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UK business representative group backs continued EU membership

Xinhua, March 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on Tuesday revealed that a poll of its member companies showed a majority supported continued European Union (EU) membership.

A total of 80 percent of member firms and organizations polled said remaining in the EU would be best for their business, five percent said leaving the EU would be good for their business, and 15 percent were unsure.

The CBI is the largest industrial representative body in the United Kingdom and represents firms employing seven million workers or one third of Britain's private workforce.

Organizations and firms from the education sector and the professional scientific and technical sector were most strongly in favor of remaining in the EU (83 percent), followed by poll respondents from the manufacturing and utilities sector (78 percent) and the construction sector (77 percent).

Larger firms (81 percent), were more in favor of remaining in the EU than small or medium-sized enterprises (65 percent).

Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, said: "Walking away makes little economic sense and risks throwing away the many benefits we gain from being part of the EU. Our members tell us that having guaranteed access to a tariff-free market of 500 million people, and to more than 30 global trade deals covering 50 countries, are significant advantages that outweigh the frustrations."

A referendum on continued membership of the EU will be held in the United Kingdom on June 23.

The survey was conducted for the CBI by ComRes polling company, which surveyed 773 member organizations online between Feb. 22 and March 7. Endit