Goldman’s bankrolls ‘keep UK in EU’ group

BANKING giant Goldman Sachs has donated several hundred thousand pounds to the drive to keep Britain in the European Union.

The world’s most powerful investment bank had previously threatened to shift resources away from Britain if referendum voters back an exit. US-owned Goldman’s gave the undisclosed sum to Britain Stronger In Europe, a cross-party group campaigning to keep the UK in the EU.

The Prime Minister recently asked businesses to pledge support for his renegotiations on Britain’s EU membership which, if successful, would form the basis for arguing the UK should stay in.

However there are equal numbers of big companies arguing that withdrawing would not have a negative economic impact – and would have the advantage of returning power to Britain’s elected politicians.

The two top bosses at Goldman Sachs International, based in the UK, wrote an article in 2013 claiming: ‘Threats to British involvement in the EU are threats to British business.’ Sources say Goldman’s chief concern is a socalled Brexit may trigger two years of disruptive wrangling between Britain and the EU states over what form an exit will take. The bank declined to comment. Meanwhile the Vatican said it wants Britain to stay in the EU. Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Pope’s ‘foreign secretary’, suggested on ITV that withdrawal could weaken Europe.