Today | Open Europe

Poll of the Week (Open Europe/ComRes): If Cameron secures all his renegotiation demands, 65% of voters would choose to stay in the EU

UK to stay in EU

65%

UK to leave EU

26%

Don't know

UK to stay in EU	65%
UK to leave EU	26%
Don't know	9%

When asked how they would vote if David Cameron was successful in securing agreement on all of his demands, 65% of voters said that they would vote to remain compared to 26% of voters who would still vote to leave.Source: Open Europe/ComRes

What Our Supporters Do

1,000,000 +

Our supporters employ more than one million people across the world. The men and women who place their trust in Open Europe, operate in every industry sector, and include leaders of FTSE 100 firms and small business entrepreneurs. All of them support Open Europe in a personal capacity. If you are interested in becoming a Open Europe supporter, contact us. Please see here for a longer list of our supporters and here for our Advisory Council.

Alex Hickman
Managing Partner, Chartwell Partners Alex Hickman is the co-founder of Open Europe having spent almost a decade involved in the debate about the future of Britain and the EU in his roles as Chief Executive of Business for Sterling; The No Campaign; Vote 2004 and Vote No. Alex worked as an advisor to David Cameron and he established the Movement for European Reform - a precursor to the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists - between 2006 and 2007. He is the also the co-founder and Chief Executive of Chartwell Partners, a worldwide speaker’s bureau. Alex has a regular blog at www.stuff-happens.org.
Baroness Joanna Shields OBE
Former Chair, Tech City UK; Non-Exec Director, London Stock Exchange Baroness Joanna Shields OBE is the UK Minister for Internet Safety and Security. Prior to this, she was the Chair of Tech City UK and a non-executive Director of the London Stock Exchange. She has been involved with building-up some of the world’s most prominent technology companies such as Google, Facebook, Bebo and AOL.

She topped Wired top 100 list of the UK's digital power in 2011, came sixth in the the MediaGuardian 100 in 2012, and was named as one of the most influential women in Britain by Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.
Björn Fröling
Vice Chairman, Öhman Björn is the Vice Chairman of Öhman, having previously worked in investment banking as a Managing Director and Partner at Lazard AB and Brummers and Partners. Björn previously served as the Global Head of Corporate Finance at Alfred Berg.
Charlotte Black
Director of Corporate Affairs, Brewin Dolphin Securities Ltd Charlotte is the Director of Corporate Affairs for Brewin Dolphin, the largest independent private client portfolio manager in the UK. She is also a Director of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) and the WMA (formerly APCIMS the industry trade association). Charlotte is a member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (MCSI), and of several Advisory Committees in the City, including the Scottish Financial Enterprise Advisory Board and the Euroclear Cross Border Market Advisory Committee (XMAC). Charlotte Black was a Westminster Parliamentary Candidate in 1997.
David Frost
CEO, Scotch Whisky Association David Frost CMG is the Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, one of Britain’s largest trade associations. He spent 25 years as a diplomat in the British Foreign Office, serving, amongst other positions, as the British Ambassador to Denmark; Director for the European Union and as Director for Strategy and Policy Planning. Most recently he served as Britain’s most senior trade policy official and as a full member of the EU’s Trade Policy Committee.
David Ord
Managing Director, The Bristol Port Company David Ord is the Managing Director of the Bristol Port Company and a Council member of the University of Bristol and Chairman of the Finance Committee. He is also a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers.
David Reid Scott
Senior Adviser, Stonehage Advisory Family Office David Reid Scott currently serves as a senior advisor to Stonehage Advisory’s family office division having served as Stonehage’s Chairman between 2010 and 2014. David began his career at White Weld & Co in New York and London, before spending a number of years as Senior Advisor to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. In 1985, David became a founding partner of Phoenix Securities, which was sold to Donaldson Lufkin Jenrette in 1998 and where he served as Vice Chairman and Chairman of its international Financial Institutions practice. Between 2001 and 2009, he served as Chairman of Hawkpoint Partners: one of the leading European corporate advisory firms. David also works with a number of charities and endowments in the UK and Ireland, as well as in Mozambique where he has sponsored a major eco-tourism project.
Dr Gerard Lyons
Chief Economic Advisor to the Mayor of London Dr Gerard Lyons is chief economic advisor to Mayor Boris Johnson. He previously spent 27 years in senior positions in The City at Standard Chartered, DKB International, Swiss Bank and Chase. He currently has a number of pro-bono roles that include the Board of CityUK, Council Royal Economic Society and Advisory Board of Warwick University Business School.
Elizabeth Gage
Jewellery Designer Elizabeth is one of Britain's most influential jewellery designers, with a career spanning over five decades. Her first major commission was for Cartier, New York in 1968. Since then she has gone on to win many accolades, including the prestigious Queens Award for Export, British Jewellery Designer of the Year, and the De Beers Diamond Award. Elizabeth's work is displayed in the permanent jewellery collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and, in 2008 Retail Jeweller presented her with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Elizabeth is a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
George Trefgarne
Chief Executive, Boscobel & Partners Ltd George Trefgarne is the Chief Executive of Boscobel & Partners. Previously a journalist, George was formerly the Economics Editor of the Daily Telegraph and the City Editor of the Sunday Telegraph. He was also a consultant at the leading financial communications firm Maitland.
Haruko Fukuda
Non-Executive Director, Investec Haruko is a non-executive Director of Investec and a former Chairman of Calibre Global Investments Ltd. Haruko is also former director of Foreign and Colonial Investment Trust plc and former Chief Executive of the World Gold Council.
Hugh Sloane
Founder, Sloane Robinson Hugh Sloane co-founded Sloane Robinson in December 1993, serving as the CEO and manager of the International and Japan portfolios since the firm’s establishment. Hugh began his investment career at GT Management in 1979, where he initially worked in Hong Kong as an economist for the Asian Region. In 1986 he became Investment Director of GT Japan, responsible for Japanese equity portfolios, and chaired the Asian regional investment committee. In 1991 he moved to London to become GT’s CEO for Europe.
John Barton
Non-Executive Chairman, EasyJet Plc John Barton is the Chairman of EasyJet. He is also currently Chairman of Next plc and Catlin Group Limited. John has previously served as a non-executive Director of WHSmith plc and Wellington Underwriting plc. Following JIB’s merger with Lloyd Thomson, John became Chairman of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc until 2001.
Justin Dowley
Chairman, Intermediate Capital Group Justin Dowley is the Chairman of Intermediate Capital Group. A founding partner of the independent advisory firm, Tricorn Partners, he has previously served both as Head of UK investment banking at Morgan Grenfell, and as Head of European investment banking at Merrill Lynch.
Lord Leach of Fairford
Director, Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd Lord Leach of Fairford is the founder and Chairman of Open Europe, having previously served as the Chairman of Business for Sterling, which successfully campaigned to keep Britain out of the euro. Lord Leach currently serves as Director of Jardine Matheson; Jardine Lloyd Thompson; Hongkong Land; the Mandarin Oriental; Dairy Farm and Paris Orleans.
Lord Renwick of Clifton
Vice Chairman, Investment Banking, JP Morgan Europe Lord Renwick currently serves as Vice-Chairman of Investment Banking at JP Morgan (Europe) and the Vice-Chairman of JP Morgan Cazenove and Chairman of Fluor Ltd (UK). Lord Renwick is also a member House of Lords where he has sat as a cross-bencher since ennoblement in 1997. He is a Trustee of The Economist and a former Director of British Airways, having also served as the British Ambassador to the United States from 1991 until 1995.
Lord Salisbury
Director, Gascoyne Holdings Ltd Lord Salisbury serves as Director of Gascoyne Holdings Ltd and as Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire. Lord Salisbury also served as the Conservative MP for South Dorset between 1979 and 1987, and as Leader of the House of Lords between 1994 and 1997.
Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise
CEO, Next Plc Lord Wolfson is the CEO of high street clothing giant Next Plc - a FTSE 100 company. Lord Wolfson was inducted into the House of Lords in 2010, and is known for his investment in political and philanthropic projects. Most recently he has invested his time and assets into creating affordable housing for the UK’s swelling population.
Maria Borelius
Partner, Living Waters Ltd Maria Borelius is a communications consultant specialising in fundraising and CSR-related strategies. She is also a regular columnist for Sweden’s leading business daily Dagens Industri. Maria has served as a member of the Swedish Parliament and as the Swedish Minister for Trade, as well as the CEO of Hand in Hand International. She has a BSc from Lund University and an MSc from New York University.
Mats Arnhog
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Active Biotech Mats chairs the Board of Directors of Active Biotech AB and also the Boards of Directors of MGA Holding AB and Rederi AB Sea-Link. A Swedish business leader, Mats is also a Board Member of Ideella Foreningen PrimaGruppen, and serves as Member of Advisory Board of the Stockholm School of Economics.
Michael Moritz
Managing Partner, CatCap Michael is the Managing Partner of CatCap GmbH, having previously worked as a corporate finance consultant at Doertenbach and Co. GmbH in Frankfurt, handling strategic mergers and acquisitions, primarily for medium-sized enterprises and their owners. Michael previously served as member of the medium-sized enterprise advisory board of the German Federal Ministry of Economics, and on the board of trustees of the German Property Foundation (Stiftung Eigentum). He also heads the regulatory Family Entrepreneurs Commission (Kommission der Familienunternehmer) and is a member of the Federal Association of Family Entrepreneurs (Bundessenat der Familienunternehmer).
Nigel Smith
Former Chairman, The No (Euro) Campaign Nigel Smith is the former Managing Director of the Glasgow-based manufacturers David Auld Valves Ltd. He served as Chairman of the cross-party No (Euro) campaign from 2002-2004 and as Chairman of the successful cross-party ‘Yes’ to Scottish devolution campaign in 1997.
Oliver Pawle
Chairman Board Services UK, Korn Ferry Oliver Pawle is the Chairman of Korn Ferry Board Services Practice, focusing on chairman, non-executive and executive board appointments. He also serves as a Senior Client Partner in the Firm’s London office. Oliver has advised on board recruitment for many major companies, including GSK, Cobham, Amadeus, Weir Group, the Prudential, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Bank of England.
Rupert Hambro
Chairman, JO Hambro Ltd; Non-Executive Partner, Robinson Hambro Ltd Rupert Hambro is the Chairman of J O Hambro, specialising in mergers and acquisitions and investment management. Rupert also directs Robinson Hambro Ltd, his own private-equity firm with investments in a number of businesses, having formerly served as Chairman of Hambros Bank. Rupert’s voluntary positions include: Chairman of Trustees of The Silver Trust; Deputy President of The National Association of Clubs for Young People; Vice Patron of the Royal Society of British Sculptors; Chairman of the Trustees of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust and Honorary President of British Association of Adoption & Fostering.
Sir Martin Jacomb
Advisory Board Chairman, First Avenue Partners LLP Sir Martin Jacomb holds is the Chairman of the advisory board for First Avenue Partners LLP. Sir Martin is also the former Chairman of Prudential Plc and former Chancellor of the University of Buckingham - a post he held between 1999 and 2010. Prior to this, his Chairmanships included Barclays de Zoete Wedd; the British Council and Delta Plc. He has also held directorships at The Telegraph Plc; Marks and Spencer Plc and Canary Wharf Group Plc.
Sir Rocco Forte
Chairman and Chief Executive, Rocco Forte Hotels Sir Rocco is Chairman and Chief Executive of Rocco Forte Hotels, the international luxury hotel chain. Rocco Forte Hotels has a turnover of £90 million and is on the FastTrack 100 list of fastest growing companies.
Sir Simon Robertson
Deputy Chairman, HSBC Holdings Plc A pivotal figure in the business world, Sir Simon Robertson joined the board of HSBC Bank in 2006 as Deputy Chairman. Sir Simon has an extensive background in international business and trade – having previously served as Chairman of both Goldman Sachs and Rolls Royce – and was awarded his knighthood for services to business in 2010. He holds broad cultural and environmental interests, including a place on the boards of both the Royal Opera House and the acclaimed Eden Project. His own company, Simon Robertson Associates LLP, supports the 30% Project, a group of FTSE 100 Chairmen committed to having at least 30% female representation on their boards
Tim Martin
Founder and Chairman, J D Wetherspoons Plc Tim Martin is Chairman and founder of J D Wetherspoons plc. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a part of the FTSE 250 Index. It has a turnover of over £785 million and operates 900 pubs, employing over 26,000 people across Britain.

The eurosceptic think tank Open Europe, which largely inspires the positions of Downing Street.

Le Figaro

Our Latest Intelligence

UK share of wholesale financial markets

36%

UK Share of QMV voting weights

8.2%

UK Share of MEPS

9.7%

UK share of wholesale financial markets	36%
UK Share of QMV voting weights	8.2%
UK Share of MEPS	9.7%

Institutional bias against the UK in single market regulation

The UK is home to over 36% of the wholesale finance market, but only accounts for 8.2% of the voting weights within the Council of Ministers – where the bulk of EU legislation is passed. This institutional bias against the UK is set to increase. Open Europe was the first to highlight that under new voting rules coming into place in the European Council in November 2014, the Eurozone will gain a qualified majority, meaning that it will be able to outvote non-Eurozone members. If it votes as a bloc, the Eurozone may pass EU-wide laws that non-euro states cannot stop, leading to the risk of a single market fracture.Source: Open Europe

€27.4 bn

Cost of Top 100 EU Regulations to UK Economy

Open Europe estimates that the top 100 EU regulations cost the UK economy £27.4bn annually – and that costs outweigh benefits in a quarter of cases. Encouragingly, over a third of regulations identified by Open Europe are featured in the UK Government endorsed ‘Business Task Force’ report outlining ways to cut red-tape.Source: Open Europe, UK Government, Financial Conduct Authority.

Our Experts

Raoul Ruparel
Co-Director Raoul Ruparel is Co-Director at Open Europe. He is also a contributing author for Forbes, where he write on EU issues; the Eurozone crisis; central banking and macroeconomics.

Over the past years Raoul has been at the forefront of analysing crucial issues around Europe. He has led Open Europe’s research into the Eurozone crisis, helping to advise governments and corporations on how to deal with the crisis as well as the potential institutional and regulatory response. Raoul has been heavily involved in the economic and financial analysis of the evolving crisis in Ukraine, and the ensuing sanctions placed on Russia. He has also worked extensively on issues relating to EU trade and economic prosperity, as well as the economic impacts of hot political topics such as migration.

On top of his regular articles for Forbes, Raoul is a frequent contributor to the broadcast and print media including, CNBC, Bloomberg, BBC and Sky as well as the FT, WSJ and the Times. Raoul holds two masters degrees in economics and public policy from the University of Chicago and a BA in economics and politics from the University of Manchester. Prior to joining OE, Raoul gained work experience at financial firm Habibbank AG Zurich. See Articles Follow @RaoulRuparel Email: raoul@openeurope.org.uk
Stephen Booth
Co-Director Stephen is Co-Director at Open Europe. While at Open Europe he has written on EU regulation, justice and home affairs and EU aid policy. Stephen holds an undergraduate degree in political science and was awarded the Jean Monnet Prize for his master's degree in European studies from the University of Sussex. Stephen's professional interests include democracy and transparency in the EU, the interaction between domestic and EU law and European cooperation in crime and policing. He is half Dutch.  See Articles Follow @OpenEurope Email: stephen@openeurope.org.uk
Nina Schick
Communications Director As Open Europe’s Communications Director, Nina specialises in both EU policy and political communications, leading the radical overhaul of Open Europe’s digital communications strategy. Her policy-areas of interest include Anglo-German relations; Germany’s place in the EU; EU-Russia relations and the digital economy.

Nina is a regular current affairs commentator, with a slot on Monocle 24’s flagship radio programme, ‘Midori House’, and a column for EUobserver. She often appears on international broadcast analysing breaking EU developments.

Nina holds degrees in history and politics from University College London and the University of Cambridge, graduating from both institutions with distinctions. Prior to joining Open Europe, Nina worked in journalism and political research at organisations including BBC Parliament; Spiegel Online; the Sunday Times and UK Parliament.

Half German and half-Nepali, Nina speaks fluent German, Spanish, Nepali and Tamang; she also speaks French and Hindi. See Articles Follow @NinaDSchick Email: nina@openeurope.org.uk
Pawel Swidlicki
Policy Analyst Pawel joined Open Europe in 2011, since establishing himself as an expert and media commentator on a range of issues from the EU budget and EU regional policy, to the role of national parliaments in EU decision making. Pawel also follows how domestic politics in the UK, Poland and Germany impact on these countries' EU policies.

Pawel has worked on Open Europe Intelligence which has informed and shaped policy at both the UK and EU level. These include refocusing the EU budget, identifying an common Anglo-German agenda for EU reform, and changing the rules around EU migrants’ access to benefits to preserve the principle of EU free movement.

Prior to joining Open Europe, Pawel worked in the City for two years and also in Westminster, where he interned for a Lib Dem MP. Pawel holds a BA in History from the University of Leicester - during which he spent a year at the University of Regensburg in Germany - and an MA in International Relations from the University of Nottingham. See Articles Follow @pswidlicki Email: pawel@openeurope.org.uk
Pieter Cleppe
Head of Brussels Office Pieter is the Head of the Brussels office of Open Europe (Open Europe Brussels VZW). He is a frequent contributor to the broadcast and print media across Europe, frequently discussing EU reform, the refugee crisis and the eurocrisis. A trained lawyer, Pieter previously practiced law in Belgium, and has worked as a cabinet advisor and speechwriter to the Belgian State Secretary for Administrative Reform. Pieter also previously worked as an analyst at the Belgium’s Itinera Institute, which he helped to found. He received his legal training at the Catholic University of Leuven, and also studied law and economics at the universities of Hamburg, Bologna and Vienna. Pieter is fluent in Dutch, English and French. He also speaks German and intermediate Italian. See Articles Follow @@pietercleppe Email: Pieter@openeurope.org.uk
Timm Luebben
Head of Digital Timm takes a leading role in Open Europe's digital communications, while also focusing on Anglo-German relations and Germany’s place in the EU. He is fluent in German, French, Dutch, and English.

Prior to joining Open Europe in 2012, Timm worked at the European Union Delegation to the United Nations in New York and at the World Affairs Council which is one of the largest and most active foreign policy forums in the US. He holds an MA in international relations from the University of Groningen, and a BA in European Studies from the University of Maastricht, during which he also studied at the University of Oslo. See Articles Follow @OpenEurope Email: timm@openeurope.org.uk
Vincenzo Scarpetta
Policy Analyst Vincenzo specialises in the politics and economics of Southern Europe and is a regular commentator in print and broadcast media across Europe. Vincenzo has co-authored policy-changing Open Europe Intelligence on EU free movement, employment law, financial regulation and the European Neighbourhood Policy. He is also an expert on the EU institutions, the Eurozone crisis, and the cost of EU regulation.

Prior to joining Open Europe in 2009, Vincenzo worked at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An Italian native, he is fluent in French and Spanish, and speaks good German. Vincenzo holds a Master's degree (Hons) in international relations and world politics from the University of Naples "L'Orientale" and a Master's in international affairs from the University of Bologna "Alma Mater Studiorum." He has also worked as a musician, and has a diploma in classical piano from the Conservatory of Music of Avellino - his home town in Italy. See Articles Follow @LondonerVince Email: vincenzo@openeurope.org.uk

Our team of economists, analysts and commentators come from Britain, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Poland. We speak fourteen languages and cover all of the EU’s policy areas and countries.

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Open Europe Today

What Our Supporters Do

1,000,000 +

Alex Hickman

Baroness Joanna Shields OBE

Björn Fröling

Charlotte Black

David Frost

David Ord

David Reid Scott

Dr Gerard Lyons

Elizabeth Gage

George Trefgarne

Haruko Fukuda

Hugh Sloane

John Barton

Justin Dowley

Lord Leach of Fairford

Lord Renwick of Clifton

Lord Salisbury

Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise

Maria Borelius

Mats Arnhog

Michael Moritz

Nigel Smith

Oliver Pawle

Rupert Hambro

Sir Martin Jacomb

Sir Rocco Forte

Sir Simon Robertson

Tim Martin

Institutional bias against the UK in single market regulation

Cost of Top 100 EU Regulations to UK Economy

Our Experts

Raoul Ruparel

Stephen Booth

Nina Schick

Pawel Swidlicki

Pieter Cleppe

Timm Luebben

Vincenzo Scarpetta

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EU WARGAMES: Simulating the negotiations that will determine Britain’s place in Europe

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