THE stars from TV’s Dragons’ Den have said they would not back the "reckless risk" of Britain leaving the European Union as the Remain camp claimed 1.2 million smaller firms, including almost 80,000 in Scotland, would be directly affected.
Seven past and present members of the popular BBC show's panel of leading entrepreneurs, including James Cann, Hilary Devey and Kelly Hoppen, said they were "In" because Brexit posed a "serious risk" to the UK economy.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid will appear with another Dragon, Piers Linney, to press the case at an event in Birmingham.
Mr Javid - who has denied a claim by former cabinet colleague and leading Outer Iain Duncan Smith of privately backing divorce from Brussels - will use the event to warn of the impact on small businesses.
He will cite Business Department analysis that while eight per cent of firms export to the EU, a further 15 per cent are in supply chains of other businesses that export to the EU; Britain Stronger in Europe calculated this totalled around 1.2m firms, 78,000 in Scotland.
This is meant to counter the Vote Leave argument that 94 per cent of British firms do not export to the EU but still have to abide by Brussels regulation.
Mr Javid said: "If we leave the EU, small firms are on the front line and that's a gamble with people's livelihoods I'm not willing to take. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Let's not break that backbone with a leap into the dark."
Matthew Collins, who runs the Glasgow-based design studio Rora Media, said the figures showed the importance of keeping full access to the EU’s single market and withdrawal would be hugely damaging.
"A vote to stay is a vote for the certainty that small businesses need," he said.
But John Longworth, who chairs the Vote Leave Business Council, branded the Government figures on UK businesses exporting to the EU “extremely questionable”.
“The reality is only six per cent of British firms export to the EU but 100 per cent are caught up in red tape and costs from Brussels. If we Vote Leave and take back control of our economy, our businesses will thrive,” he said.
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