Wetherspoon Boss Tim Martin Insists We’ll Be Better Off With No-Deal Brexit

22 November 2018, 13:25 | Updated: 22 November 2018, 13:39

The Brexit-backing chairman of J D Wetherspoon has declared leaving the EU without out a deal is “much better” than leaving with the one proposed by Theresa May.

Tim Martin told Nick Ferrari Brits would be £600 better off per person by exiting the bloc with no agreement in place.

He rubbished claims Britain would “crash out” instead describing it as “losing your shackles”.

The businessman spoke to LBC after announcing he’d visit more than 100 of the pub chain’s sites over the next two months as part of a “no deal Brexit pub crawl”.

Tim Martin spoke to LBC on Thursday
Tim Martin spoke to LBC on Thursday. Picture: LBC

“When the dust has settled and we can see what Theresa May’s deal is, we can see that no deal is much better than a deal,” Mr Martin said.

“On day one, on the 29th March if we don’t sign up for a deal, we’re £39bn better off, which is £600 per person in the UK.

“Everyday that goes by if we don’t get out of the EU on 29th March we’ll continue to pay hidden tariffs on rice, oranges, wine, coffee, lots of things, every single day.”

The Wetherspoon boss described warnings that Kent could be turned into a lorry park in the event of a no-deal Brexit as a “shaggy-dog story”.

“No-one seriously believes that if you’re not in the EU and you trade with Australia or America that things are so difficult you have a lorry park,” he said.

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