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Brexit
Original poster

Is there a list anywhere of companies whose Directors supported/opposed Brexit?

50 replies

lummox · 11/10/2016 08:24

Still struggling to make sense of this disaster, but I would like to use my money supporting those who are losing out through no fault of their own and boycotting those who (in my view) have contributed to this.

Does anyone know if there a list anywhere so that the 48% can vote with their money/support?

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Cailleach1 · 11/10/2016 17:45

Don't know about a list, but there are the obvious ones.

JCB guy was a Leaver out for vengeance after they were fined by the EU for something dodgy and against fair trading standards. I think they were fixing prices or something.

Branson was remain and he is complaining about being down financially since the vote.

Ryan air Leave. How much do you want to support Leave. Bring your own sandwiches for the plane, and do all that is required of you re ticket print out and self check in and you'll be ok.

Dyson was a Leave icon. His stuff is manufactured overseas anyway. You could still support the Malaysian economy by buying them.

Wetherspoons were Leave. It is not exactly a punishment avoiding their establishments.

Justchanged · 11/10/2016 17:53

RyanAir was very strongly remain! They sent an email around midnight on June 23rd celebrating that Britain had voted remain - it makes me sad to think of that parallel universe where the UK was an open tolerant place.

They have already cut Stansted flights due to Brexit.

Me&Em - leave. I received a really crass email from them just after the result celebrating Brexit. I have asked to be removed from their mailing list and will not buy from them again.

NotaJCBGuy · 11/10/2016 18:04

JCB guy was a Leaver out for vengeance after they were fined by the EU for something dodgy and against fair trading standards. I think they were fixing prices or something.

And the EU's external tariff on construction equipment is 0% anyway I believe, he's not really got a lot to lose there has he?

Oh and I believe this 'British' company is now a subsidiary of a Netherlands-based holding company, no doubt for for some completely logical reason unconnected with tax.

Original poster
lummox · 11/10/2016 18:10

Doesn't seem like much, but I certainly won't buy from dyson ever again (they were one of the few that I already knew about). Happy to avoid Wetherspoons (no punishment, as you say).

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itsawonderfulworld · 11/10/2016 21:17

I run a small business and thank you for the support, but there is no way that we'll be able to keep going after Brexit, so I'm already making plans to close down once Article 50 is triggered (still hoping it won't be, but unfortunately the harm is already done as the goods we sell are already being put up by 30% for next year and we won't be able to sell them at these prices).

Cailleach1 · 11/10/2016 22:16

Oh gosh, meant Ryan Air was remain, not leave. Michael O'Leary on Question Time, even. Should have proof read. Sorry.

That must be terrible for you, itsawonderfulworld. Geoffrey Howe's phrase about the cricket bats being broken by your own team captain comes to mind. It is a self inflicted situation caused by this referendum result. I hope you can recover and move forward from this in some way.

TheElementsSong · 12/10/2016 08:55

Sorry to hear that, itsawonderfulworld Sad.

prettybird · 12/10/2016 09:42

According to the chairman of JD Weatherspoons, we can stop buying French wine and buy Chilean and Australian instead Hmm

And he spouted the old "they need us more than we need them" guff. Doesn't seem to realise that the EU spreading the impact across 27 countries, whereas we'd be bearing the brunt of any effect.

I'll not be gracing JD Weatherpoons with my business in future.

Lokisglowstickofdestiny · 12/10/2016 09:49

If a company took a formal position on this, does that mean all its employees did too? I know my company didn't have a published view but there was an informal one, not shared by all employees.
It would seem that individuals who shared your views would suffer with this action.

TheElementsSong · 12/10/2016 10:06

If a company took a formal position on this, does that mean all its employees did too?

You are completely right, but this logic would also mean we could never boycott any company or organisation without cast-iron assurance that all members were of one mind. Thus nobody could boycott Nestle because of the baby formula thing, nor avoid products that use palm oil and so on.

At any rate, surely we can rely on the majority of the population to show their support and gratitude towards Wetherspoons et al by gracing them with their custom.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 12/10/2016 10:11

Yep, never been to a Wetherspoons in my life. Might have to pay a visit now. Boycotting or supporting works both ways.

TheElementsSong · 12/10/2016 10:16

Boycotting or supporting works both ways.

Well, yes.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 12/10/2016 10:22

Also, it seems easy to boycott the wrong companies I.e. The confusion above about Ryan Air

TheElementsSong · 12/10/2016 11:12

Also, it seems easy to boycott the wrong companies

Large companies like Wetherspoons or RyanAir are not likely to give a shit whether people boycott them or not. But if it makes individuals feel better to give their custom (as you wish to at Wetherspoons) or to withhold their hard-earned cash (as I do in avoiding palm oil products as far as practicable) that's good isn't it?

Rechargeable · 12/10/2016 11:28

I may have to buy The Express today to see who is advertising there and enabling it to be sold for 10p. Nobody should be supporting such an insulting headline to 48% of voters and the advertisers should be held to account.

Original poster
lummox · 12/10/2016 16:06

I'm not sure that they wouldn't care at all - they must want as many customers as possible, surely?

But mostly, as you say, it does make me feel better. Or perhaps less worse would be more accurate.

I do see the point about innocent employees (and to a lesser extent the boycotting the wrong firms, although that should be avoidable), but ultimately the bulk of the profit from what we spend goes to the owners of companies and I would like in some small way to hold them to account for what they and other have done.

There was an interesting debate on whether people who had chosen to say that they voted leave could be dismissed first in the event of a brexit-related redundancy. The consensus was that an Employment Tribunal would probably not accept that this would be a fair criterion, but some lawyers took the opposite view.

Personally, if the pain that brexit will cause could be felt only by those who believed it to be worth paying I would have no problem with it at all. Unfortunately, in my view, it is our children who will be worst hit.

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GreenishMe · 12/10/2016 17:03

Does anyone know if there a list anywhere so that the 48% can vote with their money/support?

Sadly, I can't remember the last time I chose where to shop based on anything other than what I can and can't afford.

Original poster
lummox · 12/10/2016 18:59

That would be the worst possible scenario - that the Mike Ashleys of this world get richer because people are forced to buy cut price goods produced and sold by workers whose rights have been removed and who earn a pittance.

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birdybirdywoofwoof · 12/10/2016 19:23

There's a kind of list on the staying in website.

It includes the major car manufacturers- the 'dragons' from tv, Alan sugar, monarch airlines.

I know the guy from innocent juice was a remain campaigner.

It's the car industry that are going to be hit the worst- but everyone understood that and still chose it so what can you do?

joangray38 · 12/10/2016 19:32

I follow a few up and coming jewellery designers on IG , all were remainers and a few have said their businesses will not be sustainable once article 50 is triggered

Peregrina · 12/10/2016 20:53

If you try to pay 10p for the Express, you will find that this is another lie. It's 10p less than the other rags it competes with.

Peregrina · 12/10/2016 20:55

I'd ;like to see a list of those prominent Leavers, like Dyson, and see what they are doing to support the UK now. Not a lot, I suspect. They all seem to have gone very quiet.

specialsubject · 13/10/2016 16:14

Ah, love ethics. There is nothing innocent about innocent juices!

And if you buy a red top rag beyond the age of 15, why?

Remember to support your country by avoiding the tax avoiders too.

Original poster
lummox · 13/10/2016 18:58

Happy to avoid tax avoiders. Obviously the usual suspects, but there may be others too, I guess.

Saw an article today about the Chief Exec of Next being a prominent Leave campaigner. So won't be buying anything there.

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Original poster
lummox · 01/11/2016 13:02

Just seen an article which said that Phones4U and Reebok Chief Execs were prominent Leave campaigners.

So that is more for the list. Avoided Next last weekend, which gave me a (vague) sense that I am doing something....

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