future” outside the EU.
John Longworth, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said he has concluded that “the UK would be better off taking a decision to leave the EU”, and criticised David Cameron’s renegotiation for not going far enough.
His comments follow a decision by 200 small businesses to back leaving the 28-member bloc in a letter to The Daily Telegraph earlier this week. Speaking at a conference in London yesterday, Mr Longworth said the EU had become “incapable of meaningful reform” and warned that the Prime Minister’s deal depends on the “goodwill of strangers”.
He said: “We made an assessment of the negotiated reforms ... our conclusion was that the results of his negotiation fell far short of what we were hoping for.
“In the long run we have the capacity and capability to create a brighter economic future outside of the EU, just as we would have done had we had the opportunity to stay in a truly reformed EU.”
Mr Longworth added that “the longterm risks of staying in the EU are likely to be as daunting as the short-term risks of leaving”, but warned there would be disruption in the short-term if the UK votes to leave.
His intervention came after Rolls-Royce, which is owned by BMW, warned its employees against voting for Brexit because of the impact it would have on the business.
Eurosceptic Conservative minister Sajid Javid also criticised the Prime Minister’s EU deal, claiming he wished there was more to it.
The Business Secretary said he was still a “Brussels basher” and said his heart told him to back Brexit, despite his decision to back the case to remain in the union.
He said it was a “very difficult” decision to oppose leaving.
He said: “I have no time for closer political union and in many ways I am a Eurosceptic. I am still a Brussels basher and will remain so. I am not suggesting everything is certain by remaining, but there is a lot more uncertainty on the other side.”
FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE yesterday warned Britain there would be “consequences” for Calais border arrangements if it leaves the EU.
Despite saying he did not want to “scare” British votes, the French president appeared to echo suggestions that migrants would be free to cross the Channel into the UK rather than being stopped on French soil after an Out vote in the referendum.
No10 was forced to deny it was behind a surprise change in tone from the French government that saw a minister warn that “migrants will no longer be in Calais” if voters back Brexit.
Mr Cameron urged British voters to “listen to” the intervention and denied there had been a “stitch-up” by UK officials, saying such claims amounted to a “David Icke-style” conspiracy theory.
However Boris Johnson, the London Mayor and effective leader of the Out campaign, dismissed fears of Brexit by saying: “Donnez moi un break, as we say in Brussels.”
Other Eurosceptics accused the British government of organising “fake threats” from allies.
The Prime Minister and his most senior cabinet colleagues were visiting Amiens yesterday for a Franco-British summit focused on defence, security and migration.
Ahead of the meeting, Emmanuel Macron, the French economy minister, told the Financial Times that “the day this relationship unravels, migrants will no longer be in Calais”.
The remark chimed with Mr Cameron’s claim that “The Jungle” – the notorious Calais migrant camp – would move to British soil after Brexit but contradicted previous comments from senior French government figures.
Asked at a press conference if he agreed with the claim, Mr Hollande said: “I don’t want to scare you, but I just want to say the truth. There will be consequences if the United Kingdom is to leave the EU.
“There will be consequences in many areas: on the single market, on financial trade, on economic development between our two countries.”
Mr Hollande added that he did not want to put “pressure” on British voters but warned “immigration” arrangements could be affected by Brexit.
He added that remaining in the EU also had “consequences” but failed to spell them out.
Mr Cameron announced that Britain will invest an extra £17 million in “priority security infrastructure” in Calais which will help French police clear migrant camps and deport those that do not qualify for asylum. Asked whether the French warning had been a Downing Street “stitch-up”, Mr Cameron said: “When you have ministers in other governments warning about potential consequences that might happen, that would be injurious to the UK, ‘Listen to those things’.
“Of course you can say this is all some giant conspiracy, some sort of David Icke-style sort of [conspiracy] – it’s just nonsense.”
But Mr Johnson said the Franco-British treaty on border arrangements “has nothing to do with the EU”, adding that the warning was part of a strategy to “scare people” into voting In.
Asked about Mr Macron’s claim, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We were first aware of it when we saw his comments.”
Meanwhile the German finance minister warned that UK would be forced to accept free movement of people and pay into the EU budget to get access to the single market after Brexit.
Wolfgang Schaeuble said: “I think it is not a good idea to pay to accept the freedom of movement but not to sit at the table when the decisions are taken.” He also joked that his nation would “cry” if the UK voted to leave.
‘There will be consequences in many areas: on the single market, on trade, on economic development.’