Nearly 41 per cent of small firms want to leave the EU
Nearly 41 per cent of small firms want to leave the EU research released by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) today has found.
The FSB found that 47 per cent of its members surveyed wanted to stay in the 28-member bloc, while 10.7 per cent of members were undecided. Exporters and employers of non-UK EU nationals were more likely to say they've vote yes in a referendum on whether to stay in or leave the EU.
Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to hold a referendum by the end of 2017, however it's widely expected to take place next year. The research showed nearly all FSB members wanted access to more netural information about the EU referendum in the run-up to the vote.
"Regardless of what a firm's current position is, there is a shared message that small businesses feel they lack clear, impartial information on which to form their views," Mike Cherry, policy director at FSB, said
Between June and July of this year, 6,263 FSB members completed an online survey. This was followed by a cross section of 123 members participating in a 12-day online discussion forum.