Grassroots Out
Grassroots Out is one of the key campaign groups petitioning people to vote for Britain to leave the EU in a referendum scheduled for 23 June 2016.
It has a mixture of cross-party and national support, including UKIP leader Nigel Farage and leader of the Respect party George Galloway.
It was beaten off by Vote Leave in the contest to become the official leave campaign for the EU referendum.
Contents
Tycoon's £1 million Brexit boost
Following a fairly disastrous week for the Leave campaign, in which President Barack Obama gave a dire warning about trade relationships following Brexit and Boris Johnson embarrassed the campaign by trawling up the President's Kenyan heritage, car distributor Robert Edmiston donated £150,000 to Grassroots Out, and another £850,000 to fellow leave campaign Vote Leave.
In response to Obama's drastic intervention, Edmiston commented 'The idea that the American government would not want to do business with us if we left the EU is absolutely risible. It's the worst sort of scaremongering...'I have been importing and exporting for years and do not anticipate any difficulties if we leave the EU. There might be a bit of disruption but it's in America's interests to do a deal with Britain which is the world's fifth largest economy.' [1]
Brussels 'is growing threat to City and businesses'
John Redwood, former Conservative Party cabinet minister is teaming up with UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe at an event to make the case for EU regulation and Brussel's stranglehold on British growth and business.
Mr Woolfe, UKIP's financial spokesman, will warn of a new torrent of EU regulations being prepared to hit the city and constrain UK businesses. Woolfe will also contend that the economy could stand to gain £25 billion from scrapping current EU regulations.
Redwood will echo this: 'If we remain in the EU, we will be putting our world-beating City under threat. It currently generates £45billion for the UK economy, making vital contributions in terms of jobs and tax revenue. But all of this will be put at risk by regulation from Brussels.'
The Grassroots Out event is planned to coincide with chancellor George Osborne increasing fears of recession on the campaign trail. The treasury will release figures showing that the economy would suffer a year-long downturn with GDP 3.6% lower than currently predicted. [2]
Donors
Recorded by the Electoral Commission:
| Date | Name of donor | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2016 | Better for the Country | £1,952,374.76 |
| 08/02/2016 | IM Group | £50,000 |
| 18/04/2016 | Richard Tice | £14,000 |
| 18/04/2016 | Peter William Bone | £13,250 |
| 18/04/2016 | Tom Pursglove | £10,300 |
Notes
- ↑ Andrew Pierce, 'Tycoon's £1m Brexit boost: Businessmen hands money to two groups in bid to get leave campaign back on track', 26 April 2016, Daily Mail Online, accessed 17 May 2016
- ↑ Macer Hall, 'Brussels red tape EU Brexit remain London John Redwood Steven Woolfe Grassroots Out' 22 May 2016, The Express, accessed 23 May 2016
- ↑ Electoral Commission, Grassroots Out Donor Search, accessed 12 May 2016
