The bosses of more than a third of Britain’s top companies on Tuesday urged voters to keep the country in the European Union, warning that a “Brexit” would threaten jobs.
Some 198 business leaders including Roger Carr, chairman of BAE Systems, BP CEO Bob Dudley and Ron Dennis, chief of F1 team McLaren, wrote a joint letter published in the Times, backing Prime Minister David Cameron’s deal to reform the EU.
“Following the prime minister’s renegotiation, we believe that Britain is better off staying in a reformed European Union,” they wrote, adding Cameron had secured important commitments to improve competitiveness within the bloc.
“We believe that leaving the EU would deter investment, threaten jobs and put the economy at risk,” wrote the business chiefs, who between them employ around 1.2 million people.
“Britain will be stronger, safer and better off remaining a member of the EU,” it concluded.