Martin takes aim at Remain forecasts on Brexit

THE boss of pub giant JD Wetherspoon has slammed the “catastrophically poor judgment” of economists and politicians who campaigned against the UK leaving the European Union (EU).

Arch Brexiter Tim Martin trained his sights on the Remain camp once again as Wetherspoon unveiled a 3.2 per cent rise in like-forlike sales in the 12 weeks to January 15. Total sales increased by 0.7 per cent over the period.

Mr Martin claimed the poor judgment of economists and politicians who support the UK staying in the EU is based on a “semireligious belief in a new type of political and economic system, represented by the EU, which lacks both proper democratic institutions and the basic agreement for a successful currency – a government.”

“It also lacks any genuine commitment to free trade, other than to countries which are in, or on the borders of, the EU,” added Mr Martin, the pub trade’s most vocal Brexit supporter.

The pub boss took aim at Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane for branding predictions made ahead of the EU referendum a “Michael Fish moment for economists”, stating that these comments “demonstrate a deep misunderstanding of the situation.”

Claiming that politicians, economists and intellectuals had misunderstood the implications of the exchange rate mechanism, the euro and the consequences of leaving the EU over a 30-year period, Mr Martin said: “Michael Fish’s predictions were a misinterpretation of data on one evening, under great time pressure.”

Shares closed up by 3.9 per cent at 937.5p.