JD Wetherspoon prints thousands of new pro-Brexit beer mats attacking George Osborne for EU referendum stance
Pub chief founder sends message to Chancellor saying ‘cronyism is bad for Britain’
PUB chain JD Wetherspoon is printing thousands of new pro-Brexit beer mats attacking George Osborne over the EU referendum.
The company’s founder Tim Martin, who is backing Leave in Thursday’s vote, is sending the Chancellor a series of questions and calling ‘cronyism’ bad for Britain.
The firm are printing half a million mats to be sent to its 920 outlets in the final days of campaigning.
Signed by Mr Martin, who is also Wetherspoon’s chairman, it reads: "Dear Mr Osborne, You say that you won the economic argument.
“Many strongly disagree.”
It goes on to say: "Democracy leads to prosperity and freedom - and the EU is increasingly undemocratic, with awful results in Greece, Spain and Portugal and 15 years' stagnation in Italy.
"Our European friends are being dragged down by Brussels' bureaucracy."
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Speaking about the beer mats, Mr Martin said: "Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne have tried to fool the public using scare stories from cronies or subordinates.
"Their main economic case relies on these people and their views are not independent or believable.
"Cameron yet again deliberately uses images of fear and destruction.
"He is under-estimating the intelligence of the public, who will not swallow this guff."
The beer mat takes aim at bodies like the IMF, the OECD and the Bank of England, all of whom have predicted a negative outcome for the economy if there is a vote to leave the EU on Thursday.
Mr Martin has previously tried to convince drinkers to back a Brexit after they printed 200,000 beer mats attacking IMF chief Christine Lagarde last month.
The full text from the beer mat
CRONYISM IS BAD FOR BRITAIN - a few questions for George Osborne:
Dear Mr Osborne,
You say that you won the economic argument. Many strongly disagree.
Democracy leads to prosperity and freedom - and the EU is increasingly undemocratic, with awful results in Greece, Spain and Portugal and 15 years' stagnation in Italy.
Our European friends are being dragged down by Brussels' bureaucracy.
I think that you are relying too much on cronies, whose organisations did not predict the last downturn and who don't realise what they don't know.
You rely on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), HM Treasury and the Bank of England to support the 'Remain' case, yet:
1. You officially nominated your friend (in January) Christine Lagarde, as head of the IMF.
2. The OECD is funded by the EU, and you are a friend of its head - Jose Angel Gurria.
3. You, George Osborne, are the boss of HM Treasury.
4. You employed Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England.
Does the nation not deserve more independent advice?