Majority of business bosses in Cambridgeshire want to stay in the EU

Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce logo.

Figures released by the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce show that 63 per cent have indicated they would vote to remain in the EU, while 27 per cent said they would vote to leave and 10 per cent were undecided.

The result is the outcome of a snap poll conducted over the last five days (May 5 to May 9) by the chamber asking 136 company chiefs how they would vote if the EU referendum was held tomorrow.

The number of county bosses in favour of remaining part of the European Union is higher than the national average.

John Bridge, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce chief executive. ENGEMN00120120512154811

A survey by the British Chambers of Commerce shows 54.1 per cent would vote to stay in the European Union and 37 per cent would vote to leave.

The national survey of 2,231 businesses took place between April 5 and April 14.

But the proportion of county firms in favour of continuing EU membership has risen over the last couple of months.

In a previous survey of 193 businesspeople by the chambers between February 22 and March 14, some 56 per cent indicated they would vote to remain in the EU, 20 per cent said they would vote to leave and 24 per cent were undecided.

Cambridgeshire chambers chief executive John Bridge said: “Successful businesses operate on facts, figures and forecasts, and to date all of these seem to be noticeably absent from both campaigns.

“The message from our members is that the lack of information and informed debate is preventing voters from shaping their own views.

“Right now many feel that they simply don’t know what they’re voting for and are becoming disillusioned by the increasingly futile Punch and Judy show being played out by politicians in the media.

He added: “There is little doubt that the debate is already starting to have a stifling effect on certain sectors of the economy, as anecdotally we are increasingly hearing of investment plans being put on hold until the future becomes clearer.

“This will inevitably have an adverse effect on business growth and what politicians must now do is raise the bar and create the informed debate the public needs to make its decision on June 23.”

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