Britain Stronger in Europe

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Britain Stronger in Europe logo, Source: [http://www.strongerin.co.uk/volunteer

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'.

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

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

[5]


Notes

  1. 'Why we're stronger in', Britain Stronger in Europe, accessed 9 May 2016
  2. 'Leave and Remain EU donations and loans revealed' 11 May 2016, BBC News, accessed 17 May 2016
  3. 'Global banks bankroll battle to keep Britain in the EU', 12 May 2016, RT.com, accessed 18 May 2016
  4. Brian Wheeler, Alex Hunt 'The UK's EU Referendum: All you need to know', 12 May 2016, BBC News, accessed 13 May 2016
  5. Electoral Commission, The In Campaign Donor Search, accessed 12 May 2016