Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin coming to Hastings to talk to John Logie Baird customers about the benefits of a no deal Brexit

Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin will be visiting The John Logie Baird in Hastings on Thursday January 10 at 11am to chat to customers about Bexit.
John Logie BairdJohn Logie Baird
John Logie Baird

Mr Martin has courted controversy with his firm pro-Brexit staff, even going so far as to ban Champagne and French cognac from his pubs, replacing them with English and Australian versions.

SEE ALSO: Hastings Wetherspoons rated as one of worst in Sussex by TripAdvisor users.The Wetherspoons boss, who will be at the pub for an hour, says he aims to speak to customers about what he considers to be the huge economic advantages of leaving the EU on 29 March 2019 without a deal, and of adopting the free trade approach of countries like New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Singapore.

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These advantages will be lost, Mr Martin argues, if the government signs up for a deal with the EU, which keeps the UK tied in to the protectionist EU customs union.

Mr Martin said: “Now that the details of the appalling deal, negotiated by the Downing Street kitchen cabinet have become clear, it is certain the UK will be financially far better off by choosing no deal.

“The hard mathematics demonstrate beyond doubt that no deal leaves the public and the UK better-off on day one after Brexit.

“The UK will immediately gain by non-payment of the proposed £39 billion, for which lawyers have repeatedly confirmed there is no legal liability.

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“No deal also allows parliament, on 29 March 2019, to slash import taxes (tariffs) on over 12,000 non-EU products, including oranges, rice, coffee, wine and children’s clothes.

“Ending these tariffs will immediately reduce shop prices to UK consumers.

“There is no loss of income to the government from slashing these tariffs, since the proceeds are currently remitted to Brussels.

“Most importantly, no deal allows the UK to regain control of historic fishing grounds, where 60 per cent of fish today are landed by EU boats.”

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But not everyone agrees with Tim’s public stance. One local Wetherspoons customer commented: “I go to the pub to relax not to have the pub owner’s political views forced on me through posters and leaflets.”