By Simon Boyd, contracts director at Reidsteel in Christchurch and regional chairman of Business for Britain South West

MEMBERSHIP of the EU damages our business and all those who rely upon us for their income.

Through the over-regulation of British businesses, we have increased our “tick box culture” while UK productivity has fallen. Such a situation, if allowed to continue will do untold damage to the future of British businesses and the people of this country.

Only six per cent of UK companies export to the EU yet we all have to comply with the same burdensome rules.

The big multinationals love the EU; they have the money, resources and time to lobby the unelected elite in Brussels who act in their favour.

They can pick and choose in which EU state they pay their taxes unlike Small Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) who are embedded into their local community and who pay all UK taxes.

Big multinationals represent a fraction of the employment in this country while the five million SMEs employ the vast majority of the UK workforce (15.6 m).

The remain camp have had little to offer by way of good reason to stay a member of this club.

It is not anti-European to want out; in fact the opposite is the case. It is far riskier to remain in a failing political project than to be set free to be responsible for our own destiny.

We have a once in a lifetime opportunity on June 23; to take back control of our destiny, be responsible for our future and that of our children and future generations, to hold to account our elected members of parliament whom we will be free to vote out if they do not run our country in accordance with our wishes and to set up our own trade agreements with the EU and the rest of the world.

I believe in the British people, who free from the shackles of the EU will take this great country forward by working with our European friends outside the control of the elitists for a brighter and more prosperous future.

Let us all Vote Leave and take back control of our country and its future.