Most UK Companies Expect Brexit to Have Negative Impact on Business

A majority of British companies worry that the United Kingdom exiting the European Union would have a negative impact on their business, a survey revealed Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the poll, 70 percent of respondents believe that leaving the bloc would be damaging and only 2 percent rate it as positive.

Some 61 percent of respondents, compared to 42 percent in December 2013, said that UK membership in the bloc has a positive effect on their business, according to a poll by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA).

At least 350 companies were questioned for the ICSA survey.

Britain’s EU membership renegotiation campaign was officially launched in November.

London wants the right not to commit itself to EU's pledge of an "ever closer union," curb social benefits for EU migrants, secure greater protections for non-eurozone countries in the EU bloc, and more power for national government.

The so-called Brexit referendum is expected to take place before the end of 2017.