Brexit: Vote Leave campaign apologises for including John Caudwell's name in supporters letter
The campaigners backing a British exit from Europe have had to apologise after wrongly including the name of two business leaders - including billionaire John Caudwell, whose country home is in Staffordshire - among 250 who they said support the exit.
Mr Caudwell, from Eccleshall, the founder of Phones4U, was one of the two incorrectly named as signatories of an anti-EU letter, the other being Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross.
The list was published yesterday by the Vote Leave campaign.
A spokesman for the group apologised for the error.
He said: "Mr Ross's name was included on our supporters list in error, we apologise for any inconvenience that has been caused.
"Mr Caudwell has been listed as a supporter of the campaign since he signed up in October last year. He has not told us that he no longer supports us but we have removed him from the list."
Britain goes to the polls on June 23 to decide whether to remain as a member of the European Union.
Other backers of the Vote Leave letter signed include former HSBC chief executive Michael Geoghegan, JD Wetherspoon pub boss Tim Martin, hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and Luke Johnson - chairman of continental-style cafe chain Patisserie Valerie.
The campaign group also announced that former British Chambers of Commerce director general John Longworth, who quit after indicating his support for Brexit at the business organisation's annual conference earlier this month, has been appointed chairman of its business council.
A survey of small and medium-sized firms commissioned by the group found that 32 per cent said the EU hinders businesses like theirs, while 25 per cent said it helped them, while 40 per cent said it made no difference.
Remain campaigners, keen to see Britain stay in the EU, insisted that British business supported a vote to stay in the EU in the June 23 referendum, pointing to the lack of any FTSE100 executives on the list and the few women.
BT chairman Sir Mike Rake said: "Virtually every poll in recent months has found between 60 and 90 per cent of businesses small, medium and large want to remain in the EU, with only a small minority who want to leave.
"Whilst over-regulation is acknowledged to be an issue, several studies have shown that this is in no small part due to gold-plating by UK regulators.
"Our best course is to remain in the EU, constructively engaging to improve its competitiveness."
