Businesses have invested £22bn less in the last two and a half years because of the uncertainty caused by Brexit, ­according to new analysis of official data.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics show gross fixed capital formation – a wide-ranging measure of business investment – rose steadily by about £2bn a year in 2010 until 2015 when the European Union Referendum Act was passed, paving the way for the following year’s referendum.

However growth has since dropped sharply, according to data from management consultancy Vendigital.

Consequently, businesses have invested £22bn less than they would have done based on pre-Brexit trends.