Chairman of JCB Lord Bamford says economy would not be affected by Brexit
The chairman of one of Britain’s largest manufacturers said today that Britain’s trade relationships would be unaffected if the country were to vote to leave the European Union in an in/out referendum.
“We are the fifth or sixth largest economy in the world. We could exist on our own – peacefully and sensibly. We could negotiate as our own country rather than being one of 28 nations in Brussels,” said Lord Bamford, chairman of JCB, a Staffordshire-based manufacturer.
Lucy Thomas of campaign group Business for New Europe hit back, saying: “Of course JCB and others could continue selling their goods to Europe if we left, but they could face tariffs and they would have to meet EU standards, with no influence on what they were.”