UK firms need EU onside, says biscuit boss

Martin Glenn, chief executive of the owner of Digestives, Jaffa Cakes and Jacobs, has described the deteriorating relationships between London and Brussels as one of his “biggest concerns”.

Amid continued fall-out between Britain and the EU over the appointment of Jean Claude Juncker as President of the EU Commission, Mr Glenn argued that cutting political ties with the EU would damage carefully constructed business networks.

“We have four factories in France and Belgium,” he said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph. “We import a lot from Europe, we’re a big a exporter. We’ve spent 30 years building a European supply chain which does benefit consumers ultimately.”

European Union membership and we voted to go out. What we don’t want is trade barriers, it distorts thing and slows things down.”

Mr Glenn said he was “not so worried” from a business view point about the referendum over Scottish independence because the trade flows were less significant that those with the EU.

He said the Government needs to convince the British public of the benefits of the EU, particularly the trade relations. “I’d like there to be a more positive case made for Europe,” he said.

At the weekend, David Cameron said the case for Britain staying in the EU was made harder to make after the Mr Juncker’s appointment. Mr Cameron had publicly argued that Mr Juncker’s appointment would hinder essential reforms in Europe.

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