Watch as Richard Branson calmly condemns Brexit lies

Branson has said a hard Brexit would be a disaster for the UK and could warrant a second referendum. ‘The people voted for the Government to come out of Europe based on £350million more going into the NHS and a whole lot of things that were promised,’ he said. ‘Let’s see if these promises come true in a year or two years time. If those promises are not on the table and in fact the country is really suffering, and the costs are going to really cripple the country, then it’s important that there are MPs who can stand up and say something needs to be done about this. We can’t just destroy a beautiful country.’

Branson has made no secret of his belief that voting to leave the EU was the wrong decision for Britain. In an article for The New European back in July 2016 he said: ‘I feel strongly the EU has created an age of peace and stability in Europe; one where the continent’s nations are focused on working and trading together, where Europeans are living in each other’s countries and travelling freely around. It has created a culture where the EU builds relations between members and has stopped them going to war – as they had done for centuries before.