Ford wrote to its 14,000 UK employees warning against leaving the EU.
‘We have deep concerns about the uncertainty and potential downsides for business that could arise if the UK votes to leave the European Union.
‘The UK is our largest sales market in Europe and home to significant Ford design, engineering and manufacturing options. The IMF, OECD, and Bank of England, among others, have warned that a leave vote could create economic instability and uncertainty. Although the full consequences of this are unknown,we estimate that the potential cost to our business could be hundreds of millions of dollars every year’ (Beth Rigby Twitter, 20 June 2016, link).
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) set out why the UK is stronger, safer and better off in the EU.
‘EU membership guarantees the right to do business in 27 other member states’
‘The UK helps shape EYU regulation by being inside the EU’
‘The UK insurance industry thrives as part of a successful UK economy in a prosperous EU’
‘Leaving the EU will not do away with red tape’
‘The UK benefits from the EU’s role in making international trade agreements’
(ABI, 20 June 2016, link).
Welsh steelmaker Celsa warned that a vote to leave would be a ‘significant threat’ to the UK steel industry.
‘Leaving the European Union will create this period of economic uncertainty and poses a significant threat to the steel industry, our business and the thousands of livelihoods that rely on Celsa. One hundred percent of Celsa UK’s exports go to the rest of Europe and our access to this market is crucial for our business’ (Wales Online, 20 June 2016, link).
Nissan announced it will take legal action against Vote Leave after the Japanese carmaker’s logo was misleadingly used on campaign literature.
The firm said it will issue legal proceedings against Vote Leave to ‘prevent them making any further false statements and misrepresentations concerning Nissan’.
But in February, Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s chairman and chief executive said: ‘Our preference as a business is, of course, that the UK stays within Europe – it makes the most sense for jobs, trade and costs. For us, a position of stability is more positive than a collection of unknowns’ (Guardian, 20 June 2016, link).
And finally .... Former Top Gear stars Jeremy Clarkson and James May released a video declaring their support for a Remain vote.