Boris Johnson visited Nottingham as part of a campaign to convince people to vote to leave the European Union.
The former Mayor of London and leading Conservative is a key figure in the ‘Brexit’ campaign ahead of the June referendum.
He visited John A Stephens builders’ merchants on Castle Meadow Road in the city.
Boris Johnson takes a tour around a Notts building merchants @Notts_TVNewspic.twitter.com/ISizY6c1J6
— Ryan Johns (@RA_Johns) May 16, 2016
Mr Johnson arrived aboard a campaign bus and was greeted by a group of reporters and officials at 2pm.
He was given a tour of the business and met a handful of the 150 employees in a bid to convince workers to vote ‘leave’ ahead of the vote next month.
“People can see the EU is out of control,” Mr Johnson told Notts TV News.
“We’re sending huge amounts of money to Brussels, about £10 billion a year. People know we don’t have any control over our borders any more. We have no control over immigration.
“That pushes down wages and leaving would be a big kick in the pants for a cabal that think they can run pretty much the whole thing in their own interests.”
Mr Johnson was criticised on Sunday after comparing the aims of the union to those of Hitler and Napoleon.
When asked about the comments he said: “The European Union is an attempt by peaceful means to unify Europe and create a system that is in my view deeply anti-democratic, and I’m going to keep pointing that out from now until June 23.”
The majority of Nottinghamshire’s MPs who have declared their stance on the issue back remaining in the union.
Nottingham East’s LAbouer MP Chris Leslie said last month: “One in ten people that work in this area have jobs that depend on exports to the European Union.
“If we end up severing those links that we’ve got to Europe that is a big risk for employment and trade.”
Britain will be asked to vote in the referendum on June 23, with the question on the referendum papers asking: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”
The options for voters will be ‘Remain a member of the European Union’ and ‘Leave the European Union’.
A vote was promised by Prime Minister David Cameron as part of the Conservatives’ successful 2015 General Election campaign – and the debate has become one of the most protracted, heated and complex in recent British political history.
Supporters of the ‘Vote Leave’ campaign, often referred to as ‘Brexit’ say the country does not get value for money from the union and suffers from not having enough control over making its own laws.
Those supporting the ‘remain’ stance say the country will be economically safer and more secure if it continues its membership.
