

An advertising campaign from the Normandy government urging British businesses to flee across the Channel to escape Brexit has been banned by Transport for London because it may cause “public controversy or sensitivity”.

The adverts urging entrepreneurs worried about the UK’s departure from the EU to “vote with their feet” will run in national newspapers, including the Guardian, this week. But they will not be carried on public transport in the capital after TfL said the ads “did not fully comply” with its advertising guidelines.

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The campaign for the Normandy Development Agency features a mock-up of a fictional newspaper, The Normandy Times, with the headline: “British business owners can now vote with their feet and leave post-Brexit fears behind.”

“If you didn’t vote for Brexit or it’s not right for your business, why not vote with your feet and open an office, or settle a production unit, in Normandy,” it says. The advert also carries a mock classified ad saying: “Hot entrepreneur wanted … Someone allergic to post-Brexit tariffs, legislation and restrictions preferred.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest One of the Normandy Times adverts. Photograph: Normandy Times

TfL said the ads were rejected under a clause that related to adverts that may contain “images or messages which relate to matters of public controversy or sensitivity”.

Although the ban will impede the agency’s ability to reach some London commuters, it is also sending a bus wrapped with the “hot entrepreneur” ad on a tour of Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Cambridge and London later this month.

Quick guide All you need to know about Anglo-French trade Show Hide Which country is 'on top'? Roughly £71bn of goods and services were traded between the two countries in 2016. France has the upper hand: the UK exported £33.8bn to France but imported £37.6bn. Exports to France have fallen by about 9% over the last decade, while imports are roughly flat. France is Britain's third-largest export market. What gets traded? There is an appreciation on both sides of the Channel for what each country does well: Britain is the largest importer of champagne, while more than 28m Harry Potter books have gone the other way. France is the second biggest European food exporter to the UK and accounts for 20% of dairy imports. There were more than 500 French restaurants in Britain in 2017, 54 of them in the Michelin Guide. Among the most common UK exports are cars, chemicals and financial services. France is a big exporter of aircraft, machinery and cars. Living and working About 150,000 British citizens live in France, while 155,000 French nationals are settled in the UK. Banking is the most common type of employment for French people in Britain, with the vast majority of them living in London and the south-east; there are 15 accredited French schools in the UK, 13 of which are in London. Roughly a quarter of all British citizens in France live in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. Tourism The French make about 4m visits a year to the UK, making them the number one nationality of foreign visitors. About 11 million tourists visit France every year from the UK, more than from any other country. Business links More than 1,000 subsidiaries of British companies were based in France in 2014, generating 195,000 jobs. French companies with major operations in Britain include the energy giant EDF and the utilities firm Veolia. Angela Monaghan Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

The French push comes at a sensitive time, as British companies worry about how the decision to leave the EU will affect them. Paris is among the European capitals trying to lure businesses away in the “Brexit relocation” sector. In 2016, Defacto, which manages Paris’s La Défense business district, ran a similar campaign with the message: “Tired of the fog? Try the Frogs!”

Hervé Morin, who heads the Normandy regional council, said it was sorry TfL had blocked the ads. The region is offering tax breaks and help accessing grants of up to €100,000 (£89,000) to British companies that decamp to France. “We are very keen to get across our invitation to British entrepreneurs who wish to either set up or remain in the eurozone,” said Morin.