No 10 accused over ousting of anti-EU business leader
DAVID Cameron was under pressure yesterday to ‘come clean’ about Government involvement in the ousting of a pro-Brexit business boss.
John Longworth resigned last night as director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) over a speech in favour of quitting the EU.
Friends say he believes Downing Street ‘had a hand’ in his removal. Number 10 has repeatedly refused to deny that officials contacted the BCC only hours before the business group suspended him.
The friends also insist that Mr Longworth had cleared his comments in advance with BCC president Nora Senior, who is a former adviser to Labour’s Ed Balls.
Liam Fox, a Eurosceptic former defence minister, accused the Government of intimidation. ‘I want to know what contact might have been made and what pressure might have been applied,’ he said. ‘If it did hap- pen, then come clean about it quickly. Covering up events always has worse political consequences than the events themselves.’
Boris Johnson claimed Mr Longworth had been crushed by the ‘agents of Project Fear’ for expressing a ‘passionate, optimistic view’. The Brexit campaigner added: ‘He speaks for the many small and medium-sized businesses – the lifeblood of the economy – who cannot understand why they should comply with more and more regulation over which this country has no democratic control.’
A friend of Mr Longworth said: ‘John feels he has done everything by the book and is dismayed at what has happened. No 10 has had a hand in this, putting pressure on the BCC board to silence him.’
The BCC, officially neutral in the referendum, had suspended Mr Longworth just 24 hours after he said Britain could create a ‘brighter economic future for itself ’ away from Brussels. Speaking in a personal capacity, his view was that Britain should leave.
He also criticised the Prime Minister’s renegotiation deal, saying the EU remained ‘essentially unreformed’ and was ‘incapable of reform’. No 10 yesterday denied it had put ‘pressure’ on the BCC to remove Mr Longworth. But sources repeatedly failed to deny that officials had contacted the organisation to discuss his intervention.
Senior Tory MP David Davis said: ‘We need to know there was no contact between ministers and their officials before Friday’s BCC board meeting that took this decision.’
Mr Longworth’s intervention came at the BCC’s annual conference last week. Pro- EU cabinet ministers George Osborne and Sajid Javid both spoke at the conference on the understanding the organisation would be neutral in the referendum debate.
A Number 10 spokesman said: ‘Given that 60 per cent of BCC members say they want to stay in the EU, No 10 was surprised to see the director general of the organisation come out for Brexit. We are clear no pressure was put on the BCC.’
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, praised Mr Longworth for his intervention, adding: ‘He shouldn’t be gagged from speaking out – he’s voicing the opinion of millions of entrepreneurs across the land.’
Last night the BCC insisted Mr Longworth’s decision to resign was mutually agreed.
It said in a statement: ‘John Longworth and the BCC Board recognise that John’s personal view on the referendum is likely to create confusion regarding the BCC’s neutral stance going forward. In light of this, John has taken the decision to step down as director general and his resignation has been accepted by the board.
‘No politician or interest group had any influence on the BCC Board decision.’
‘Shouldn’t be gagged’