The UK government says Britain's economy will be safer and stronger if it stays within the European Union and has issued dire warnings about the period of economic turmoil that will result in a vote to leave the block, ahead of the public referendum this Thursday.
The disastrous effect of an OUT vote on the economy has been a key plank of the Remain group's campaigning. The Vote Leave campaign, however, argues Britain's economy will be allowed to flourish without the bureaucracy and red tape of Brussels. Catherine Drew reports from London on.
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It's another busy day at this west London, wine importers where staff are preparing orders for restaurants, pubs and individual customers. Owner Kevin Gallagher says he's often frustrated by bureaucracy imposed by Brussels but fears for his business if Britain decides to go it alone.
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The effect on British businesses by a vote to leave the European trading block of 500 million people has been a key plank of the Remain campaigns argument to stay…..led by Prime Minister David Cameron.
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"Our car makers, our airplane makers, our financial services businesses, our insurers, they want us to stay in the biggest single market in the world because they see immense opportunity.
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Warnings of significant economic turmoil in light of a Brexit vote have been issued by many businesses and business groups including the Bank of England, Rolls Royce and BT. The IMF warned a brexit would lead to a tumbling stock market, falling house prices and a GDP hit of up to 9 per cent.
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However as this excerpt from "Brexit the Movie" explains, many business leaders are supporting the Leave campaign…..arguing Brussels-imposed regulations stifle Britain's 5 and a half million businesses and a brexit would allow them to create more jobs, seek new trade deals with countries outside Europe while continuing to trade with it's neighboring block. One of those businessmen is Tim Martin, chairman of Wetherspoons, one the country's largest pub chains.
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"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 regulation 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,"
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Pro Leave campaigners insist the UK will be free to negotiate it's own trade deals however some observers question just how much power the country will wield outside the EU block. Dr Sara Hagemann is an assistant Professor at the London School of Economics.
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The argument over what a brexit will mean for Britain's economy and it's millions of business has been at the heart of this campaign. The result of the crucial vote that will disappoint thousands of businessmen and woman, whatever the outcome.
Catherine Drew, SOC, London