Britain Stronger in Europe
Britain Stronger in Europe is the official 'remain' campaign group promoting the benefits of continued membership of the European Union ahead of a British referendum scheduled for 23 June 2016. It was the only campaign group to apply to the Electoral Commission to act as flag bearer for the remain campaign and is registered as 'The In Campaign Ltd'.
Contents
Background
The campaign's website summarises its position, arguing that:
- 'To vote to remain part of Europe is to vote for a stronger, better off, safer Britain that delivers opportunity for individuals and families, now and in the future. To vote to leave is to take a leap into the unknown, risking a weaker economy, the prospects of future generations and a loss of influence on the world stage.' [1]
It enjoys support from across the political spectrum, with backing from key figures in the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, as well as the former leader of the Green Party, and pro-EU groups such as European Movement, Open Europe and the Centre for European Reform.
When figures were published on 11 May 2016, it was revealed that between 1 February and 21 April, Britain Stronger in Europe had raised £6.9 million in donations, more than double Vote Leave's total of £2.8 million, with the remain campaign significantly boosted by Lord David Sainsbury's donations adding up to £2.3 million.
The Electoral Commission has also removed 11 groups that fell under the Grassroots Out movement from its register, restricting them from spending more than £10,000 on campaigning. Britain Stronger in Europe said the ruling was 'a damning verdict on Leave campaigns' attempts to circumvent the strict spending rules'. Conservative Party MP and co-founder of Grassroots Out Peter Bone hit back, saying the remarks were 'absurd, wrong and very disturbing'. [2]
Global banks bankroll battle to keep Britain in the EU
David Cameron's campaign to keep Britain in the EU (and by extension to save his political skin) has reportedly been funded by the global banking sector to the tune of £1.5 million. The list of funders includes banking heavyweights such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Citibank, and Britain Stronger in Europe (the lead Remain campaign) has also received a £20,000 loan from Lloyd's Bank at a rate of just 1%.
The Leave camp, headed by Vote Leave, has dubbed this a 'David vs Goliath' battle, with the global financial elite clearly attempting to close ranks as the referendum approaches.
Former SDP leader Lord David Owen articulated this point in depth: 'The EU works in the interests of the elite - the one percent - so it is entirely unsurprising to find that the campaign to keep us in the Union is financed by big banks like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. With their unlimited cash, they are lobbying the British people to act in a way that benefits their profit margin. Remember, these banks are the very people who crashed the economy in 2008 - mis-selling toxic mortgages and cooking the books to allow Greece to join the single currency...These figures show again that we are in a David vs Goliath fight, but it is one we are determined to win.' [3]
Key backers
- Lord Stuart Rose - Chair
- Will Straw - Executive director
- Roland Rudd - Treasurer
- Lucy Thomas - Deputy director
- James McGrory - Chief spokesman
- Brendan Barber - Former TUC boss
- David Cameron | George Osborne | Jeremy Corbyn | Alan Johnson | Liberal Democrats | Plaid Cymru | Alliance | SDLP (NI) | Green Party [4]
Funding
Recorded by the Electoral Commission:
| Date | Name of donor | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2016 | David Sainsbury | £2,564,454 (three donations) |
| 31/03/2016 | David Harding | £750,000 |
| 18/03/2016 | Lloyd Dorfman | £500,000 |
| 19/04/2016 | Anna Rausing | £250,000 |
| 15/04/2016 | Andrew Law | £200,000 |
| 19/04/2016 | David Potter | £150,000 |
| 07/04/2016 | The Tower Limited Company | £500,000 |
| 19/04/2016 | Bloomberg Tradebook Europe Ltd | £250,000 |
| 31/03/2016 | Grovepoint Capital | £250,000 |
| 10/02/2016 | Morgan Stanley | £250,000 |
| 05/04/2016 | Citigroup Partners | £250,000 |
| 06/04/2016 | Ian Taylor | £150,000 |
| 23/03/2016 | Anthony Daniell | £100,000 |
| 14/04/2016 | David Brownlow | £100,000 |
| 07/04/2016 | Donald Houston | £74, 144.50 |
| 01/03/2016 | Joseph Schull | £100,000 (two donations) |
| 11/04/2016 | Kumar Sushantha Bhattacharyya | £50,000 |
| 05/04/2016 | Simon Robertson | £50,000 |
| 23/03/2016 | Bruno Schroder | £50,000 |
| 18/03/2016 | Simon Palley | £30,000 |
| 23/03/2016 | PLLG Limited | £25,000 |
| 13/04/2016 | Roland Rudd | £32,508.50 (two donations) |
| 21/04/2016 | Paul Myners | £25,000 |
| 30/03/2016 | Richard Brindle | £25,000 |
| 09/03/2016 | Alexander Wilmot-Setwell | £15,000 |
| 08/04/2016 | Emmanuel Roman | £15,000 |
| 23/03/2016 | Patrick Drayton | £15,000 |
| 21/04/2016 | John Armitage | £15,000 |
| 30/03/2016 | Warren Finegold | £10,000 |
| 24/02/2016 | Paul Jefferys | £10,000 |
| 07/02/2016 | Michael Plantevin | £10,000 |
| 08/04/2016 | Eurostar International | £7,508.50 |
| 13/04/2016 | Oliver Haardmann | £7,508.50 |
| 12/04/2016 | Evan Davies | £7,508.50 |
| 14/04/2016 | Richard Reed | £7,508.50 |
| 21/04/2016 | Airbus | £7,508.50 |
| 20/04/2016 | Finsbury Group | £7,508.50 |
| 29/03/2016 | Pricewaterhouse Coopers | £7,508.50 |
| 08/04/2016 | Peter Kadas | £7,508.50 |
| 29/03/2016 | Stuart Rose | £7,508.50 |
Notes
- ↑ 'Why we're stronger in', Britain Stronger in Europe, accessed 9 May 2016
- ↑ 'Leave and Remain EU donations and loans revealed' 11 May 2016, BBC News, accessed 17 May 2016
- ↑ 'Global banks bankroll battle to keep Britain in the EU', 12 May 2016, RT.com, accessed 18 May 2016
- ↑ Brian Wheeler, Alex Hunt 'The UK's EU Referendum: All you need to know', 12 May 2016, BBC News, accessed 13 May 2016
- ↑ Electoral Commission, The In Campaign Donor Search, accessed 12 May 2016
