Thames Valley: BDO survey finds 70% of business leaders support Remain

The latest Thames Valley Business Barometer Survey was conducted in April and May by C8 Consulting for BDO LLP, the global accountancy and business advisory firm. The response from more than 100 diverse business leaders in the Thames Valley shows that seven out of 10 want the UK to remain a member of the European Union.  Only 13% believe the UK should leave, and 17% of respondents were still undecided at the time of the survey.

The survey also reveals that though headcount, profitability and turnover remain relatively strong, economic confidence in the region has dropped sharply to levels which the Barometer has not registered since 2012 when the country was still in recession.

Paula Elliott, managing director of C8 Consulting, commented: “The decision on whether we should remain in or leave the EU appears to have had an impact on confidence levels. The confidence indicator has dropped sharply from 56% in our survey last autumn to 32% this spring.”

Simon Brooker, partner and head of BDO LLP in the Thames Valley, commented: “Despite the fall, the Thames Valley is one of the most resilient parts of the country and it will be interesting to see whether confidence rebounds in our autumn survey, once the uncertainty of the EU referendum has passed, or whether this is part of something bigger, fuelled by more than the uncertainty of whether we remain in the EU.”