To leave or not to leave? That's the question for British business owners who are deeply divided on whether the country should stay in the EU. Is a possible Brexit a must-have to expand trade or is it a mass of red tape that hampers growth?
H. Forman and Son has been smoking Scottish salmon for export since 1905. Lance Forman is the third-generation owner of the business and he supports Brexit.
"It is just very frustrating having to sort of constantly deal with the barrage of just mindless petty rules. I will give you an example of one that we had last year, we had to spend thousands of pounds last year on printing new packaging so that a pack of smoked salmon could have a warning sign on the back saying 'Contains Fish'. It's completely mad, I actually think that the EU should have a huge warning sign on top of it saying 'Contains Nuts'," Lance Forman said.
The chairman of one of Britain's largest pub chains, JD Wetherspoon, Tim Martin is also campaigning for the Leave camp. Like many others, he's frustrated with the amount of red tape he believes emanates from European Union policies.
"It's hard to isolate where Britain ends and the EU begins, but we're a successful pub business. I suppose we have got more regulations as a result of the EU. Even things like building regulations are affected by the EU, working regulations -- they like to stick their oar in more or less everywhere," Martin said.
Martin would prefer trading with the U.S rather than Europe and have the freedom to employ people from outside the bloc. He said that EU membership compromises Britain's sovereignty and stifles innovation.
"The EU is certainly not a democracy. Laws are framed and instigated by the European Commission. The European courts' judgments are supreme and our parliament can't change them," Martin said.
But for other British businesses, such as Hogan's Cider, an global exporter, access to the single market is key to growth.
"I shall be voting for us to remain in the EU. I think it's crucial that we do, certainly from our perspective as a small business selling into Europe, particularly selling alcohol and some of the sensitivities of that across some of the states. It's important that we remain a part of the EU so we can address that 500 million market," said Allen Hogan, founder and owner of Hogan's Cider.
Hogan was among some 200 business leaders who signed a letter to The Times newspaper supporting Britain's membership in the EU. The snapshot of divisions is reflected in the British public as a whole, with the latest polls showing the Leave and Remain camps more or less neck-to-neck.
