CBI under fire over call to stay in customs union

THE Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is wrong on the EU because it is ignoring small manufacturers and listening too much to multinational conglomerates, a former head of the business lobby group has said. Lord Jones of Birmingham said that he does not agree with its call earlier this week for Britain to stay in the customs union.

Separately, the boss of a manufacturing company, who is a member of the CBI’S manufacturing council, wrote to Carolyn Fairbairn, the current CBI director general, attacking her stance.

Earlier this week Ms Fairbairn said there “may come a day when the opportunity to fully set independent trade policies outweighs the value of a customs union with the EU… but that day hasn’t yet arrived”.

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, said the claims by Ms Fairbairn “made no sense”. In an interview with Chopper’s Brexit Podcast, Lord Jones, who as Digby Jones was director general from 2000 to 2006, said the CBI was listening too much to big business.