SMEs want UK to stay in EU – KCP survey

Respondents are concerned that free trade will disappear and increased red tape will slow down business if the UK exits the EU.

"The survey shows that this is a concern for businesses, the majority of which focus on the benefits that being an EU member bring. The EU is the UK's largest trading partner so it is only natural that businesses should be concerned about a possible exit," KCP managing partner Owen Trotter said in a statement.

Indeed, the lure of Europe seems a firm fixture among the investment community too. In the recent Terra Firma annual review, chairman Guy Hands highlighted the difficulties experienced by GPs when realising returns in emerging markets.

Suggesting that high growth is not a good measure of future returns, Hands said: "For this reason we have not been advocates of investing in private equity in emerging markets. The benefits of this decision are becoming clearer as growth slows in Brazil and India and private equity firms are having a difficult time realising returns in China." Instead, the investor cites Europe as a favourable destination for private equity returns.

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• Topics
• Industry
• Terra Firma
• United Kingdom