Immigration and the economy have taken center stage in the British E.U. referendum. The future economic performance of the U.K. in particular—its growth, job, and wealth creation prospects—depends on how business fares. This helps explain why business attitudes to the referendum have regularly been published in the run-up.
The Britain Stronger in Europe campaign relies on one such survey in its campaign literature. Conducted by the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe (COBCOE), it found that 89 percent of member businesses were opposed to a U.K. exit from the E.U., while only 7 percent were in favor. The claim is regularly repeated by voices on the Remain side as evidence of the economic damage that a Brexit would cause. So is it accurate?
