A Tory peer has argued Brexit is a good thing because it will allow young people to work longer hours.

Lord Harris, a retail tycoon estimated to be worth more than £100m, claimed he could only employ staff for 35 hours a week under current EU laws.

However, the European Working Time Directive states employees should not be forced to work longer than 48 hours, and they can opt-out if they decide.

'No decisive progress' on Brexit, says EU negotiator Michel Barnier

During an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lord Harris was asked to explain how leaving the EU would help young people.

He said: “It will give us more opportunity. It will give younger people more opportunity in this country and we won’t be controlled…”

When asked why, he replied: “Because we’ll have more freedom of laws.”

Asked what's wrong with the current laws, Lord Harris said: “Well if you take a retailer, we can only keep our staff on for 35 hours a week, I think it is now.”

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

After admitting "we haven't done too badly" when the presenter told him "you've done alright out of it," he added: "I just feel we would be better off out of the EU."