Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Smoothies, is among 53 business figures calling for Britain to stay in the European single market and customs union

More than 50 business leaders have backed the Liberal Democrats as the only party which is “speaking for the majority of Britons” by campaigning to stay in the European single market.

Figures including key funders of the Remain campaign warn in a letter to The Times that Britain’s departure from the EU is being run by “hardcore Brexiteers” who have failed to recognise public support for staying in the single market or customs union.

The 53 signatories who say they intend to vote Lib Dem include senior players in the investment and IT sectors, two industries that could be hit by a poor Brexit deal. They represent small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) rather than FTSE 100 companies.

“The Conservatives’ failure to even mention a transitional