EU membership is “absolutely critical” for safeguarding the future of the sector, Labour’s In campaign leader Johnson will warn in a speech at Airbus in Bristol.
“Two thirds of British jobs in manufacturing are dependent on demand from Europe. That's two thirds of our manufacturing base reliant on that single market access and Britain's membership of the EU. That's over one and a half million manufacturing jobs here in Britain,” Johnson will say.
He will also claim that that the 50,000 apprentices in the industry today “depend on trade linked to our EU membership”.
“That's 50,000 apprenticeships which depend on our EU membership and leaving the EU could put those at risk. For each one of those apprentices, gaining skills, earning a good wage and working towards a career, we can't let them down, turn our back on the world and cut British manufacturing and industry off from their largest export market,” he will add.
A snap poll by the Institute of Directors (IoD) this week suggested the majority of British business leaders were in favour of staying in the EU. The survey, conducted after David Cameron announced his final reform package from Brussels, said six in 10 believed maintaining a relationship with Europe would be the best course of action for British business.
