Bill Gates says Britain will be "less attractive to do business" if Brexit goes ahead

Bill Gates has pitched in to the UK's European Union referendum debate and said that it would have a significant impact on how Britain is viewed by businesses and investors abroad.

Britons go to the polls next Thursday to decide whether they want to remain part of the European bloc or leave.

Several polls throughout the week have claimed that Leave is ahead, and Mr. Gates believes that staying would allow Britian to be “stronger, more prosperous and more influential."

Britons go to the polls next Thursday to decide whether they want to remain part of the European bloc or leave

The founder of Microsoft wrote a letter to The Times in which he stated that "while ultimately a matter for the British people to decide, it is clear to me that if Britain chooses to be outside of Europe, it will be a significantly less attractive place to do business and to invest."

Mr. Gates has invested over $1 billion in Britain and claimed that access to the single market was a major factor in the decision for him and his wife to set up their foundation's research facilities in Cambridge.

“It will be harder to find and recruit the best talent from across the Continent; talent which, in turn, creates jobs for people in the UK," Gates added.

The vast majority of economists have predicted a big downturn in the UK's finances

The vast majority of economists have predicted a big downturn in the UK's finances should they leave the union, and the world's richest man agrees with their hypothesis.

"It would be harder to raise the investment needed for public goods such as new medicines and affordable clean energy solutions, for which we need the scale of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and financial backing that the combined strength of the EU provides.”

The vote takes place next Thursday, the 23rd of June. You can follow the latest Brexit referendum news here.