The UK’s continued membership of the European Union has become one of the most politically striking issues of the new Parliament. The newly-elected government has embarked on a mission to renegotiate the terms of membership, responding to pressures from some segments of British society and industry, and has promised to hold a referendum on membership by 2017.

While industry-led, the debate will purposefully be for the attention of Parliamentarians, as well as the wider public, opening the debate from the all-important manufacturing perspective since this sector has recently begun to flourish in the UK.

The panel will feature some of the leading voices on both sides of the debate, and juxtapose the pros and cons of EU membership for UK manufacturers. It will hopefully inform the Government’s ongoing renegotiations, and also the public’s understanding of the different positions and nuanced nature of the debate. (The APMG will not take a position itself, but rather convene the relevant stakeholders to help clarify the arguments).

Chair: Chris White MP: Co-Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group

 Speakers include:

Matthew Elliot – CEO, Business for Britain

Terry Scuoler – CEO, EEF

John Patsavellas – Manufacturing and Technical Director, Altro Flooring

Christopher Nieper – Managing Director, David Nieper

The renegotiation, and possible withdrawal from the EU (‘Brexit’), will potentially have significant repercussions for UK manufacturing. The issue has been extremely divisive amongst policy-makers, industry and the public. Several large businesses and trade associations have already staked out their positions, and will be campaigning assiduously in the run up to the referendum. The economic debate and particular perspectives of manufacturers deserve to be highlighted.