Funding Circle: SMEs would vote ‘Remain’ in second referendum

THE MAJORITY of the UK’s small businesses would vote to remain in the EU if a second referendum was held today, according to new research from Funding Circle.

More than half (56 per cent) of businesses said that they would vote to remain in the EU today, while eight per cent were “undecided” and three per cent said they would rather not say.

When the previous Funding Circle survey was carried out in April 2017, just 49 per cent of businesses said that they would vote ‘remain’.

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Furthermore, 56 per cent of the small business owners surveyed said that UK citizens should be granted a vote on the final Brexit deal before the UK’s official departure from the customs union in March 2019.

“Small business owners have on the whole been supportive of a softer Brexit whenever we have spoken to them,” said James Meekings, co-founder and managing director of Funding Circle.

“Now we’re seeing their sentiment shift even further, with more of them than ever before saying they would support remaining in the EU and a majority wanting to make sure their voice is heard with a vote on the final deal.”

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Among the businesses surveyed, 45 per cent said that access to both or either the Customs Union and Single Market is important to their business.

Almost six in 10 (57 per cent) said that exporting and importing was the main are of concern for their business.

Just seven per cent of small businesses believed their business would benefit from no longer participating in either market.

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