Remain vote will trigger growth in regions

The claim comes as leading UK manufacturers launch an unprecedented warning about the future of UK imdustry.

For the first time ever, the heads of three of the biggest manufacturing companies - Siemens, Airbus and GKN - will share a platform and say investment and jobs will be at risk if Britain leaves Europe.

They are joined by over 100 members of the EEF, the Manufacturers’ Organisation, who warn that leaving Europe mean UK firms would ‘certainly lose jobs’ and would cause ‘years of uncertainty’, and the Manufacturing Technologies Association, who say leaving would be “madness”.

The CEBR report shows that there are almost 950,000 UK manufacturing jobs linked to EU trade, with tens of thousands in each region of the UK.

In Northern Ireland, there are 20,160 manufacturing jobs linked to trade with the EU.

Of all sectors, manufacturing had most jobs liked to EU trade. The CEBR also shows that 107,390 manufacturing jobs will be created across the country due to the deepening of the single market, by 2030, meaning 3,530 manufacturing jobs will be created in Northern Ireland.

Rt Hon Vince Cable, Former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, will say: “3,500 manufacturing jobs Northern Ireland will be created due to our place within the single market. Leaving the EU means those new manufacturing jobs just won’t be created.”

Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, will say: “The future of job creation in this country, which means financial security for working people and their families, requires us to be in the single market, and yet leaving the single market is sole economic policy the Leave campaign has committed to.”

Manufacturing NI CEO Stephen Kelly said: “Critical to local manufacturing success is the ability to easily trade across borders, particularly with the Irish Republic given our proximity. The implications of a Brexit would be acutely felt by local manufacturing business.”