Furious Microsoft boss slams UK over takeover block: ‘EU is better for business’

Brad Smith claimed confidence in technology in the UK had been ‘severely shaken’ by the decision but No10 said his claims were ‘not borne out by the facts’

Microsoft has hit out at the UK competition watchdog for blocking the company’s takeover of gaming firm Activision Blizzard, claiming it shows European Union is now a better place for business than Britain.

Brad Smith, the company’s vice chair and president, said it was a “bad day for Britain” after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the US tech company’s $68.7billion (£55billion) buyout of the Call Of Duty maker, amid fears the tie up could lead to less innovation and less choice for gamers.

Describing the decision as “probably the darkest day” in Microsoft’s 40-year history in the UK, Mr Smith launched a scathing attack on the regulator and said the decision would “shake the confidence among the business community in the UK”.