Prime Minister David Cameron announced over the weekend that the pre-announced referendum on Britain’s membership would be held on June 23.
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In a letter to the Times newspaper, bosses from big employers including telecoms group BT, retailers Marks & Spencer and Asda and oil firm BP joined forces to argue that access to the EU’s single market enabled firms to grow and create jobs.
However, almost two-thirds of the UK’s largest publicly listed businesses did not sign, including RBS and Barclays.
“We believe that leaving the European Union would deter investment and threaten jobs”.
“I won’t dwell on the irony that some people who want to vote to leave apparently want to use a leave vote to remain, but such an approach also ignores more profound points about democracy, diplomacy, and legality”, Cameron said referring to Johnson’s decision.
Some executives also signed it in a personal capacity, making clear that their companies remained neutral.
Mr Cameron replied: “This deal brings back some welfare powers, it brings back some immigration powers, it brings back some bailout powers, but more than that, because it carves us forever out of ever closer union, it means that the ratchet of the European court taking power away from this country can not happen in future”.
David Cameron has said he wants a “civilized” argument with Boris Johnson over Brexit, the day after he ridiculed the London mayor in the House of Commons.
“If we are forced out of the EU I am certain the public in Scotland will demand a (new) referendum on Scottish independence”, Scottish National Party lawmaker Angus Robertson said.
The British Conservative Party remains deeply divided over Europe, having fallen out over the original Maastricht Treaty which wet in tow the beginnings of the current European Union.
“I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings”, Cameron said referring to the possibility of a second vote.
In another letter to The Times in support of Britain’s EU membership, general secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Frances O’Grady said there was little positive for working people in Michael Gove’s and Boris Johnson’s vision for Britain outside Europe.
George Osborne, chancellor of the exchequer and another potential successor to Cameron, has come out in support of staying in the EU.
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European migrants to Britain receive 10 percent of spending on in-work benefits despite only making up around 6 percent of the workforce, the government said on Monday as it set out why it was backing a deal struck to reform ties with the EU.
