Worksop business among those writing to MPs demanding a People’s Vote on Brexit

There are 39 small business owners and sole traders who are publicly backing calls for a referendum on Brexit.

They have all written to their MPs to demand a public vote on Brexit.

Dr Keith Norman founded Reboot Therapy based in Worksop, in 2017. It offers occupational therapy and assisted technologies.

He says: “I believe that Brexit means that everyone will be worse off, and so that means my business will be impacted because it will hit everyone and everything.

“I want a People’s Vote because no one had full information back in 2016.

“I voted ‘remain’ but my vote was based on 30 per cent understanding and 70 per cent guess-work and gut-feeling.

“Now we know far more facts, I am sure there are many people who voted ‘leave’ who, like me, did not know or understand what we all know now.

“Two years of government mess have led us to choices that are worse off than what we have. That’s bonkers.”

Theresa May’s Brexit plan was heavily defeated by MPs last month and Parliament seems unable to agree an alternative.

An increasing number of business leaders and companies have expressed concern that any form of Brexit will harm the economy and put jobs at risk.

Earlier this month, the Midlands based airline FlyBMI collapsed, blaming Brexit.

The aerospace firm Airbus, which employs thousands of people across the UK, has called the government’s handling of Brexit a “disgrace” and said it could quit the UK If we leave the EU.

Sony recently announced it is moving its European headquarters from Britain to the Netherlands to avoid Brexit-related customs issues.

And investment and production in the British car industry has slumped. Honda has announced the closure of its plant in Swindon. Ford is understood to be considering moving production out of the UK, because of Brexit. Nissan has announced that it is switching planned production of its new X-Trail model from Sunderland to Japan. And Jaguar Land Rover is the latest in a growing list of manufacturers to announce it will shut down production in April for an extended period of time, if Brexit goes ahead.

Many business leaders say Theresa May’s Brexit plan offers very little long-term certainty for companies. Instead, it will leave the UK with no say over tariffs or quotas, and no ability to influence the regulations and conditions businesses face.

Below are the names of the business owners from across Nottinghamshire who have written to their MP to demand a People’s Vote:

ASHFIELD: Alec Bowes

BASSETLAW: Charles Adams, Daniel Lambert, Dr Keith E Norman, Steve Bennett and Will Dickinson

BROXTOWE: Aatish Nagar, Debbie Greene, John Lydon, Liam Hobbs and Ross brown

GEDLING: Carmel Kelly, John Townsend, Paul Evans and Robina Varley

NEWARK: Alan Tipton, Ian Beesley, Jeremy Whittle, Les Hayton, Molly Chesney, Paul Crick, Pauline Hutchinson and Peter Morgan

NOTTINGHAM EAST: Deborah Maguire

NOTTINGHAM NORTH: Kay Haldane and Sam Knox

NOTTINGHAM SOUTH: Mark Fowkester, Robert Hegarty and Sylvia Oates

RUSHCLIFFE: Chris Pyke, Giles Ward, Heather Downey, Ian Winter, James Tassi and Nina Hudson

SHERWOOD: Dominic Byrne, Helen Dickson, Keir Woolhouse and Robert Philip Roberts