British people would be 'mugs' for leaving the EU, Alan Sugar says

The businessman described the idea of Brexit as 'daft'

Lord Sugar sits in the House of Lords (Getty)

British people would be taken for “mugs” by other countries if they voted to leave the European Union, Lord Sugar has said.

The Conservative government’s enterprise Tsar, who also worked for the last Labour government and sits as a crossbench peer in Parliament, said the EU was partly responsible for the success of his businesses.

“I’ve been in business for 50 years, I’ve seen some pretty daft ideas in my time. And I’ll tell you one of them: Britain leaving the EU,” he wrote in an article for The Sun newspaper.

“When we entered the EU, it was a breath of fresh air for me. It opened up a massive market. I was free to sell to and buy from who I wanted and where I wanted. Honestly, that’s how my companies prospered."

“Now I’m not saying the EU is perfect. But you don’t sort something out by walking out of it.”

The peer added that “we’d be the mugs of the world if we left”.

Lord Sugar, who is now most famous for presenting the Apprentice, was hired as the Government’s enterprise Tsar earlier this month.

He will tour the country advising young people on the advantages of apprenticeship.

The peer set up the Amstrad computer company in 1968, which achieved a peak market value of over a £1 billion.

The warning by Lord Sugar comes as a new phone poll by ICM shows the Leave campaign with a narrow lead for the first time in an equivalent survey.