The UK must stay at the heart of the European Union, it's vital. The reported views of Italian and French businessmen who met with Phil Knowles during his latest trip to Italy.

Speaking on his return to the UK. Phil Knowles, East Midlands European Spokesperson explained the comments made to him and the real concern expressed to him about the possible loss of valued UK expertise should we leave the European Union.

''The expertise that the UK provides to the Union on so many important issues from Finance to Technology, from Diplomatic issues, Manufacturing, guidance to Planning for the years ahead and indeed so much more is clearly greatly admired.

"For the businessmen from France and Italy I spoke with, a European Union without the UK at its heart would be a weakened body and indeed for them unthinkable. They clearly appreciate the importance of having the UK at the decision making table. They hope that the UK stays at the heart of the European Union and urged me to do everything possible to campaign to keep the UK in and not on the outside looking in.

"We know that 3.5 million UK jobs are dependent on us being in the European Union, we need to be championing our position at the heart of the EU to protect these jobs and importantly use our position to push on to the next level securing more investment into the UK and with it more jobs and contracts to boost our economy"