Food and Drinks Industry Overwhelmingly Backs UK to Remain in the EU

18 Mar 2016 --- The UK food and drinks industry has publicly declared its support for the UK to remain part of the European Union for the first time. More than two thirds (71 percent) of members of the Food and Drinks Federation (FDF) voted to support prime minister’s David Cameron’s campaign to stay in the EU.  

A further 17 percent abstained while 12 percent said they supported Brexit (Britain leaving the EU).

The response rate from FDF members- which includes subsidiaries of big international food and drinks companies such as Cadbury and PepsiCo, as well as British companies like Thorntons – was 50 percent.

While a number of  food and drinks companies, such as Diageo, are backing the UK remain in the EU when the vote takes place in June this year, a number of big retailers, such as Tesco, has remained silent on the issue.

Ian Wright CBE, director general of FDF, said: “71% of FDF members who voted believe the interests of their business will be best served by the UK voting to remain in the European Union. Members identified the single market, access to raw materials and the free movement of labour among key considerations in coming to their view.”
  
“FDF members also helped to identify priorities for ongoing EU reform that would boost our sector’s long term competitiveness. These included increasing access to non-EU markets to boost exports of finished goods and ensure imports of required ingredients, safeguarding free movement of labour within the EU and tackling unnecessary red tape, in particular to ensure consistent interpretation and implementation of EU employment regulation.”
  
“Of course, FDF is a representative of all of its members; so we completely respect those (17% of those voting) whose business chose not express a preference and those (12% of those voting) who supported the ‘leave’ option. We speak on behalf of our membership as a whole, not on behalf of any single member company.”
  
“I am delighted that our Executive Committee felt strongly that we should have a clear point of view on the most important issues facing our industry. Few are more important than the EU referendum and our point of view is clear – the UK should remain a member!”

by John Reynolds