Britain will go to the polls on June 23 to decided whether to stay in the European Union – or leave, otherwise know as ‘Brexit’.

With so much publicity surrounding the ‘Brexit’ referendum, there is also much confusion among businesses.

Claims and counterclaims of advocates from either side, confuse rather than clarify the matter.

Dr John Ashcroft, CEO of pro-manchester and author of The Saturday Economist, addressed Stockport businesses in a round-table lunch to talk about some of the key issues surrounding this important issue for the UK economy.

He delivered an ‘objective and dispassionate analysis of the pros and cons of Brexit, providing information and analysis to assist the decision making process for individual delegates’.

Dr Ashcroft said ahead of the debate: “The question will be asked should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?

“At the moment pollsters suggest the vote will be to remain in the European Union albeit by a slim majority.

“Should the decision be made to remain, it will be business as usual with our European neighbours.

“If the decision is made to leave the European Union, then what happens next?”

Dr Ashcroft explains that, unlike an election, there is no immediate attainment.

He added: “The removal vans will not roll into Downing Street to effect a change in regime overnight.

“The process of withdrawal could take up to two years or much longer.

“The government will be forced to enact Article 50 of the Lisbon Agreement.

“Any member state of the EU may decide to withdraw from the Union and effect the withdrawal by informing the European Council.

“There would then follow prolonged negotiations to secure the change.

“The government would also have to decide just what the new relationship with the EU would be.

“Boris Johnson has advocated the “Canadian Free Trade Model” but negotiations between Canada and the EU have taken almost ten years to effect.

“Iceland has a trade deal with China, the EU does not as yet. The UK would be free to negotiate a bilateral trade deal.”

Dr Ashcroft also assessed the implications of leaving the EU and outline the alternative relationships that could ensue known as the Danish model, the Swiss Model, the Iceland model and the Turkish model.

In addition the group considered the impact on UK growth, investment, jobs, trade, sterling, immigration, sovereignty and security of the in-out decision.

What is Brexit?

Brexit is a word that has become used as a shorthand way of saying the UK leaving the EU – merging the words Britain and exit to get Brexit, in a same way as a Greek exit from the EU was dubbed Grexit in the past.