Business titans raise Brexit alarm

More than 1,200 business titans united Wednesday to warn against Britain breaking with the EU, as rivals fought for the last votes on the eve of a tightly fought referendum that will shape Europe’s future.

The world’s fifth-largest economy will suffer a powerful blow to growth and jobs if Britain becomes the first state to defect from the EU in the bloc’s 60-year history, corporate chiefs warned.

The “Remain” camp has a razor-thin lead: 51 per cent versus 49 per cent for “Leave” among those who have decided, according to an average of polls compiled by What UK Thinks. Bookmaker Betfair said the latest odds implied a 76-percent chance of “Remain” winning, although surveys show more than 10 per cent of people have not made up their minds. “Britain leaving the EU would mean uncertainty for our firms, less trade with Europe and fewer jobs,” said the chiefs of 1,285 companies employing 1.75 million people, ranging from Virgin boss Richard Branson to media tycoon Michael Bloomberg.

“Britain remaining in the EU would mean the opposite: more certainty, more trade and more jobs. EU membership is good for business and good for British jobs,” they said in a letter to The Times newspaper.